NBA 2021/22 on Friday, 11/03/2022
You couldn’t write a better script! Because the explosive duel between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets will be all about James Harden! No wonder, after all the hullabaloo surrounding the recent transfer of The Beards…
Meanwhile, according to my 76ers Nets forecast, I don’t expect a dismantling, but at least a clear rebuke of the Nets. Because the home side is one of the big winners of the trade deadline and has clearly gained in quality!
It is the game that every basketball fan must have marked in red on the calendar, because James Harden meets his old employer with the Sixers, whom he almost forced into a trade a few weeks ago.
For The Beard, the Nets got Ben Simmons from the Sixers, who, however, has not played a single game to date. Nevertheless, the Australian is fit enough to take a seat on the bench at least once tonight.
Still, I don’t expect Simmons to play or even be decisive for the outcome of the game. With Kevin Durant still injured, I don’t expect much from the Black and Whites anyway – not against this opponent.
Since being traded to the Sixers, Harden has played five games for the 76ers, all of which were not only won, but always by double-digit margins – including last night’s 121-106 win over the Bulls.
In short, one could succumb to the impression that Embiid and Harden have been playing together for years, because the chemistry between the two games is outstanding and their positive influence on the performance of the blue and white is multi-layered.
When The Beard is not throwing, he quickly lays on 14 assists, as he did against the Bulls, while the Cameroonian does the dirty work on the board with 43 points. Chicago was visibly overmatched for long stretches of the game.
Bottom line, then, is that the Sixers have won five of their last six NBA games, losing only the one against the Heat (82-99) in which James Harden sat out. Tonight, however, both he and Embiid will be in the starting lineup.
For the Nets, on the other hand, things are still not looking good. After four losses in a row, they managed to stop the bleeding with a win over the Hornets, but Charlotte is “only” a sub-500 team.
Philadelphia, on the other hand, has a winning percentage of 625%, which is virtually doomed to rise after the trade of Harden. The drama for the New Yorkers is currently playing out at the centre position, where they are missing their leader!
Brief analysis: Against the Hornets, Kyrie Irving surpassed himself with 50 points and was thus decisive for the success of the Black and Whites. In doing so, he made up for deficiencies at other positions that would have been disastrous against the Sixers.
Because in my eyes Joel Embiid is the best centre in the NBA who will have no problems in 1-on-1 against his direct opponent Andre Drummond.
Drummond’s performance against the Hornets was by no means subterranean with 20 points and 14 rebounds, but the Cameroonian is simply out of his league.
Until Kevin Durant is healthy again, New York will continue to have problems. Especially since Durantula was decisive in the head-to-head comparison that Brooklyn was able to win two of the three duels against the Sixers so far this season.
However, it’s worth noting here that both of those wins over the Sixers still involved the Harden/Durant duo in the black and whites…
As a result, it should come as no surprise to even basketball laymen that Philadelphia is the clear favourite with win odds currently at 1.50.
Conclusion: It’s one of the clearest games for me this evening in terms of the outcome of the game. Because with Harden and Embiid on the floor, the Sixers haven’t lost a game yet.
Of course, the game is made more explosive by the use of The Beard, but in terms of quality, the New Yorkers lack the necessary elements to stand up to the home side. Especially on the five I smell a strong mismatch!
Andre Drummond will be simply overwhelmed with the opposing centre. A lot will depend on whether Kyrie Irving has another night like he did against the Hornets, but even that wouldn’t be enough…
So my logical 76ers Nets tip is: Win by the hosts – with the handbrake on!
