On Tuesday, January 8, the Philadelphia 76ers (15-20) take on the Brooklyn Nets (19-15) at the Wells Fargo Center. After an ugly 2-6 west coast road trip, the Sixers come back feeling defeated and fatigued. The Nets come in to Philly on a 3-game winning streak and sit 2nd in the Atlantic Division. Both teams are looking for a win, and it should be a good one.
Starting Five Matchups:
| Brooklyn | Philadelphia | |
|---|---|---|
| PG | Deron Williams | Jrue Holiday |
| SG | Joe Johnson | Jason Richardson |
| SF | Gerald Wallace | Evan Turner |
| PF | Reggie Evans | Thaddeus Young |
| C | Brook Lopez | Lavoy Allen |
Key Matchup: Deron Williams vs Jrue Holiday
Both point guards are having a successful year so far. Both Holiday and Williams are seen as the star player and when in need of a basket, they look to them. In the 2012-2013 season, Jrue Holiday is averaging 18.4 points 8.9 assists per game. Deron Williams is slightly under those stats, so statistically Holiday is having the better season. Both the Sixers and the Nets match up down low, so whoever can win the back court will be a key factor in deciding the game.
Keys to Success
Sixers: Offensive Efficiency and Fast-Break Opportunities
Nick Young drives against the Nets.
The Brooklyn Nets come in to Philly Tuesday night ranked 5th in points allowed. This means that the Sixers aren’t going to get a lot of shots. In order to win the game, Philadelphia needs to get quality shots, and convert a fair amount of them.
The Sixers are at there best when they can get out on the run. They are a young team, and when they can get in transition, they are almost unstoppable. Look for Doug Collins to push the Sixers to get running.
Nets: Assisting and Defense
You can’t have a successful team without sharing the basketball. As of today, the Brooklyn Nets are the 24th team in the league in average assists per game. You can’t keep running iso plays with Joe Johnson or Deron Williams and just hope he can make the shot. The Nets have talented big’s in Brook Lopez and Reggie Evans, and they should use that to their advantage.
Brooklyn prides themselves on their defnesive style, and they aren’t gonna give the 76ers any breathing room. If the Nets can force bad shots then they can control the tempo of the game and keep the Sixers of their transition offense.
Prediction: Nets 92, Sixers 87
After a close one in Brooklyn in their last game, I predict that the Brooklyn Nets edge out the Philadelphia 76ers and continue their hot winning streak.
