It’s the last game before the All Star break, and the Brooklyn Nets are hosting a reeling Philadelphia 76ers squad.
One more in the W column. The Brooklyn Nets faced a hapless Charlotte Hornets team on the second leg of a back-to-back that was missing its star guard. And since the Nets are a better team than Charlotte, Brooklyn took care of business with an eight point victory.
One game to go before the break.
The opponent tonight has had a rough go of it. The Philadelphia 76ers have had a terrible season and are trying to figure out exactly what to do with themselves. They didn’t help themselves with a home loss to the Toronto Raptors last night. At 20-33, things are not looking good in that neighborhood. How bad was it last night?
Sixers fans started booing after Joel Embiid passed up an open 3 and turned the ball over
Sixers lost 106-103 to the Raptors
Woof.
Where to follow the game
YES Network on TV. WFAN on radio. Tip after 7:30.
Injuries
No Cam Thomas, Bojan Bogdanovic, Noah Clowney, or DeAnthony Melton. Nic Claxton is questionable with an ankle sprain, but Maxwell Lewis, acquired in the D’Angelo Russell-for-Dorian Finney-Smith trade is available. It will be only his second game since the early January trade. He fractured his tibia in his first game.
No Kyle Lowry, Jared McCain, or Eric Gordon. Night two of a back-to-back so we can assume we won’t be seeing Joel Embiid or Paul George.
The game
Philadelphia won the first and second meetings. They wrap the season series up next week.
We find ourselves in an interesting spot for the 76ers. They came in to the season hoping to go on a deep playoff run. Now, they’re fighting for their postseason lives while also figuring out if they should pack it in for the year. Greg Frank of Liberty Ballers has more:
The Toronto and Brooklyn games are a back-to-back on Tuesday and Wednesday for the Sixers. If you’re fully on board with losing games in the season’s final two months, you can take solace in the fact that the team will likely be shorthanded at least one of the nights this week. With Brooklyn’s win on Monday night against Charlotte, a loss to the Nets on Wednesday night would have the Sixers either tied or within one game of the sixth lottery slot depending on the Toronto result.
However, a pair of wins against the Raptors and Nets would really do some damage to their chances at keeping the pick. In that scenario, they’re likely going into the All-Star break six games clear of Toronto in the win column and holding three more wins than the Nets. Bypassing Chicago for the final play-in tournament spot and the eighth position in the lottery standings would be more realistic at that point. In short, there’s a lot on the line in the next 48 hours concerning the team’s tanking fate.
And there you have it.
With this being the second night of a back-to-back, the Nets should try to push the tempo as much as possible. The 76ers are tired, frustrated, and probably looking forward to a week off and away from basketball. This would be the night to spring an upset if you’re Brooklyn.
Cam Johnson will be key to the Nets’ chances tonight. CJ has started to find his shot in the past two games and if he can keep finding those opportunities, he’ll keep the Nets offense afloat.
Player to watch: Tyrese Maxey
Every so often, you get to watch a player take the reins of a franchise in real time. Maxey has filled the void left by the Embiid and George injuries throughout the year. He’s been absolutely sensational, but is coming off of his worst game of the season last night. Maxey had a season low five points as he went 1-9 from the field in 34 minutes and couldn’t get anything going. Great players tend to bounce back after terrible outings, and with a Sixer team desperate to figure things out, Tyrese will have to be extra special tonight. The Nets defense has been the best in the league over the past ten games, and they’ll be tasked with keeping him out of the paint at all costs.
D’Angelo Russell will look to put a good outing on the board before the break. He’s only shot above 45% from the field once in his past ten games, but the Nets keep winning despite his shooting slump. Russell has kept the Nets offense engaged and has them finding baskets in transition. When you’re struggling, you do the best you can to contribute in other areas. It helps keep you engaged and allows you to stay on the court as you try to fight your way out of a slump.
From the Vault
Ones in the air for Newark’s greatest
More reading: Liberty Ballers and SB Nation NBA
- Brooklyn Nets Game Notes – Brooklyn Nets
- Philadelphia 76ers Game Notes – Philadelphia 76ers
- Sputtering Sixers seek turnaround vs. improving Nets – NBA
- Philadelphia faces Brooklyn, aims to end 4-game slide – AP
- Nets surprisingly remain in play-in race after recent hot streak – Dan Martin – New York Post
- Ben Simmons isn’t paying attention to all the online ‘bulls–t’ after trade to Clippers – Christian Arnold – New York Post
- Now flirting with Play-In Tournament spot, suddenly surging Nets have a choice to make – C.J. Arnold – New York Daily News