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Brook Lopez will be out again with a sprained right foot when the Brooklyn Nets take on the New York Knicks Tuesday night, his sixth game on the sidelines with the injury.
It hasn't been an easy go for the Nets without their leading scorer. They've lost four of the five games since Lopez hit the bench, with their only win coming against the lowly Orlando Magic. Andray Blatche has actually filled in admirably at the center spot, scoring in double digits all five games with two 20-point outings, including a Saturday night loss to the Golden State Warriors. But the injury has affected the team's depth. Instead of Blatche providing a scoring boost off the bench, the talented, but notably inconsistent big man is playing over 30 minutes a game, with reserve rookie Mirza Teletovic forced into real minutes.
The Nets have only played seven games this season with their ideal starting five, as Gerald Wallace missed seven of the team's first nine games and Lopez has missed the last five.