76ers at Nets
The Philadelphia 76ers snapped a 13-game losing streak at the expense of Brooklyn last week and have two wins in the last 20 games – both over the Nets. Brooklyn will try to solve its issues against the worst team in the NBA when it hosts the 76ers on Tuesday.
The Nets followed up their 95-89 loss at Philadelphia on Friday by running their losing streak to four straight with a 109-100 loss at home to the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday – their first game back following a nine-game trip. Brooklyn shot 55.7 percent from the floor on Sunday but turned the ball over 20 times in a sloppy performance. The 76ers failed to follow up their latest win over the Nets with another victory and were run off the floor in a 125-111 home loss to the Detroit Pistons on Saturday. Philadelphia is missing rookie center Jahlil Okafor following knee surgery and was outscored 64-40 in the paint against the Pistons.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, TCN (Philadelphia), YES (Brooklyn)
ABOUT THE 76ERS (9-57): Philadelphia held the Nets to 37.9 percent from the floor on Friday but allowed the Pistons to go off at 53.8 percent the next night. The depleted frontcourt turned to veteran Carl Landry in the starting lineup on Saturday and got 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the veteran, who slid into the top unit after Robert Covington was injured on Friday. Covington was taken off the court on a stretcher against the Nets with a neck injury and sat out Saturday, though he was released from the hospital and was in the locker room against Detroit.
ABOUT THE NETS (18-48): Brooklyn center Brook Lopez continues to shine for an otherwise down team and had 24 points at Philadelphia before delivering 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting against Milwaukee. Lopez is 31-of-46 from the floor over the last three games with 12 blocked shots in that span and continues to play hard to the finish line despite the team’s down results. Lopez is averaging 16 points and 6.3 rebounds in the three meetings with the 76ers in 2015-16.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Nets G Wayne Ellington (illness) is day-to-day.
2. Covington (concussion) is in the NBA’s protocol and is questionable to be cleared by Tuesday.
3. Brooklyn earned a 100-91 win over Philadelphia at home on Dec. 10.