The Brooklyn Nets will face off against the New York Knicks for the third time this season, dropping both games by decisive margins.

The Nets have lost 10 of their last 12 games after a very hot December in which they went 7-4 while leading the league in defensive rating.

The Knicks have also been in a freefall, dropping nine of their last 11 games.

The Knicks came into the season with championship aspirations after getting to the Eastern Conference Finals last season and looked to be in a great position to captialize on that goal after defeating the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup championship game.

However, Karl-Anthony Towns has struggled to shoot the ball efficiently this season and doesn’t seem to be meshing well with new Knicks head coach Mike Brown.

Jalen Brunson has also struggled to shoot the ball well in his last two games after dealing with an ankle sprain.

For the Nets to come through victorious in this one, it’ll be all about how well they can establish Michael Porter Jr, early, though OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart’s defense could make life difficult for Brooklyn’s leading scorer.

However, the Nets could look to get MPJ free off the ball and set up actions that get him downhill, perhaps to take advantage of the Knicks’ poor interior defense.

This could be a good opportunity for Towns to bounce back, as his frame and aoft touch around the rim made life difficult for Nic Claxton and Day’Ron Sharpe their last time out.

This could also be a good opportunity for Egor Demin to continue to build on his recent stretch of hot 3-point shooting, though it would be nice to see him get downhill a bit more often and create either 2-point looks or shot opportunities for his teammates.

I expect to see Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez employ Drake Powell, Ziaire Williams, and Terance Mann as full court defenders in this one, especially in an effort to get the ball out of Brunson’s hands.

If the Nets can get a solid scoring performance from MPJ and keep the ball out of Brunson’s hands, perhaps they can escape Madison Square Garden with a win.

However, it’ll be very important for the Nets’ defense to keep Towns in check, as we all know how well he can take over a game when he gets hot.