On Saturday afternoon at the Wells Fargo Center, the Philadelphia 76ers will host the visiting Brooklyn Nets for a playoff series opener.
Injury Update Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets
This is one of the league’s best rivalries, and everything will be on the line over the next week. The three-seed and favorite in this series is Philadelphia, but the Nets aren’t going to make it easy for them.
The 76ers dominated the series between the two this season, and with both teams trending in opposite directions as the season winds down, they’ll be glad to be at home to start the weekend off right.
The 76ers are only the third seed in the Eastern Conference, but they are one of the teams capable of making a splash over the next month.
They have been difficult to beat at home, with a 29-12 record, and will carry that confidence into Saturday’s opener. It helps that they haven’t lost to Brooklyn yet this season, but they can’t expect to coast through this one.
With a 5-5 record in their last ten games, they would have preferred to finish stronger, but with rest as a priority, they’ll be relieved to see a number of players return.
However, there are still concerns about some players’ availability, which will need to be monitored as the tip-off date approaches.
The most notable name in the league heading into the postseason is Joel Embiid (calf), who is listed as questionable for Saturday’s game.
As a favorite for MVP, his inability to play in the opener would be devastating. The rest of the 76ers’ roster is expected to be available, which could be enough, but will put a lot of pressure on the backcourt.
While having Embiid will put the 76ers over the top, they will still be successful even if he is not available.
Philadelphia has one of the league’s best defenses and, even without Embiid, has the height to compete with the Nets on the glass.
On the offensive end, the back court is electric, and having the league’s best three-point shooting will certainly help. Philadelphia has two 20-point scorers in James Harden and Tyrese Maxey, but Tobias Harris will be the deciding factor in this game.
According to Justin Grasso of SI.com, Harden (Achilles/rest) feels “great” ahead of Saturday’s Game 1 against Brooklyn.
Harden missed back-to-back games at the end of the regular season to treat an Achilles injury that had sidelined him for four games at the end of March. His most recent absences, however, were merely precautionary, and the dynamic point guard should be ready for playoff action.
Harden averaged 21.0 points, 10.7 assists, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 36.8 minutes per game in 58 regular-season games.
The Brooklyn Nets had a slow start to the season, and while a mid-season surge had them playing well, the trade deadline quickly changed the course of the season. The Nets have limped to the finish line overall, but they have a 6-4 record in their last ten games to try to get back on track.
Their struggles against the 76ers were obvious, which could impact their momentum and confidence heading into this one, despite the fact that they have a winning record on the road. They have a 22-19 record away from home this season and will look to build on that and start the series strong.
The injury list for this group is lengthy, but the good news is that nearly everyone who has been battling injuries is likely for this one.
The most notable names are Royce O’Neal (knee), Cam Johnson (knee), Dorian Finney-Smith (wrist), and Seth Curry (ankle). Ben Simmons (back) will miss the entire series, which will be a significant setback for this team.
