The Philadelphia 76ers seem to be over a rough start where they dropped 12 of their first 14 games, but an occasional ugly showing is still appearing.
Coming off two losses on a back-to-back on the West Coast, the 76ers hope to avoid a third straight defeat Saturday night when they visit the Brooklyn Nets.
Philadelphia is 11-7 since its 117-111 loss at the Memphis Grizzlies on Nov. 20 left them at 2-12 while Joel Embiid was working his way back from a left knee injury.
Embiid, who is questionable for Saturday (foot/nose), has played 12 games overall and eight during Philadelphia’s turnaround. He scored 28 on Thursday but was unable to prevent the Sixers from absorbing a 139-105 loss to the Golden State Warriors.
It was Philadelphia’s 12th double-digit loss this season and their most lopsided since Embiid scored 30 in a 36-point loss to the New York Knicks on Jan. 5, 2024.
“We had a little bit of an energy issue, obviously,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse said. “They were moving a heck of a lot faster than we were. Just a step from behind the start, at both ends and just dug ourselves in a huge hole and it just kind of continued.”
Nurse watched a lack of energy occur a night after Embiid sat out when the Sixers were outscored 33-18 in the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s 113-107 loss at the Sacramento Kings. Before their first losing streak since Nov. 24-27, the Sixers won 10 of 13, including a Christmas Day 118-114 win at the reigning champion Boston Celtics when Embiid scored 27.
The Sixers are 9-2 in the past 11 meetings with Brooklyn and hoping to bounce back after allowing the Warriors to shoot 60.9 percent from the floor. It marked the first time a Philadelphia opponent shot at least 60 percent against since Brooklyn shot 64.5 percent in a 137-133 76ers home win on Jan. 25, 2023.
The Nets followed up their 113-98 loss at Philadelphia on Nov. 22 by winning three straight to get within a game of .500 but are 4-11 in their past 15. During this stretch, the Nets have traded veterans Dennis Schroder and Dorian Finney-Smith.
Brooklyn lost the first two games after dealing Finney-Smith to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday before hanging on for a 113-110 road win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday.
Cameron Johnson scored 26 to lead the Nets in scoring for the fourth time in five games but is doubtful for Saturday. Johnson sprained his right ankle going for a rebound in the fourth quarter, though X-rays were negative.
Regardless of Johnson’s status, the Nets are hoping to display the composure they showed in Thursday’s close win after blowing a 21-point lead in Sunday’s 102-101 loss at Orlando.
“We’ve still got to find how we can play together in the last few minutes,” Brooklyn’s Cam Thomas said. “I think it’s going to come along good. We’ve just got to keep repping it.”
Thomas returned on Sunday after missing just over a month with a hamstring injury but has seen limited action as he continues to fully work his way back. He is questionable for Saturday.
The Nets will play their first home game since re-acquiring D’Angelo Russell in the Finney-Smith trade. Russell’s first stint with Brooklyn ended when he was part of the sign-and-trade to land Kevin Durant in 2019.
Russell scored 22 off the bench in Wednesday’s 130-113 loss at Toronto and was elevated to the starting lineup in Milwaukee, finishing with 11 points and 12 assists.
–Field Level Media
