Brooklyn Nets vs New York Knicks Prediction & Match Preview - January 13, 2021 | NBA Season 2020-21
The New York Knicks will host the Brooklyn Nets in a 2020-21 NBA battle of New York on Wednesday night.
It will be the first time Kevin Durant will face the New York Knicks since passing up on their free agency offer to play for their cross-town rivals in the summer of 2019.
This is the only time the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets will face off this regular season, so all the bragging rights for supporters come down to the result on Wednesday night.
The Brooklyn Nets are currently 4.5 point favorites, according to tallysight.com.
Check out the first half of the 2020-21 NBA season schedule here.
Match Details
Fixture: Brooklyn Nets vs New York Knicks - NBA Season 2020-21.
Date & Time: Wednesday, January 13th, 2021, 7:30 PM ET.
Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York.
New York Knicks Preview
The New York Knicks are coming off a 89-114 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night. That was their third consecutive loss after starting the season 5-3.
During this current losing streak for the New York Knicks, they have failed to score over 90 points, and Julius Randle is the only player who has scored over 20 points in any of these games.
The New York Knicks are ranked 29th out of the 30 teams in offensive efficiency this season, scoring just 101.1 points per 100 possessions, as per cleaningtheglass.com.
However, the New York Knicks' saving grace has been their effort at the defensive end despite their offensive struggles.
In contrast to their underwhelming offensive stats, the New York Knicks are ranked in the top five in offensive efficiency this season, allowing opponents to score 106.9 points per 100 possessions.
If the New York Knicks find a way to put the ball in the basket on Thursday night, they will be in a good position to knock off their in-town rivals and get back to .500 on the season.
Key Player - RJ Barrett
RJ Barrett seems to have lost all confidence in his jump shot over the last week, as he is shooting an abysmal 30.13% from the field and has converted only one three-pointer in his last four games.
Barrett will need to find his touch in offense to help the New York Knicks defeat the offensive juggernaut of the Brooklyn Nets.
New York Knicks' Predicted Lineup
G Elfrid Payton, G Austin Rivers, F RJ Barrett, F Julius Randle, C Mitchell Robinson.
Brooklyn Nets Preview
The Brooklyn Nets were able to bounce back against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night to end their two-game losing streak and go 6-6 on the season.
Against the Nuggets, the Brooklyn Nets were unstoppable in offense, shooting 69.2% as a team and 64.7% from behind the arc.
Rookie head coach Steve Nash was understandably ecstatic after his team's first win in three games, saying in this regard:
"It was a great win. We needed it, I think, for our souls."
However, as explosive as the Brooklyn Nets offense is, the team has lacked at the defensive end. Over the last two weeks, the Brooklyn Nets rank in the bottom five in defensive efficiency, according to cleaningtheglass.com, allowing 114.7 points per 100 possessions.
The Brooklyn Nets will need to continue their high percentage shooting to come away with wins in back-to-back nights, as they are not likely to beat the New York Knicks with their defensive play.
Key Player - Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant put together a vintage performance against the Denver Nuggets, scoring 34 points on 66.7% shooting. Durant's scoring display made him 29th in the NBA's all-time scoring list, passing Dwayne Wade.
The two-time finals MVP has already mentioned he will play against the New York Knicks and will look to build on his All-star-caliber performance.
Brooklyn Nets' Predicted Lineup
G Caris LeVert, G Joe Harris, F Jeff Green, F Kevin Durant, C Jarrett Allen.
Nets vs Knicks Prediction
The New York Knicks are expected to pull off the win on Wednesday night against their city rivals, the Brooklyn Nets.
They are likely to lock down the high-performing offense of the Brooklyn Nets, who will have tired legs after playing last night, and put together an offensive performance good enough to take the win.
RJ Barrett could rediscover his rhythm and score over 20 points in the game.
Where to watch Nets vs Knicks
The live broadcast of the game will be available on ESPN. If you are an international viewer, you can also live-stream the same via the NBA League Pass.