76ers at Nets
The Brooklyn Nets can move a bit closer to securing home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs when they host the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night. The Nets enter with a two-game lead on Chicago in the race for the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference despite losing to the Bulls on Thursday. Behind another magnificent effort by Deron Williams, Brooklyn rebounded from that setback by topping Charlotte 105-96 on Saturday.
The 76ers' slim chances of making the playoffs were officially wiped away over the weekend and they fizzled down the stretch in Miami on Saturday, almost as if they realized any additional effort was for naught. Philadelphia scored a measly 11 points in the fourth quarter of a 106-87 loss to the Heat which dropped the Sixers to 1-2 on their four-game road trip. Jrue Holiday led five players in double figures with 18 points and Spencer Hawes recorded his eighth double-double in a span of 12 games in the losing effort.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, TCN (Philadelphia), WWOR (Brooklyn)
ABOUT THE 76ERS (31-45): Philadelphia was expected to be an improved team with the addition of center Andrew Bynum and a few other parts, but Bynum never played a game and the Sixers never recovered from a bad December. There was resignation after Saturday's loss, but coach Doug Collins tried to look on the bright side. "We swung for the fences," he said. "And I give our organization a lot of credit. We went for a home run and unfortunately it didn't work for us this year. But I will tell you, the guys in the locker room, I'm incredibly proud at how hard they've played every single night. We've competed and we've had some really tough losses but we can only grow from that."
ABOUT THE NETS (44-32): Williams scored 32 points on 11-of-18 shooting in the win over the Bobcats. It was the second straight 30-point effort for Williams and gave him a 58.3 percent mark from the floor in three games this month. The recent play of the star point guard has some around Brooklyn wondering what sort of damage this team can do in the playoffs. "This league is so full of big-time point guards. When you have one of, if not the best, it makes a huge difference," Nets interim coach P.J. Carlesimo told reporters Saturday. Williams needs two 3-pointers to break Kerry Kittles' franchise season record of 158, set in 1996-97.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Hawes had 24 points and five others scored at least 13 as Philadelphia defeated Brooklyn 106-97 in the previous meeting March 11.
2. Nets SF Gerald Wallace did not attempt a field goal in 32 minutes Saturday night.
3. After this one, Brooklyn plays three of its last five games on the road.
PREDICTION: Nets 107, 76ers 98