Nets' Andre Drummond says final two regular season outings are 'must-win games' for Brooklyn

NEW YORK — As the Brooklyn Nets prepare for their final two regular season games of the season, they do so in control of their own playoff destiny.

If the Nets — currently seeded eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 42-38 — win their final two games, they will lock up the seventh seed and would host the East's first-Play-In game next Tuesday night. Veteran center Andre Drummond left no doubt where his team's mindset is heading into Friday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers — the team that currently sits one slot ahead of the Nets.

«I think they're must-win games for us,» Drummond said after Friday's shootaround. «I think we know what's ahead of us and we know what's going to happen if we do win these two games. I think our sense of urgency is a little bit higher than what it was before, and I think we're prepared to take that next step.»

The Nets, who have dealt with a variety of injuries, a team-wide COVID outbreak in December, and Kyrie Irving's part-time status from January-March because of his decision not to get the COVID vaccine, remain confident that they can still catch the rhythm they need to make a long run in the postseason.

«If we're playing well heading into the Play-In game then those two games take care of itself and we should win 'em,» guard Seth Curry said. «But if we're not playing well then we're probably not going to get out of the Play-In game anyways.

»So it's just a matter of [playing] our style of play, having confidence and being in a good rhythm playing our best basketball."

Both Drummond and Curry have been solid since being dealt, along with Ben Simmons and two future first round picks, to the Nets in a trade deadline deal that sent James Harden and Paul Millsap to the Philadelphia