The Brooklyn Nets will go up against the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday at 8:00 PM local time (Wednesday at 5:30 AM IST). The Nets are currently sitting at the second spot of the Eastern Conference standings, but have been struggling for the past few weeks. They have won only one of their last five games, which includes two back-to-back losses against the Milwaukee Bucks.

It can be said that the biggest reason behind the Nets recent downfall is the absence of their key player James Harden, who currently recovering from a hamstring injury. Steve Nash’s men clinched their first win of the month on Sunday, defeating the Denver Nuggets by six points. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, shined in the game, with Irving dropping 31 points, with four rebounds. Durant, on the other hand, who’s also struggled with his health, become the top scorer of the night, adding 33 points to the table. Nikola Jokic was the top scorer for the Nuggets, smashing 29 points.

James Harden injury update: when is James Harden coming back?

Last month, James Harden was forced to withdraw from the game against the Knicks, with the MRI report later revealing that the 31-year-old suffered a hamstring injury in the first quarter. Earlier, rumours were swirling around that Harden is responding well to his treatments, but Nets squashed hopes of millions of Nets fans by announcing that Harden be will out of the tournament “indefinitely”. However, in a recent press conference, Steve Nash teased Harden’s return but confirmed that it won’t be anytime soon.

"Definitely possible that he plays one or more of the last four games. We can't commit to anything right now because we're not committed to anything," Nash added.

Is James Harden playing tonight vs Bulls?

Because of this, it has been confirmed that the James Harden return will not be possible for the upcoming game against the Chicago Bulls. However, the Brooklyn Nets still has a huge chance to win, with the other two BIG 3 members Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving currently in excellent shape.

NBA standings update

The Brooklyn Nets are currently at the second spot of the Eastern Conference standings with a win-loss record of 44-24. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bulls are at the eleventh spot on the table. Zach LaVine and team have played 68 games so far in the tournament, winning 29 and losing 39. The Bulls are also in a good shape, having won three of their last five clashes.

Brooklyn Nets and Chicago Bulls team

Brooklyn Nets: Apart from Harden, Bruce Brown, Chris Chiozza and Spencer Dinwiddie are expected to miss the game against the Bulls due to injury.

Chicago Bulls: Troy Brown Jr and Daniel Theis will be absent from the Bulls’ corner on Tuesday night as they are recovering from ankle and hip injury, respectively.

Image Source: AP