The parity between the top and bottom of the NBA in 2024-25 is as lopsided as it’s ever been. Certain teams continuously cannot get over the hump. It’s been like that for the Trail Blazers, Hornets, and Wizards for years now. There are also teams like the Nets that have been contenders in the past.

Nic Claxton had a tough test in Karl-Anthony Towns in the Nets’ 99-95 loss to the Knicks on Tuesday night at Barclays Center.

The Brooklyn Nets announced that center Nic Claxton (right hamstring tightness) is out for Tuesday's game at the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Hornets are 7-24 in Eastern Conference games. Charlotte has a 4-5 record in games decided by less than 4 points. The Nets have gone 7-22 against Eastern Conference opponents.

BOTTOM LINE: Sacramento will look to break its three-game road skid when the Kings take on Brooklyn. The Nets have gone 5-15 in home games. Brooklyn allows 113.4 points and has been outscored by 7.7 points per game.

Miami Heat (21-22, ninth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Brooklyn Nets (14-31, 12th in the Eastern Conference) New York; Saturday, 6 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: Miami travels to Brooklyn looking to end its three-game road skid.

Somehow almost seven years and three Brooklyn Nets “eras” later, the highlights from that game still finds their way into the backs of our minds or onto our social feeds anytime Brooklyn and Sacramento face off.

Mikal Bridges’ return to Barclays Center went largely unnoticed, and the basketball matched that malaise. And somehow, the Nets had a golden chance to steal a win.

Claxton had eight points (4-11 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 0-2 FT), 12 rebounds, two assists and two steals over 34 minutes during Tuesday's 99-95 loss to the Knicks.

After hours: January 27 at 6:21:28 PM EST Loading Chart for NIC

As reported by Mary Frost in The Eagle, over the long Martin Luther King weekend there was “a series of manhole explosions on Willow Street in Brooklyn Heights” along with smoke billowing from “the grate covering Con Edison’s electrical equipment ...

The challenge for the Lakers, however, will be acquiring Claxton at the right price. The Nets signed him to a four-year, $97 million deal in the offseason, and while he hasn’t been at his peak level this season, his contract is descending, making him a potentially valuable long-term asset.