Nets at 76ers
THE STORY: The Philadelphia 76ers seek a season sweep Wednesday night at Wells Fargo against the visiting New Jersey Nets. The Sixers have won two straight, are 36-23 since a 3-13 start and are 24-12 at home. The Nets, who got Deron Williams back on the court Wednesday, have lost four straight and eight of nine, and are just 5-32 away from Newark.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, YES, CSP
ABOUT THE 76ERS (39-36): Philadelphia has a two-game lead over New York for the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference and a likely first-round matchup against either Boston or Miami. Five of the Sixers’ final seven games are at home, and Boston is the only team of the seven with a winning record. Philly outscored Houston 56-42 in the second half to pull out a 108-97 victory Wednesday. Jrue Holiday had 24 points and 12 assists to get the Sixers one win away from locking up a playoff spot. Thaddeus Young added 22 points and Lou Williams 15 off the bench.
ABOUT THE NETS (23-51): Anthony Morrow scored a season-high 30 points and Brook Lopez added 26, but the Nets lost a 120-116 decision to the New York Knicks. Williams had 22 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in his return from a six-game absence with an injured wrist, but was short on a potential tying jumper in the final. The Nets are just 5-32 on the road.
WHO’S HOT/WHO’S NOT: Nets forward Kris Humphries, who had a game-high 14 rebounds against New York, has been the game-high rebounder in 12 of his last 15 games, including 11 straight at one point. Philadelphia center Spencer Hawes is averaging 13 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 31 minutes during the past five games. Holiday is averaging 17.8 points and 7.2 assists over the past five games.
KEY STATISTIC: The balanced Sixers have six players averaging double digits in scoring. But leading scorer Elton Brand at 14.7 ranks just 54th in the league.
SEASON SERIES: The Sixers have won all three games this season and seven straight since being swept by the Nets in 2008-09. The Nets have been held to 85 points and 40.3-percent shooting this season. Philly pretty much led start-to-finish in the last two games and blew open a tie game with a 36-20 fourth quarter back on Nov. 27. Holiday is averaging 16.7 points, 9.7 assists and 6.0 rebounds, while Lopez is averaging 19.0 points.
KEY INJURIES: NEW JERSEY: G Sundiata Gaines (right hip); G Quinton Ross (back); F Damion James (foot); F Brandan Wright (knee); G Deron Williams (wrist). PHILADELPHIA: C Tony Battie (flu); F Elton Brand (flu).
LAST WORD: “Our team really wants to be in the playoffs. I know I do. It'd be my first time.” – Holiday on making the postseason.