The Brooklyn Nets’ upcoming season should be intriguing now that Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have joined the team. For the 2019-2020 season, the Nets have a packed national television schedule. Twelve of the team’s games will be featured on ESPN and TNT. An additional eight games will be shown on the National Basketball Association’s NBA TV. Here are six games to circle on the Nets’ 2019-20 regular-season schedule:
Nets vs. Celtics (November 27, 2019)
The Nets game against the Boston Celtics on November 27, 2019, will serve as one of the team’s first meaningful games of the season because it will mark Kyrie Irving’s first game in Boston since he signed a four-year, $141 million contract with the Nets. A six-time All-Star and former Rookie of the Year, Irving spent the past two seasons with the Celtics and averaged 24.1 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game. Irving said that he initially intended on re-signing with Boston, but instead joined Kevin Durant in Brooklyn at the start of free agency.
Given his change of heart, Irving is not expected to receive a warm reception in Boston. Beyond leaving for a division rival, Irving was a polarizing figure in Boston who often alienated his coaches and teammates.
Image by Erik Cleves Kristensen | Flickr
Nets vs. Jazz (January 14, 2020)
January 2020 is shaping up as a fascinating month for the Nets because the team will play several high-profile games, four of which are scheduled within a 10-day span. Brooklyn will host the Utah Jazz on January 14. This game, which is scheduled to be broadcast on NBA TV, will see former Nets player Ed Davis’ return to Barclays Center and serve as a homecoming for Jazz star and New York native Donovan Mitchell.
Whereas Irving is likely to be treated with hostility among Celtics fans during his time in Boston, Davis is expected to experience a welcoming ovation from Brooklyn fans. In his first season with the team, Davis was a fan favorite who averaged 5.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per game.
Nets vs. 76ers (January 15, 2020)
The night following its home game against Utah, the Nets will travel to Philadelphia for its first game against the 76ers. This is notable given the two teams’ tense first-round playoff series last year in which Jared Dudley exchanged words with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. While Dudley is no longer with the Nets, this new rivalry might continue heating up if Brooklyn is as competitive as its revamped roster suggests.
Nets vs. Bucks (January 18, 2020)
Three nights after its game in Philadelphia, the Nets will revisit Barclays Center to host the Milwaukee Bucks and reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. The 24-year-old native of Athens, Greece, averaged a career-best 27.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists last season. Additionally, he is the betting favorite to become the MVP again in 2019-20. However, the January 15 game is meaningful for two other reasons: Brook Lopez’s return to Barclays Center and Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson’s match-up against his former mentor and 2018-19 NBA Coach of the Year Mike Budenholzer.
Lopez, who is now in his second season with the Bucks, was the Nets’ 10th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft and averaged 18.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists throughout nine seasons with the franchise. He is also the team’s all-time leading scorer. Atkinson, meanwhile, served as an assistant coach on Budenholzer’s staff in Atlanta before he was hired as the Nets’ head coach for the 2016-17 season.
Nets vs. Lakers (January 23, 2020)
Brooklyn’s home game on January 23, 2020 presents an opportunity for Nets fans to see two of the league’s premier stars in action when LeBron James and Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers visit Barclays Center. It’s the Lakers’ only trip to Brooklyn in the 2019-20 regular season, and the game will be broadcast on TNT. Last season, on December 18, the Nets beat the Lakers 115-110 at Barclays for a sixth consecutive win during a seven-game win streak. Despite the loss, James led all players in scoring with 36 points on 23 field goal attempts.
Nets vs. Golden State Warriors (February 5, 2020)
February 5, 2020 will mark another important return to Brooklyn because Golden State Warriors guard D’Angelo Russell will play his first game there since he was traded to the team as part of a sign-and-trade for Durant. A 23-year-old native of Louisville, Kentucky, Russell had a breakout season last year with the Nets, as he registered career-best marks in points (21.1), assists (7), three-point field goal percentage (.369), and field goal percentage (.434). He also tied his career-high in rebounds per game (3.9) and was named an All-Star for the first time in his career. The February 5 game will be broadcast on ESPN.