Members of the Nets pose for a photo near the Eiffel Tower.
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The Brooklyn Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers tip off the NBA’s third regular-season game in Paris on Thursday (2 p.m. ET, NBA TV).
Here’s what to know about both teams ahead of the matchup:
The Nets: Losers in six of their last seven games, the Nets experienced both hope and despair over the weekend. Brooklyn dropped Oklahoma City on Friday on the strength of Nic Claxton’s double-double, only to fall two days later at home to the 14th-place Trail Blazers in overtime after squandering multiple leads.
Through the inconsistency, Brooklyn maintains optimism. Leading scorer Mikal Bridges (21.2 points per game) is emerging from his funk, shooting 50% against Portland. That marked his first game shooting 50% or better since Dec. 23 while second-leading scorer Cam Thomas (20.3 ppg) has been relegated to a reserve role to improve team defense and shot distribution.
Key reserve Lonnie Walker IV returned Friday from a 17-game absence. Then there’s Ben Simmons. Remember him? He’s on the mend, too, though unlikely to play.
What they’re saying: “I like Paris a lot. It’s just cool being able to go to Europe, being on this stage. We can’t take these things for granted. We went to China a few years back, and I know this will be a really good experience for the team. I’m excited. We’ll have a few practice days, a few events. It will be good for us.” — Nets center Nic Claxton
“First time in Paris, man. Glad to be here, great experience, looking forward to it. Have a great time this week, man. Bonjour.” — Nets center Harry Giles III
The @BrooklynNets check in! #NBAParis pic.twitter.com/Cxr0QyU7Rn
— NBA (@NBA) January 8, 2024
The Cavaliers: Cleveland snapped a two-game skid with a pair of wins over Washington before downing the Spurs on Sunday to capture its fifth victory in seven contests. The Cavs are 8-3 in their last 11 games since Dec. 16, led by guards Donovan Mitchell (27.2 ppg) and Max Strus (13.8 ppg) along with center Jarrett Allen (14.8 ppg, 9.9 rpg).
Allen is riding a streak of seven straight double-doubles, while the Cavs bench over the last month has taken off, highlighted by a 60-point night in the win over San Antonio.
With third-year power forward Evan Mobley out the last 15 games, Cleveland has still found a way to impact the glass with a rebounding percentage of 50.8%, including 30.1% on the offensive end.
What they’re saying: “I’m excited to play out here in Paris, excited to get the game going. This is dope to be out here at this (Eiffel Tower), man. It’s great here with the whole gang, with the whole crew. Make sure y’all catch us on Thursday.” — Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell
“It’s awesome. We know how lucky we are and how special it is for us to be selected by the NBA to come over here and represent the NBA, represent the city of Cleveland. We’ve got a great group of dudes, and anytime we get the opportunity to spend this type of time together kind of away from everything else, you just bond that much more.” — Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff.
️ @spidadmitchell checks in from the Eiffel Tower! #NBAParis • 2:00pm/et THURSDAY on NBA TV pic.twitter.com/Br0rh69Irb
— NBA (@NBA) January 9, 2024
How to watch: Fans in the U.S. can tune in on NBA TV at 2 p.m. ET and NBA League Pass. The game will also air live in France on Canal Plus and beIN Sports. Fans can catch The NBA Paris Game 2024 in more than 200 countries and territories on television, digital media and social media.
Past Paris Games
Here is a complete list of regular-season NBA games played in Paris
2020: Bucks 116, Hornets 103
2023: Bulls 126, Pistons 108
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Michael C. Wright is a senior writer for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.
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