The NBA In-Season Tournament kicks off on Friday with a matchup between the Brooklyn Nets (2-2, 4-0 ATS) and the Chicago Bulls (2-3, 1-4 ATS). These teams are part of East Group C, also paired with Boston, Toronto and Orlando. The Nets just won in Miami, defeating the Heat 109-105 as 6.5-point underdogs. Chicago is coming off a road loss in Dallas, going down to the Mavericks 114-105 as 2.5-point dogs. The Bulls are currently listed as 3.5-point home favorites. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:00 EST from the United Center.

Nets Cool Down the Heat

Brooklyn came into Miami in their last game as 6.5-point underdogs, but dominated the fourth quarter on their way to a road victory. Brooklyn won the final period 34-22 behind 9 points in the quarter from Mikal Bridges. Bridges led the team with 21 points in the game, but they also received a huge boost of the bench from Lonnie Walker IV and Armoni Brooks, who each scored 17. Brooks was on Brooklyn’s G-League team earlier in the day, but got called up and immediately flew to Miami to drop 17.

Cam Thomas had his first off-game of the season against Miami. He still scored 13, but he dropped 30+ in all of his first three games. The coaching staff moved Thomas to the starting lineup, where he has remained since the second game of the season. Thomas is averaging 28.0 PPG, and will have to prove he can keep up this level of production. Mikal Bridges is averaging 20.8 PPG with 6.0 RPG and 4.0 APG, and is an excellent defender on the wing. Dorian Finney-Smith is another wing defender, he is a true 3 and D player, as he is hitting 48.1% of his threes with over three makes per game. Finney-Smith is averaging 14.0 PPG.

Ben Simmons has started every game for the Nets, but has not been putting up All-Star level numbers. Simmons is still a good player if his expectations are not to return to All-Star form, he averages 10.3 RPG and 7.5 APG, while scoring just 7.3 PPG. Spencer Dinwiddie is another starter at the guard position, he is averaging 11.0 PPG. Brooklyn plays at the 7th fastest pace in the league, averaging 102 possessions per game.

Bulls Lose Battle From Deep

The Chicago Bulls just absolutely dominated the Dallas Mavericks in the paint. The Bulls outscored the Mavericks in the paint 54-24, but still lost the game by nine. Modern analytical basketball is dominated by threes and free throws. Dallas made nine more threes, and ten more free throws to control the game. Zach Lavine had 22 points, and Nikola Vucevic had an impressive 21-point, 20-rebound game, but it was not enough to come away victorious.

The Bulls have been led by the same core players for the past few seasons. Zach Lavine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic are the top players for Chicago again. Lavine is the leading scorer so far, he averages 24.0 PPG, but has not improved as a playmaker as he only averaged 1.2 APG. DeRozan is not far behind with 21.8 PPG, doing most of his damage in the midrange. Vucevic has been an underrated player through his tenure in Chicago, he is averaging 15.8 PPG and 12.4 RPG, his rebounding total is 6th in league. Lavine has been their top outside shooter so far, he averages three made triples per game.

Coby White starts at point guard and adds 9.8 PPG and 4.0 APG, and Patrick Williams starts at the four, but has been quiet so far this season with just 4.0 PPG. Alex Caruso, Torrey Craig, and Andre Drummond fill the minutes off the bench. Chicago plays slow, their tempo ranks 29th in the league, only playing faster than the Raptors.