Brooklyn at Utah

Could it get any worse for the Nets? A team that was supposed to be a high-caliber contender in the East, is averaging just 77 ppg over their last four. The main problem has been the shooting. The Nets have shot under 45% in nine of ten games. The good news is the only time they have shot over 45% was in their last game, and NBA teams just don't go through an elongated part of the season shooting so poorly. We expect the Nets to shoot well tonight, as the signs are there, and they are too good to shoot so poorly night in and night out. We are catching the Nets here with a bundle of points on an up-turn. Utah has been just the opposite. They ran off six games in which they scored an average of 114 ppg. The Jazz shot over 50% during that stretch. They are on a down-turn now, as they have failed to win in their last two, and the shooting has not hit 50% in three games. The NBA season is long, and filled with ups and downs. Right now the Nets can only go up, and the Jazz can only go down. We will take the generous points, as these teams are for the moment heading in opposite directions.