The upcoming matchup between the Brooklyn Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers is arguably the most anticipated game in this NBA season. It will be the first time James Harden and the new-look Sixers will take on his old team, the Nets, since their blockbuster trade deadline deal that also involved the infamous Ben Simmons.
Simmons is set to sit out the game, but he will be on the bench – and likely to receive plenty of boos from the Philadelphia crowd – during this huge Eastern Conference clash.
And out West, the slumping Warriors will look to avoid getting swept in their season series by reigning MVP Nikola Jokic and the streaking Denver Nuggets.
Read on as SBOTOP previews these two star-studded NBA games in great detail.
Brooklyn Nets @ Philadelphia 76ers
The much-awaited first matchup between the Brooklyn Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers since their blockbuster trade is finally here. Unfortunately, it won’t feature Ben Simmons, who is yet to play for Brooklyn due to a back issue.
However, the latest NBA 2022 news is that Simmons will indeed be in the building at Wells Fargo Center. Simmons will likely be showered with a chorus of boos by angry Philadelphia fans, who will see him for the first time since he decided to sit out the entire season to force his way out of Philly.
But while Simmons will be unavailable, the dynamic duo of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving should be set to play for the Nets. Irving is coming off a season-high 50-point performance to lead the Nets to a 132-121 win over the Charlotte Hornets, which snapped Brooklyn’s four-game losing skid.
Kevin Durant had a quiet game with just 14 points in 40 minutes, but he had just put up back-to-back 30-point games against two of the top defences in Miami and Boston, so expect him to bounce back.
The Nets will need Durant to be at his best when they take on the surging Sixers, who are still undefeated at 5-0 when new acquisition James Harden has played. The Sixers lost 99-82 to the East-leading Heat with Harden sitting out.
Harden has settled in seamlessly with the Sixers and is averaging 24 points on 52 per cent shooting with 7.5 rebounds and 12.5 assists per game for his new team.
Harden had just 16 points – his lowest total since becoming a Sixer – on 5-of-16 shooting last time out against the Bulls, but Philly still won 121-106 on the back of Joel Embiid’s 43 big points. Embiid – the current favourite at 1.60 to win NBA MVP this season – leads the NBA in scoring at 29.7 points per game, and he’s doing so while playing just 33.2 minutes.
Meanwhile, Tyrese Maxey continues to play spectacularly as the team’s third option. The second-year guard is averaging 23.5 points on nearly 60 per cent shooting since after the All-Star break.
Golden State Warriors @ Denver Nuggets
The struggling Warriors finally snapped their five-game losing skid by beating the LA Clippers 112-97 the other night. Splash Brothers Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined for 35 points, but they weren’t particularly efficient as they shot just 14-of-35 from the field and 3-of-15 on 3-pointers.
Instead, it was the bench duo of Jonathan Kuminga and Jordan Poole that sparked the Dubs with 41 points combined on a sizzling 15-of-24 shooting.
After going through a lengthy slump in February, Poole is getting back to his best in March, averaging 24.5 points on over 60 per cent shooting over his last four games. Meanwhile, the rookie Kuminga continues to come on strong in recent weeks, with his shooting looking particularly promising.
Poole and Kuminga, as well as fellow rookie Moses Moody, starred for Golden State in their last game against the Nuggets as the Splash Brothers sat out. Poole and Moody combined for 62 points and 13 3-pointers, while Kuminga added 16 points off the bench.
But reigning MVP Nikola Jokic was too much as he had 32 points, 15 rebounds, and 13 assists to lead Denver to victory. The Nuggets have now won four games in a row and 10 of their last 11 after outlasting the Kings last night. Jokic was sensational again with 38 points, 18 rebounds, and 7 assists.
Jokic – presently priced at 2.50 repeat as NBA MVP – has been brilliant against the Warriors this season, averaging 29.7 points, 17 rebounds and 8.7 assists in three games against them. The Nuggets have won all three games, although their overall margin of victory in those three wins has been just 11 points.
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