NBA 2021/22 on Friday, 31.12.2021
The red carpet has already been rolled out to celebrate the return of Kevin Durant in a Brooklyn Nets jersey. The Philadelphia 76ers, meanwhile, can start warming up.
Durantula already made things clear in the last head-to-head meeting. Together with James Harden – who had to take a break then – everything in our Nets 76ers tip suggests that the Sixers could actually go down to defeat this time.
In the upcoming game, both teams will regain some key players after extremely turbulent COVID weeks. But an in-depth analysis shows that Nets fans have a little more reason to be happy.
That’s because Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and LaMarcus Aldridge are eligible to play again. While we won’t be able to see Irving on Friday, Durant’s comeback is very likely.
This, by the way, would only be welcome from the point of view of Nets fans. Durantula’s last appearance before his Covid retirement was against the Sixers, of all teams, and he kept them on their toes with 34 points and 11 rebounds that night.
For the Sixers, on the other hand, two of three key players will return. Danny Green will definitely not be starting, while a return is “theoretically” possible for Andre Drummond and Shake Milton.
They will be released from quarantine only a few hours before the start of the match and would thus be available to coach Doc Rivers. But a first cross comparison shows that the Nets seem to be handling their many absences much better at the moment!
Brooklyn has won six of its last seven December games – including victories over both Los Angeles franchises and the 76ers themselves – despite enormous personnel shortages!
The reason I see the Nets ahead in this duel is the same reason New York has come through December so well. Their rock in the surf is James Harden and he is unstoppable.
In the last two duels against the Lakers and Clippers, Harden was the only genuine superstar in the starting five of the black and white team, which automatically made him the number one playmaker.
The result: Harden conjured up a total of 75 points, 18 rebounds and a whopping 25 assists in these two games alone, which were enough to win in both cases. However, it is not to be expected that “The Beard Show” will be repeated.
Without Durant’s return, I would recommend a special bet on Harden for a 30+ point output in what is now his third straight game. But with the squad change, the dynamic within the team changes.
This is because Durantula is usually the number one face-off man in New York’s game, which will diminish Harden’s time in the spotlight but thereby significantly increase the Nets’ chances of success.
We also have to look at the last head-to-head between the two franchises, which is just a week old, to better understand why Brooklyn should win this one by an even bigger margin than the last time around.
If we compare the expected starting five for tonight and the one from a week ago, the Sixers will have to make do without Danny Green this time.
On the other side, however, only the use of the strong James Harden – who did not even start in the already clear 114:105 victory over Lob City – will ensure more than just a clear situation.
Conclusion: The Nets have a squad that is outstanding across the board and has been able to deal with even the most glaring absences for weeks. In addition, key players like James Harden manage to successfully pull their teammates along in this difficult phase.
The Sixers already lost to the Nets less than a week ago – and that even though The Beard was not even in the game. The fact that Kevin Durand, who had a hell of a game in his last appearance against Philadelphia, is back in the meantime is another problem.
Incidentally, the visitors have lost each of their last five NBA games against a franchise that currently has a positive record. Strong teams don’t seem to last long for the Seventy-Sixers!
