The Philadelphia 76ers started the week on a West Coast road trip with a four-game winning streak, but the Kings undid that streak on Wednesday, and the Warriors violently sent the Sixers back to the East Coast on Thursday.
Against the Nets, in Brooklyn, the Sixers are taking on a team that sits just below them in the standings but have been just 3-7 over their last ten games. If they’re to be the team that was advertised to Philadelphia before the start of the season, the Sixers must start consistently winning against inferior opponents.
Sixers game information
Who: Philadelphia 76ers (13-19) at Brooklyn Nets (13-21)
When: 6:00 pm EST
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn NY
Watch: NBC Philadelphia, NBA League Pass, YES Network
Latest on the Sixers
The Sixers seemed to be rolling when they hit Sacramento, and then the fourth quarter hit, and they were outscored 33-18 as the Kings came back to win the game. By the time they arrived in San Francisco the next day, things weren’t getting much better. They were run into the ground by the Warriors and Steph Curry.
While some of the two losses could, and it’s a stretch, be because they played four games over six days while traveling around the West Coast, a bigger issue would be that the team shot 42% from the field and 29% on their three-point attempts. Those numbers aren’t going to win you many games, especially if you’re allowing the other team to shoot 60.9% from the field and 56.4% on their threes. The Sixers have to be better, and it can develop; it has to happen starting tonight.
Joel Embiid has been back, and when he’s in the lineup, he’s getting closer to his former level of play. Over the last four games, he’s averaging 31.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists while shooting 50% from the floor and 53.8% on his three-point attempts. These are the numbers that the Sixers need from their biggest star player.
As for his costars, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey have been up and down. While Maxey seemed to have regained his shooting touch of late, that fell completely apart against the Warriors, where he was 4-13 from the field and 2-6 on his three-pointers. Maxey, as hard as it may be, has to be the best player on the court each and every night if the Sixers are going to win.
As for George, he’s been much better after a terrible Celtics game in which he shot 26.7% from the floor and a huge 0-7 from distance. Over the last four games, he’s averaged 17.8 points and 4.8 rebounds on 50% shooting and 47.6% on his threes. That’s far closer to the George everyone expected. For the sake of the team and their fans, that will hopefully continue.
Latest on the Nets
The Nets are coming off a big win on Thursday night over the Milwaukee Bucks, 113-110, in which Cam Johnsons scored 26 points to lead the team Cam Thomas was right behind him with 24 points for the game. The Nets started off strong but had to fight off the Bucks at the game’s end, which would shoot some resilience for the squad as they took down one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.
Nic Claxton has a potential matchup with Joel Embiid circled on his calendar but he won’t have much help as the Nets will have some issues as Cam Johnson looks to be out against the Sixers on Saturday with an ankle injury. The team will have former Sixer Ben Simmons back, along with recently re-acquired D’Angelo Russell. Cam Thomas is questionable but hopes to play. Due to their various injuries, the Nets are down to playing Jalen Wilson, Ziaire Williams, Day’Ron Sharpe, and Tyrese Martin. It’s not really a fear-inducing lineup to go against the Sixers.
What to watch for tonight
With Kelly Oubre Jr. still out while recovering from a hand injury and Joel Embiid questionable as he’s been managing a sinus fracture and knee recovery, the Sixers may not need much to beat the Nets. If Paul George can continue the way he’s been playing and Tyrese Maxey gets back on track with his shooting, that should be enough to secure a victory over the Nets.
The Sixers could use some quality minutes from Ricky Council IV, Adem Bona, and Justin Edwards to keep up with the Nets’ speed. While it may seem a little out of line for those three to get some extended minutes, it doesn’t hurt to look for them to play against a team that isn’t going to do what the Warriors did on Thursday. The Kyle Lowry experiment has to end for the Sixers, and even Eric Gordon doesn’t need extended minutes.
If Embiid plays, it’ll be fun to watch. He likes to light up teams like the Nets and could probably go over 40 points on the evening, as Nic Claxton isn’t going to shut him down. Guerschon Yabusele could see another 30+ minute game tonight, and that’s never a bad thing, as Yabu has endeared himself to the team and its fans with his hustle and play.
The key tonight will be getting the team back in the win column and shooting well, which they should be able to do against a Nets team that ranks near the bottom of the league in defense. Ball movement and involvement of everyone, instead of isolation, should be the goal moving forward, and tonight is the perfect time to start before the Sixers start a three-game homestand on Monday.
Prediction
Sixers 117 – Nets 101
