Brooklyn Nets vs. Philadelphia 76ers: Battle for lottery position down in Philly

Philadelphia 76ers v Brooklyn Nets — Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images

The Nets were expected to be the worst but keep toiling. The 76ers were expected to be the best, but now are fighting for a high pick.

Thursday night was a great example of how there are levels between great teams and those that are there to play hard.

In the first half against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Brooklyn Nets’ effort on the defensive end outweighed their poor shooting. So much so that we even had the lead going into the half. But then, the Cavaliers…. became the Cavaliers, the team with the best record in the NBA.

Darius Garland had the ball on a string, Donovan Mitchell tried to dunk on everybody, and the big man tandem in Evan Mobley and former Net Jarrett Allen made sure their presence was felt. Brooklyn lost 110-97, but the game was exciting nonetheless. (On Friday night, it should be noted, the Cavs, on the back end of a back-to-back, showed the New York Knicks no mercy. beating them by 37.)

Tonight, the Nets will be playing a team in which is at the exact same level. The Philadelphia 76ers, who have a 20-35 record like the Nets, will be making another pit stop at the ‘Clays in search of vengeance from their 100-96 loss just last week to the Brooklynites. With Joel Embiid back in the lineup, this could be an interesting test to see if the Nets can get back in the winning column.

Where To Watch

Catch the action at 7:30 on the YES Network and NBA League Pass. (And in what is now a tradition, a busload of the Brooklyn Brigade’s best will be heading out on the New Jersey Turnpike in a few hours headed for Wells Fargo.)

Injury Report

No Cam Thomas (hamstring,) D’Angelo Russell (ankle,) Noah Clowney (ankle,) or DeAnthony Melton (out for season.) Dariq Whitehead and Tosan Evbuomwan will be in Long Island getting ready for Sunday’s game vs. Osceola.

For the 76ers, Kyle Lowry (hip,) Eric Gordon (wrist,) Justin Edwards (ankle,) and Jared McCain (out for season) are all out against the Nets. However, Lonnie Walker IV who last played in the NBA for Brooklyn, should be ready to go after the Sixers signed him out of Lithuania earlier this week.

The Game

In their win before the All Star break, the Nets were led by their leading ball handler in D’Angelo Russell, who scored 22 points on the day and the first 14 points Brooklyn put up in the first quarter. Tonight, Russell will not be in the lineup. That means Keon Johnson will have to play even better than he has as of late. It also means that newly signed Killian Hayes will have to do better and not shoot 2-of-6 from the field and 0-of-3 from beyond the arc. Of course that can be chalked up to nerves as he was making his return to the NBA after a year away. Trendon Watford will also be trusted with rock in his hands, especially after he made defenders look silly last night.

As for the opponent, Philadelphia cannot afford to have Paul George playing the way he did in the last matchup. Two points in 37 minutes is unacceptable for the nine time All Star, no matter if he is having a rough season or not. With Joel Embiid back, pressure can be lifted from George’s shoulders. This is if Embiid can stay on the floor. Eyes will be on Kelly Oubre as well, as he erupted for 30 points in the loss to Brooklyn.

Then, there’s the tanking battle which is far more important now for Philly than it is for the Nets. The two teams are tied for sixth in lottery odds, with an 8.2% at capturing the Flagg. If Philly can finish in the bottom six after the lottery, they’ll keep their pick. If not, the season will be a complete bust. The pick would instead go to the Oklahoma City Thunder via the now-ancient Al Horford trade.

Player To Watch: Tyrese Maxey

Tyrese Maxey has been the only consistent bright spot the 76ers have had all season. The rising star has been averaging 27 points on the season, which is good and bad for the organization. Good because Maxey’s stock is rising and the 76ers have a gem in their hands. Bad because now this creates a question in the organization. Do they revolve around Maxey? Or do they continue riding the wave of Embiid and now George? Time will tell of course but there is no way, a Brian Windhorst said last week, that there will be any takers for either of their contracts. Not now.

From the Vault

Maybe the most memorable Nets vs. 76ers game in recent memory was March 10, 2021 when shortly after the James Harden for Ben Simmons trade, Brooklyn traveled to Philadelphia. Harden was active, Simmons was not, but Philly fans booed the new Net every time he moved. The game though was the real story. The Nets walked all over the Sixers, beating them by 26 points at Wells Fargo