Denver @ Brooklyn preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 24, 2017 ) Brooklyn 109, Denver 129

The Brooklyn Nets look to remain unbeaten at home and recover from a disappointing road effort when they host the up-and-down Denver Nuggets on Sunday night. The Nets knocked off three-time defending Eastern Conference champion Cleveland on Wednesday before laying an egg two days later in a 107-86 setback against the previously-winless New York Knicks.

“We’ve got to be a more mature team,” Brooklyn small forward DeMarre Carroll told reporters after his team shot 40.5 percent in the loss. “We’ve still got growing pains, but at the end of the day, we’ve got to be more mature. When you beat Cleveland, these are the games you’ve got to come in and win.” The Nets have beaten Orlando, Atlanta and the Cavaliers while getting off to a 3-0 start at Barclays Center and Denver comes in off its first road victory in three tries - a 105-100 triumph at Atlanta. Paul Millsap, who signed a three-year, $90 million contract with the Nuggets in the offseason, scored seven of his 16 points in the fourth quarter to beat his former team Friday. “When the game was in the balance, that’s what your $30 million-a-year man has to do,” Denver coach Michael Malone told reporters. “He’s got to step up and make plays, and obviously he did (Friday).”

TV: 6 p.m. ET, Altitude (Denver), YES (Brooklyn)

ABOUT THE NUGGETS (2-3): Will Barton also came through with 18 points against Atlanta and is averaging 15.4 - just behind team-leader Millsap (15.6) - after a rough shooting night Wednesday (4-for-13, 0-for-4 on 3-pointers) in the loss at Charlotte that opened a four-game trip. Center Nikola Jokic (14.4 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists) has recorded two straight double-doubles after going the first three games of the season without one. Gary Harris boasts 18 points in each of the last two games and has drained 12 of 26 attempts from 3-point range overall.

ABOUT THE NETS (3-3): Brooklyn got off to a decent start Monday with a five-point lead after one quarter, but was outscored 60-38 in the middle quarters and gave up 19 offensive rebounds while managing just four of its own. Guard D’Angelo Russell, who missed the Cleveland game with a sore knee, scored 15 against the Knicks and is averaging a team-high 21.4 points and 4.6 assists in five contests. Guards Allen Crabbe and Spencer Dinwiddie combined for 41 points versus Cleveland and totaled just four on 1-for-5 shooting against the Knicks.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Denver G Emmanuel Mudiay rebounded from an 0-for-8 shooting performance at Charlotte to score a season-high 16 points at Atlanta.

2. Brooklyn PF Trevor Booker, who leads the team in rebounding (7.8), had two straight double-doubles to open the season and none since.

3. The Nets have beaten Denver three straight times at home and are 6-1 in the last seven overall against the Nuggets.

PREDICTION: Nets 114, Nuggets 102