The "Battle of the Boroughs" always seems to attract fans all over the state of New York. Sometimes, families and friends set their unity aside and represent their team to the fullest as they gather around to see which squad will come out with the win. This year, two siblings will go at each other on the court, as Brooklyn Nets starting center Brook Lopez will matchup against his twin brother Robin Lopez, who is the starting center of the New York Knicks.

Brooklyn will look to win their third straight game against the Knicks after picking up their fourth straight home victory game against the Phoenix Suns, 94-91, on Tuesday night. Shane Larkin, the former Knick, had an efficient game last contest off the bench as he logged in 30 minutes and recorded 11 points to go along with eight assists. Wayne Ellington was another key reserve to help lead the bench as he recorded 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Meanwhile, New York also picked up a victory in their last contest against the Philadelphia 76ers, 99-87, after having dropped four straight games prior to Wednesday night. Rookie sensation Kristaps Porzingis led his team with a double-double of 17 points and 10 boards.

Siblings Brook Lopez And Robin Lopez Square Off

Brook Lopez is currently leading his team in scoring with 20 points per game. His rebound numbers have slightly gone up compared to last season with a ratio of 8:7. Robin Lopez, who’s been known to be more of a defensive player rather than an offensive player, holds an average of seven points a contest. Brook has played his entire career with Brooklyn, while Robin has suited up for the Phoenix Suns, New Orleans Hornets and Portland Trail Blazers. The twins decided to prepare for their matchup with a light saber battle.

Kristaps Porzingis Is The Real Deal

Kristaps Porzingis received league recognition on Thursday afternoon as he was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for games played in October and November. He ranked third in scoring among all rookies with 14 points per game and was second in rebounding with nine per contest for October and November. Porzingis will be matched up with Thaddeus Young, who is Brooklyn’s second highest scorer with 15 points a game. Young nearly averages a double-double with eight boards per contest. In an interview with Newsday after Thursday's practice, Porzingis threw early jabs at the Brooklyn community and said, “I know our fans are better than Brooklyn’s fans. Sometimes, I see [a fan] with a Brooklyn hat on. I say, what is that? You need a Knicks hat. I joke around with them.”

Can Carmelo Anthony Break Out Of His Slump?

Carmelo Anthony has been having an up and down season thus far. He is shooting a career low 40 percent from the floor and averaging 22 points per contest. Last game, Anthony scored 12 points on 5-of-16 shooting. He has, however, played outstanding against his hometown team in the past, including a highlight performance of 45 points on November 12, 2012.

Can The Bench Come Alive?

For much of the season, the Nets' bench has lacked in providing an offensive boost. It will be interesting to see if reserves Shane Larkin and Wayne Ellington can continue their productive play as they’ve done in the last two games by putting up efficient numbers.

In the victory over the Suns, head coach Lionel Hollins acknowledged the Nets' improvement, saying, “I thought our guys played very well down the stretch. We’re trusting each other more and more as we go forward.”

For New York, their key reserve has been guard Langston Galloway. He is averaging nine points a game and has been known to put up points in a hurry. There is also Lance Thomas, who has shown to provide an offensive spark off the bench.


The game will start at 7:00 P.M. EST. and will be televised on ESPN.