Philadelphia 76ers vs Brooklyn Nets Prediction & Match Preview - December 30th, 2021 | NBA Season 2021-22
In their third meeting of the season, the Brooklyn Nets will host the Philadelphia 76ers at the Barclays Center on Thursday, December 30th.
The 76ers will head into this game off a 114-109 win against the Toronto Raptors. They are now 18-16 on the season. The Brooklyn Nets, meanwhile, will also head into this game off a win. Beating the LA Clippers 124-108, the Nets improved to 23-9 on the season to remain atop the Eastern Conference standings.
With the series between the 76ers and the Nets being 2-0 in Brooklyn's favor, the 76ers will look to turn things around to prevent a sweep on the road.
Match Details
Fixture - Philadelphia 76ers vs Brooklyn Nets | 2021-22 NBA Season.
Date & Time - Thursday, December 30th, 2021; 7:00 PM ET (Friday, December 31st, 2021; 5:30 AM IST).
Venue - Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY.
Philadelphia 76ers Preview
The Philadelphia 76ers are on a roll as they are coming off a win against the Toronto Raptors on December 28th. Featuring their second consecutive victory, the 76ers are now sixth in the Eastern Conference.
Although they will miss significant pieces in Thursday's big ticket matchup, their core rotation has been pretty well established. They have Joel Embiid in the frontcourt along with a solid duo of Tobias Harris and Matisse Thybulle. The 76ers have a sharpshooting backcourt in Tyrese Maxey and Seth Curry.
Coming off an injury, Maxey is still finding his rhythm. However, a dominant performance by 76ers superstar Joel Embiid saw the team through to a comfortable win over the Toronto Raptors.
With the return of Georges Niang and Furkan Korkmaz, the 76ers also have solid perimeter threats off the bench. They will look to Korkmaz as a backup playmaker as well.
Key Player - Joel Embiid
The key player for the Philadelphia 76ers in Thursday night's matchup could be Joel Embiid. He is the cornerstone of the 76ers' offense. As one of the league's most dominant big men, Embiid is a huge asset for the side.
He has time and again shown why he is one of the best in the NBA. A highly versatile player possessing some of the cleanest footwork for his size, Embiid is one of the top centers in the league.
Coming off a 36-point outing in the win against the Raptors, Embiid will look to carry a huge load at the offensive end for the 76ers once again. In his last ten games, he has been nothing short of spectacular.
36 PTS | 11 REB | 4 AST
RT to vote @JoelEmbiid for #NBAAllStar! 🌟
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Averaging 29.1 points and 10.3 rebounds in this period, Embiid will have to come up big against the Nets to ensure a win for Philadelphia.
Philadelphia 76ers Predicted Lineup
G - Tyrese Maxey | G - Seth Curry | F - Mattise Thybulle | F - Tobias Harris | C - Joel Embiid.
Brooklyn Nets Preview
The Brooklyn Nets have done well to stay afloat in the absence of multiple stars. Horribly struck by the COVID-19 outbreak, the Nets roster was in shambles midway through December. However, they have managed to stay competitive, currently finding themselves on a two-game winning streak heading into Thursday's game.
On the back of a tremendous performances by James Harden and Patty Mills, the Nets will also see the return of Kevin Durant and LaMarcus Aldridge to their rotation on Thursday. Having missed a significant amount of time due to the league's health and safety protocols, the Nets roster will only continue to get better.
They’re back. KD & Kyrie. https://t.co/eIoyIO87NZ
Kyrie Irving returning to the side is also a huge cause of excitement for Nets fans. Although he will be unavailable to play games at home, the sporadic availability of Irving is still heartening as he recently joined the Nets' practice.
Key Player - Kevin Durant
The key player for the Brooklyn Nets in this game against the Philadelphia 76ers could be Kevin Durant. Coming off a long absence due to COVID protocols, the Nets superstar is expected to return to action on Thursday, according to head coach Steve Nash.
Durant has been on an absolute tear this season. Averaging 29.7 points and 7.9 per game for the season, he is the leader in scoring averages this season.
.@KDTrey5 is the first player in @BrooklynNets history to put up 4 straight 30/5/5 games.
When it’s all said and done, he’s gonna be remembered as a Net imho.
https://t.co/8kkUELRVST
With Durant potentially returning from conditioning on Thursday, the Nets will see the return of an absolute offensive juggernaut. Although he might need time to find his rhythm, Durant's presence on the floor should be a huge morale booster for the team.
Brooklyn Nets Predicted Lineup
G - James Harden | G - Patty Mills | F - Kevin Durant | F - Bruce Brown Jr. | C - LaMarcus Aldridge
76ers vs Nets Match Prediction
With many key players returning, the Philadelphia 76ers vs Brooklyn Nets matchup could prove to be an interesting one. As both teams are on hot streaks coming into this game, an enticing clash should ensue.
Brooklyn are favored to win this matchup. Considering homecourt advantage as the primary barometer, and the trio of Harden, Mills and Durant emerging as a threat, the 76ers' defense could struggle to contain the Nets.
Where to watch 76ers vs Nets game?
The Philadelphia 76ers vs Brooklyn Nets game will be nationally broadcast on NBA TV. The game will be locally broadcast on YES. The game will also be available on the NBA’s League Pass platform. Fans can listen to the game by tuning into WFAM-FM.