WHO: Brooklyn Nets (8-12) vs Philadelphia 76ers (13-8)
WHAT: The Nets look to knock off the 76ers yet again - meanwhile, Joel Embiid is playing like the best player in the East (except when he’s up against... Tristan Thompson)
WHERE: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
WHEN: 6:00 p.m. EST
HOW: YES, NCBSP+; NBA League Pass
THE STORY: Game Preview
One thing the Sixers do just about better than everyone else is get to the free throw line, where they rank first in the league in attempts. The Nets are still a young team, which can often lead to sloppier defense. It should come as no surprise the Nets rank 26th in the league in personal fouls per game with 23.9 and have been averaging even more than that over their last 3 with 24.7 per game. The biggest offenders are Joe Harris, Ed Davis, and Spencer Dinwiddie who all average over 3 personal fouls a game. Could be an issue, especially if Simmons and Embiid decide it’s a nice night to attack the basket every other possession.
What the Nets are good at, for some reason, is fourth quarter scoring where they rank 6th in the league. Philly ranks 25th. This actually makes sense when we consider the Nets to be a team that isn’t quite “good” yet but also not necessarily “bad.” So they find themselves trying to play back into games late, like that Timberwolves game, rather than laying down and letting the clock run out so they can go home and play Fortnite.
Also, the Nets already have played five back-to-backs and logged an NBA-high 12 road games. Now, they have begun a stretch where they play 13 of 17 at home. Time to make hay.
For more on the 76ers: Liberty Ballers
