The Brooklyn Nets play host to the New York Knicks at Barclay's Center on Friday.

The Knicks (10-36) come into this matchup losing seven-straight and 20 of their last 22 games in total. What makes that even more distressing is all the drama surrounding this team. The Enes Kanter saga is becoming more and more worrisome and it's a wonder what they're doing with their big man. Kanter is arguably the most talented player on this team but received a DNP in the team's most recent loss, despite the team being without Luke Kornet. That simply makes no sense and it says a lot about the divide between he and the coaching staff. It's tough to say who's right and who's wrong but a 10-win team sitting a double-double machine is a questionable decision nonetheless. It has overshadowed solid play from players like Emmanuel Mudiay, Noah Vonleh and Allonzo Trier though, as those three have all had breakout seasons in what's been another dark year for Knicks fans. That's led to trade rumors swirling around this team, as Tim Hardaway Jr. and Courtney Lee are the names being tossed around.

The Nets (26-23) are quietly one of the hottest teams in the NBA, as they come into this matchup winning five-straight and 18 of their last 23 games in total. That's the best stretch this franchise has had in a decade and it's a testament to the growth of these young players. D'Angelo Russell and Spencer Dinwiddie have been huge for this club but they received some devastating news on Thursday. In fact, Dinwiddie was diagnosed with torn ligaments in his thumb, as he might be out for a month. Dinwiddie has been one of the best bench players in the NBA this season and it's a wonder how they'll deal with this injury with Caris LeVert (ankle) sidelined as well. That means they'll need even more from Russell, who has been playing at an all-star level for over a month now.

This marks the fourth and final meeting between these teams this season, with Brooklyn prevailing in two of three. With that said, New York swept the four-game season series last year.