Coming off a perfect 5-0 road trip, the 76ers (30-16) return home looking to maintain momentum against the Brooklyn Nets (29-17) on Wednesday night.
The Nets, who are 16-10 away from home this season (only Boston has more road wins with 17), captured victories at Utah on Friday and Golden State on Sunday. In their 120-116 win over the defending-champion Warriors, Brooklyn overcame a 17-point deficit late in the first half and finished the game shooting 54-percent from the floor and 52-percent (14-27) from 3-point range. They missed a season-high 11 free throws.
Kyrie Irving posted a game-high 38 points (12-22 fg, 5-7 3fg, 9-9 ft) with seven rebounds and nine assists.
Leading scorer Kevin Durant (MCL sprain) remains out. The full injury report – as of Tuesday night – included the following Sixers: Joel Embiid (questionable - left foot soreness) and Furkan Korkmaz (out - right shoulder soreness).
Irving averages 26.7 points per game, second to Durant’s 29.7 points, and fourth-year pro Nic Claxton is Brooklyn’s leading rebounder (8.7 RPG). Over the past five games, Claxton is averaging 19.2 points on 73-percent shooting, along with 11.0 rebounds, and 3.6 blocks.
On Nov. 22, the Sixers defeated the Nets, 115-106, without Embiid, James Harden, and Tyrese Maxey. The victors tallied 47 bench points in the home contest, including a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double from Paul Reed and 16 points (4-5 3fg) in 17 minutes from Georges Niang.
In their last game, a 129-127 win over the Kings in Sacramento to conclude the undefeated, five-game trip, the Sixers rallied from 21-down – their largest comeback victory to date this season. They did so in the absence of both Embiid (left foot injury recovery) and Harden (right foot tendon strain).
Danuel House Jr. banked in a 3-pointer at the first-half buzzer to cut the deficit to 10, and Maxey started the second half with a flurry, scoring 10 of his 15 third-quarter points in the first three minutes of the frame.
“I think even before the third quarter, when [Danuel] House got in – his energy at the end of the first half and then he hit that big three to end the half,” Maxey said. “I think that’s when the energy shifted. We knew we had a chance to win, but Coach Doc said it, we were going to win the game. ‘Let’s get it to 15’. Once we get it to 15, then we get it to 10. We get to 10, then we got a shot.”
The Sixers registered 70 points in the paint and 23 second chance points on 16 offensive rebounds.
“I just think we have a resilient group,” Niang said. “No matter who is there, we’re just going to come in and continue to fight. Obviously we were down big early. We dug ourselves out of a hole, I think twice actually. We just kept fighting. I think we have a group of guys that’s really willing to put their egos aside and no matter who’s playing just show up every day and give everything they have. If we’re close at the end, we’ll make our plays and I think that’s huge to have guys that are resilient like that.”
Both the Sixers and Nets boast top-10 rankings for both offensive and defensive rating. From beyond the arc, the clubs are second (BKN, .389) and fourth (PHI, .380) in 3-point percentage.
After facing the Nets, the Sixers will host Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets on Saturday at 3 p.m.
Wednesday is a 7:30 p.m. start.
Saturday’s Top Performances:
Without Embiid and Harden available, six 76ers stepped up to score at least 14 points against the Kings. Of those six players, five of them also had at least five rebounds, and four members of the group delivered at least five assists:
76ers vs. Sacramento Kings: Jan. 21, 2023
1 / 6SACRAMENTO, CA - JANUARY 21: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on during the game against the Sacramento Kings on January 21, 2023 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California.
@Sixers Social:
Quote to Note:
Sacramento Kings Head Coach Mike Brown on the Sixers:
“You've got to give Philadelphia a lot of credit. They were shorthanded, they came in here – their coaches on the coaching staff to the players, you've got to give them all credit. Shorthanded, came in here, they just physically kicked our behind. We could not get them off the offensive glass. Montrezl Harrell was an absolute beast. Paul Reed was an absolute beast.”