76ers at Nets
The Brooklyn Nets get their best chance to snap their latest slide when they host the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday. The 76ers are only 1 1/2 games ahead of the NBA-worst Nets in the Eastern Conference standings but are playing much stronger of late after two wins and a tight loss at Boston on Friday.
Brooklyn dropped its last five games and 10 of the last 11 to fall behind Philadelphia and used its 14th different starting lineup in Friday's 116-108 home loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. “We’ve had some injuries,” Nets coach Kenny Atkinson told reporters. “I think we’re still searching, still looking at different lineups. It’s an ongoing thing. Right now, we’re still looking at guys in roles. When we have our whole roster completely healthy, it will be a little bit easier." The 76ers tinker with their lineup as well while juggling three centers and several wing options but could not quite find the right combination down the stretch in a 110-106 loss to the Celtics that denied the team its first three-game winning streak of the season. “I think it was a good game for us,” Philadelphia coach Brett Brown told reporters. "There was a lot of good things that came out of it. You’re on the road, you’re against the sixth-best team in the NBA. Performance, I thought, for the most part was solid. There are a few things you’d like to have back, but in general I’m proud of our group."
TV: Noon, ET, CSN Philadelphia, YES (Brooklyn)
ABOUT THE 76ERS (9-25): Rookie center Joel Embiid is becoming such a sensation that he was even cheered by the Boston fans on Friday despite wearing the opposing jersey. "They were actually pretty loud,” Embiid told reporters. "It’s impressive. Boston is supposed to be our rival. For the fans to come out and just chant ‘Trust the Process’ so loud, it was amazing." Embiid, who recorded a season-high 33 points in a 108-107 home win over Brooklyn on Dec. 18, finished with 23 points and eight rebounds in 26 minutes on Friday and is averaging 24.6 points and 2.2 blocks in his last five games.
ABOUT THE NETS (8-27): Brooklyn is searching for positives and found some off the bench on Friday, when guards Caris LeVert and Isaiah Whitehead combined for 29 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists. "Caris and Isaiah coming in and playing really important minutes against the world champions is really positive," Atkinson told reporters. "We don’t back down, especially at home." Joining those two off the bench was Sean Kilpatrick, who was bumped from the starting lineup in favor of Spencer Dinwiddie and slumped to four points on 2-of-9 shooting.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Nets PF Trevor Booker recorded a double-double in two of the last three games.
2. 76ers PG Sergio Rodriguez (ankle) sat out the last three games and is day-to-day.
3. The home team took each of the last five in the series, and Philadelphia's last win in Brooklyn was Jan. 9, 2015.