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Is Kevin Durant Playing Tonight? Brooklyn Nets vs Washington Wizards Playing Lineup, Predictions & Injury Reports

Published 01/03/2021, 3:00 PM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

The Washington Wizards and Brooklyn Nets are entering round 2 of their matchup. They first met in the preseason when the Nets came out victorious against the Wizards, finishing the game with a score of 119-11. As they meet in the regular season for the first time, a clash of their star duos will be one for NBA fans to relish.

The focus will be on Kevin Durant facing his former teammate, Russell Westbrook. The two played alongside each other for a decade in Oklahoma City Thunder until Durant moved on to the Golden State Warriors. So, Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook vs Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving- which duo will one-up the other? Let’s find out.

Brooklyn Nets injury update and lineup prediction

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When the preseason began, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving looked like the duo nobody could beat. They spread around a fear that the Brooklyn Nets won’t make it easy for the other teams. However, they have lost three of their previous four games. So, As of now, the Nets stand sixth in the East, with their season’s wins and losses at par at the moment.

With Spencer Dinwiddie out, the burden falls on KD to do the playmaking for the team. When playing against the Atlanta Hawks, they relied mostly on making shots from the arc. However, that did not work in their favor at all, as they suffered a loss.

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So, they need to work on driving the ball into the paint to open the floor for the perimeter shooters. It’s all on KD and Irving, on how they plan to work it out for the team to do its best.

USA Today via Reuters

With that, the predicted lineup would be Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, DeAndre Jordan, Joe Harris, and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot.

Washington Wizards injury update and lineup prediction

The Wizards’ season so far has been poles apart from the Nets. They are standing at 15th in the East with 1 win and five losses. It was in their last game against the Minnesota Timberwolves; it looked like they had finally gotten themselves together.

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Even though Russell Westbrook was absent from the lineup, Bradley Beal put up a stellar performance for the win. He finished with 31 points, 7 assists, and 3 rebounds within 28 minutes of playing time. Eight of their players bagged points in double digits against Minnesota. So, if they showcase the same team effort, they have a shot at winning against the Nets too.

USA Today via Reuters

Westbrook will be bringing out the big guns while playing against his former teammate. With a healthy roster, the predicted lineup would be Bradley Beal, Thomas Bryant, Deni Avdija, Russell Westbrook, and Rui Hachimura.

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Game prediction

With a deeper and more talented rotation, the Nets will be playing at home. Expect the Wizards to put up a great fight, but ultimately succumb to the offensive prowess of Durant and Irving.

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Written by:

Yashima Bhatia

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Yashima Bhatia is an NBA writer for EssentiallySports who specialises in providing nuanced predictions and updates for matches. She has a Bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication. Yashima's love for playing the game came up at a young age, when the excitement of the games coupled with the intensity of the Playoffs had her hooked.
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