Warriors Look to Feast on Hapless Nets, But Don't Count Out a Brooklyn Puncher's Chance

The Brooklyn Nets roll into Chase Center tonight, losers of eight straight and looking like a team that’s already booked their summer vacations. Their 17-55 record tells a pretty bleak story, placing them 13th in the East, miles away from anything resembling a playoff sniff. They’re coming off a 104-91 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday, a game where they shot a frigid 38.6% from the floor. That's just rough.

Golden State, on the other hand, is scrapping. They’re 34-38, clinging to the 10th spot in the West, trying to hold off the Houston Rockets who are just a game and a half behind them. Every game matters for Steve Kerr’s squad right now. They’ve won six of their last ten, including a gritty 113-92 win over the Miami Heat on Wednesday, where Klay Thompson dropped 28 points. You know, vintage Klay.

Here's the thing: everyone expects a blowout. The Nets are giving up 113.8 points per game, ranking them 24th in the league. Their offense, led by Mikal Bridges, who's averaging 19.8 points, just hasn't been enough. Cam Thomas can get buckets, sure, he had 27 against the Blazers, but it rarely translates to wins. They haven't won a game since March 13th, a 106-102 victory over the Detroit Pistons. That feels like a lifetime ago.

And for the Warriors, this is a prime opportunity to pad their win total and solidify that play-in spot. Stephen Curry is still Stephen Curry, putting up 26.6 points a night. Draymond Green, despite the antics, is still the defensive anchor and the guy who makes their offense hum. They’re 20-17 at home this season, a perfectly respectable mark. They crushed the Nets 124-108 back on February 5th in Brooklyn, with Curry going for 29 points and Wiggins adding 24. Expect more of the same.

But here’s my hot take: the Nets pull off the upset tonight. Look, stranger things have happened in the NBA. This isn't a vintage Warriors team by any stretch. They've dropped some winnable games this year, like that 126-106 loss to the New York Knicks just last week. Sometimes, a team that's completely written off, with nothing to lose, finds a spark. Maybe Nic Claxton dominates the boards, or Bridges catches fire from deep. Maybe Ben Simmons, if he even plays, channels his inner whatever-he-used-to-be for one night. It’s a long shot, I know. They’re giving up too many points, they can’t buy a win. But sometimes, teams just get tired of losing.

This game feels like a trap for Golden State. They'll walk in thinking it's an easy W, maybe get a little complacent. The Nets have been embarrassed eight times in a row. At some point, pride has to kick in, even for a team that's essentially playing out the string. They'll play loose, no pressure, and sometimes that's when a team surprises you.

I'm calling it: the Brooklyn Nets snap their eight-game losing streak with a shocking road win against the Warriors.