The New Jersey Nets will welcome center Brook Lopez back on Sunday night when they take on the Milwaukee Bucks at The Prudential Center. Lopez will start for New Jersey after missing all season due to a broken foot he suffered in the Nets final preseason game.
Knowing Lopez would return, the Nets played solid basketball on Saturday in stunning the Chicago Bulls, 97-85. Deron Williams led New Jersey with 29 points and eight assists, while Kris Humphries turned in a double-double of 24 points and 19 rebounds.
As New Jersey starts to get healthy for the first time all season, the Bucks bring their own injury issues with them into The Rock. Milwaukee will be without center Andrew Bogut as well as forward Drew Gooden. That means Ersan Ilyasova and seldom-used Jon Leuer will get the majority of time in the low post for the Bucks.
The lack of any depth up front for Milwaukee presents the best situation for Lopez to return from his 32-game layoff. He averaged 20.4 points and 6 rebounds per game last season.
The Nets were swept by the Bucks last season and have lost their last eight against Milwaukee.
You can watch the game locally on YES or listen on Bloomberg 1130 with tip scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
New Jersey will complete their second back-to-back-to-back of the season Monday against the New York Knicks.