NBA: Philadelphia 76ers vs Brooklyn Nets Preview, Odds, Prediction

The Brooklyn Nets host the Philadelphia 76ers with both Kevin Durant and James Harden available. KD is probable, but according to all the sources from within the Nets, he should be in the lineup tonight. Now that boosts Brooklyn’s chances of winning a lot, and when we add that Kyrie began practicing with his teammates, the Nets fans have a lot of reasons to be happy. On the other side, the 76ers are coming off back-to-back wins, both on the road, looking quite one-dimensional in the attack relying upon Joel Embiid too much.

Preview

Philadelphia 76ers (18-16, +160) defeated the Wizards in DC and, after that, Toronto Raptors in Canada. The result of the latter event was 114-109 for the guys from the City of Brotherly Love, but we need to add that they didn’t amaze with the performance.

Joel Embiid trashed the Raptors’ defense, scoring 36 points with 11 boards, hitting 12 of his 14 free throws. Tobias Harris had a triple-double, 19 buckets, 12 boards, and 10 assists, missing just one of 14 foul-line shots. Now, the referees have helped the 76ers a lot here, and 27 points from the free-throw line are the reason for the win here.

Philly is one-dimensional in the attack, with Embiid leading the way, and once he stops, the entire team collapses. We are not sure for how long this is going to last because the Process’ health is something that oscillates quite frequently. Georges Niang added 19 points off the bench, and Seth Curry had 12.

Brooklyn Nets (23-9, -190) brought back Kyrie, who will play only on road games. It seems that a will to win overwhelmed the Nets’ principles, which is a smart move at this point. Though, there is one bigger news, and that is KD’s return because he is now cleared of the health and safety protocols. Both he and LaMarcus Aldridge are in the mix for this one.

The Nets have back-to-back won, both on the road in LA vs Clippers and the Lakers. They would score at least 122 points in each, with James Harden leading the way and showing everyone that he didn’t forget to play basketball. The Bear dropped 36 against the LAL and 39 vs. the Clippers.

The former MVP shot 15-for-25 from the field, dropping four threes, and visiting the foul-line only five times. Apparently, Harden adapted to the new foul criteria and now pours baskets differently. He also had 15 assists and eight boards, being the focal figure of the game. Patty Mills added 18 buckets, all behind the arc, and Nik Claxton had the same productivity.

Head to Head Games

The 76es and the Nets already played two games this year, and the team from Barclays Center won both. The first was in Philly, 114-109, while the second took place in Brooklyn, 114-105.

Prediction

There is no reason for us to overthink here. With or without Durant, the Nets would win this one, because they play better than the 76ers. As said before, Philly is solely focused on Embiid, and having in mind that this is their third consecutive road game, he will have trouble with fatigue for sure.

Pick: Nets -4.5

Here is the link for the Warriors vs. Nuggets game