Nets at 76ers
The Brooklyn Nets’ playoff hopes are on life support. If the Nets are going to mount any type of a postseason surge, it must start Saturday when they visit the woeful Philadelphia 76ers. Brooklyn won four of six games out of the All-Star break but has lost five straight since to fall 3 1/2 games back of Charlotte for the eighth spot in the East.
After a win over Golden State to start the homestand, Brooklyn lost the last four, including three against sub-.500 teams, and are now playing the second of a four-game road trip. “I don’t know if desperation is the word,” Nets coach Lionel Hollins told reporters. “A few more losses in a row and we could completely be out of it." The 76ers are battling New York and Minnesota for the worst record in the NBA, but they put forth a superior second-half effort Friday in rallying from an 18-point, third-quarter deficit to beat Sacramento.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, YES (Brooklyn), CSN Philadelphia
ABOUT THE NETS (25-38): Brooklyn trailed for the last 45 minutes in the 104-98 loss to Miami on Wednesday. Brook Lopez had 15 points and 14 rebounds, and Deron Williams and Jarrett Jack added 18 points apiece. Joe Johnson and Williams, who are making more than $40 million combined this season, have combined to score 97 points on 33-of-99 shooting during the losing skid.
ABOUT THE 76ERS (15-50): Robert Covington tied a career high with six 3-pointers en route to 24 points and Ish Smith had all 10 points and seven of his career high-tying nine assists after intermission in Philadelphia's 114-107 win over the Kings. Covington's 19 first-half points were a team season-high and the Sixers held the Kings to 26 percent shooting after yielding 56.1 percent in the first half. "It was as poor a defensive first half as we've played all year," 76ers coach Brett Brown told reporters. "It is a complete misrepresentation of who we are, and that's what we talked about at halftime. But to our guys' credit, they found a way to get back in it, in a big way."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Sixers C Nerlens Noel has averaged 11.9 points, 10 rebounds, 2.6 steals and 2.5 blocks in his last 14 games.
2. Nets G Sergey Karasev's underwent season-ending knee surgery after suffering the injury in Brooklyn's loss to New Orleans on Tuesday.
3. Nets C Mason Plumlee is averaging four points and three rebounds in his last four games as Lopez has received the majority of minutes.