When: 7:30 p.m. EST
Where: Barclays Center
Watch: YES Network, Fox Sports GO
Listen: 101.9 FM, 660 AM
It’s official — the Brooklyn Nets have won more games than last season. With that settled, the Nets have struggled to build any sort of win streak this season, but they get a chance tonight against the 76ers back home at Barclays.
In the ever-changing Eastern Conference, the 76ers have won six of their last ten games and currently sit in sixth on the coast with the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks breathing down their necks. The last time the Nets faced the 76ers was a bit over a month ago when Brooklyn got a win behind 27 points from Spencer Dinwiddie and a Jarrett Allen double-double.
Trevor Booker will not be making the visit back to Brooklyn, with the Philadelphia 76ers waiving him to make room for new addition Ersan Ilyasova and him heading to Indiana. Booker is joined by Marco Belinelli in a different look 76ers team to the one the Nets beat five weeks ago.
The Nets ended a five-game road trip Thursday with a win in Charlotte, and are now back home for the first time since Feb. 26. Will some home cooking help them go streaking?
Three Things to Watch For
Caris LeVert
LeVert has rediscovered the mojo he had before the All-Star break and then some. A career-high 27 points on March 3 was backed up by 22 in Brooklyn’s win over the Hornets.
It is not just that though — for the month of March, LeVert is averaging 4.5 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. He is contributing across the floor for the team’s backcourt and should see ample opportunity as the season finishes up.
Shortened Rotation
The Nets have some decisions to make on the team make-up for next season. These choices will be within the thought process for coach Kenny Atkinson, and Nets fans have already seen evidence of a shortened rotation moving forward. Players like Nik Stauskas, Quincy Acy and Timofey Mozgov could become buried (if they have not already) and the minutes for guys like Spencer Dinwiddie and DeMarre Carroll may very subtlety be redistributed to some other wing players.
Also, will we see a Jahlil Okafor sighting soon? Maybe not.
Joel Embiid
Embiid has been very quiet by his standards in the past three games, failing to record over 20 points or 10 rebounds in any of them — well below his season averages of 23.4 points and 11 rebounds.
The Brooklyn Nets often give opposing players the opportunity to bounce back from an offensive slump, especially this season with big men. Watch for Embiid early as he likely will try to establish dominance over Jarrett Allen.
