Back in Action:
The Nets return to action Saturday afternoon against the Washington Wizards. The Nets are looking to snap a five-game losing streak at Barclays Center in their last home game of 2015.
Thaddeus Young:
Thaddeus Young is coming off perhaps his best game of the season Wednesday, recording 29 points, 10 rebounds, four steals and a block. The stats don’t tell the entire story, as Young made clutch plays and buckets down the stretch, including a three-pointer with 6.3 seconds to play to send the game to overtime.
“Just a tremendous effort,” Lionel Hollins said of Young’s game vs. the Mavericks on Wednesday. “He was just battling.”
Young has a team-high 15 double-doubles this season.
Wizards:
The Wizards are riding a three-game winning streak, beating the Charlotte Hornets, Sacramento Kings and Memphis Grizzlies before the Christmas break. John Wall is heating up – averaging 16 points and 13 assists over his last five games – while Marcin Gortat is coming off two straight double-doubles, including a season-high 27 points and 16 boards against Sacramento.
While the Wizards are one of the NBA’s best passing teams (7th in assists-per-game at 23.1), they lack in rebounding, averaging 40.5 per game, 28th in the Association. They’re averaging 102 points-per-game (11th in the league), but it’s offset by allowing 105 (26th) which has led to their .500 record. Injuries have also played a factor, as leading scorer Bradley Beal is out with a stress fracture in his right fibula. Former Net Alan Anderson has been out all season with an ankle injury.
John Wall:
Washington’s offense runs through John Wall, who leads active Wizards with 19.4 points and 9.6 assists per game. Wall’s 9.6 assists are second in the NBA, only trailing Rajon Rondo. Wall has hit double-digit assists in four straight games and seven of his last eight, including a season-high 19 assists on Monday vs. Sacramento.
