Brooklyn's winning streak came to an end on Wednesday, but the Nets are still the NBA's hottest team.
Led by the duo of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn has won 19 of its last 23 games to move to 25-13 on the season and inch closer to the Eastern Conference's top seed.
While Durant has played at a high level all season, he's been otherworldly during the Nets' recent surge. Dating back to Nov. 17, the 34-year-old superstar is averaging 29.7 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game while shooting 59.9 percent from the field, 37.8 percent from 3-point range and 94.5 percent from the charity stripe.
In his most recent outing, Durant scored 44 points while shooting 15-of-22 from the field, including 5-of-10 from beyond the arc. It doesn't take complex math to deduce that Durant doesn't miss much.
KD and the Nets will look to begin a new streak on Friday when they travel to the Crescent City to take on a Pelicans team that will likely be without stars Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson, placing a spotlight on the duo of C.J. McCollum and Jonas Valanciunas.
Will Durant be in action against a shorthanded New Orleans team on Friday night? Here's what we know about his status.
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Is Kevin Durant playing tonight?
On Wednesday, Durant saw 38 minutes of action in Chicago without issue. He is not listed on the injury report for Friday's game in New Orleans and should be expected to suit up.
This season, Durant has appeared in 37 of 38 games, with his lone absence coming on a scheduled night of rest.
What channel is Nets vs. Pelicans on?
- TV channel (national): ESPN
- TV channel (Brooklyn): YES
- TV channel (New Orleans): Bally Sports New Orleans
- Live stream: Sling TV
In addition to regional broadcasts in New York and New Orleans, Friday night's game between the Nets and Pelicans will air on ESPN. Dave Pasch (play-by-play) and Doris Burke (analyst) will be on the call. Cassidy Hubbarth will report from the sideline.
Viewers can also stream the game on Sling TV.
Fans in the U.S. can watch the biggest games of the 2022-23 NBA season on Sling TV. Stream Sling Orange for $40/month to catch all regular season games on TNT, ESPN & ABC. For games on NBA TV, subscribe to Sling Orange & Sports Extra for $51/month. Local regional blackout restrictions apply.
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Nets vs. Pelicans start time
- Date: Friday, Jan. 6
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET | 4:30 p.m. PT
Nets vs. Pelicans from Smoothie King Center is scheduled to start around 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Jan. 6, which is 6:30 p.m. local time in New Orleans.
Nets schedule 2022-23
Here are Brooklyn's next five games:
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Jan. 6 | at Pelicans | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Jan. 8 | at Heat | 6 p.m. | — |
| Jan. 12 | vs. Celtics | 7:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Jan. 15 | vs. Thunder | 6 p.m. | — |
| Jan. 17 | at Spurs | 8 p.m. | — |
Pelicans schedule 2022-23
Here are New Orleans' next five games:
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Jan. 6 | vs. Nets | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Jan. 7 | at Mavericks | 8 p.m. | — |
| Jan. 9 | at Wizards | 7 p.m. | — |
| Jan. 11 | at Celtics | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| Jan. 13 | at Pistons | 7 p.m. | — |
