The Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets consummated the blockbuster trade of the season. Now they face each other for the first time since James Harden was moved from Brooklyn to Philadelphia.
Emotions will be high as these two Eastern Conference contenders meet in Philadelphia. In a prime-time marquee matchup, who is the winning NBA pick? Let’s see what the NBA odds for this matchup tell us!
Brooklyn Nets vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Thursday, March 10, 2022 – 07:30 PM EST at Wells Fargo Center
Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets knew they had to make a move. James Harden's body language and effort on court definitely indicated that he was checked out of his tenure with the Brooklyn Nets. Harden was a free agent at the end of the season and the Nets did not want to risk losing him for anything after giving up a huge haul in order to acquire him last season. The writing was on the wall, and Harden had to be moved.
Harden was sent to Philadelphia to be reunited with his GM in Houston, Daryl Morey. The Brooklyn Nets received Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two first-round picks in exchange. Simmons has yet to play at all this season.
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Simmons had become persona non grata in Philadelphia after refusing to play for the team this season and holding out. Simmons will be on the bench and I'm sure Philadelphia will greet him warmly.
The Nets were able to end their four-game losing streak by beating the Charlotte Hornets 132-121 on Tuesday. Kyrie Irving had 50 points in the win. Irving scored 9 3-pointers and was 15-19 from the field. It was a brilliant offensive performance and a reminder of why teams are willing to put up with Irving's eccentricities.
The Nets struggled without Kevin Durant in the lineup and are looking to make a push-up of the standings. At 33-33, they are currently eighth in the Eastern Conference and will be forced to play in the Play-In tournament if they do not improve.
Even though the Nets are currently low in the standings, if they get things together they will still be able to make noise in the playoffs. They will be motivated to put on a show tonight against a potential playoff opponent and a rival.
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers have been playing excellently since the addition of James Harden. Their most recent game was a 121–106 win against the Chicago Bulls. Joel Embiid scored 43 points with 14 rebounds. Harden had 16 points and 14 assists.
So far the pairing has been absolutely dominant. The Sixers are 5-0 when Harden and Embiid have played together. The Sixers' rise also coincides with the development of second-year player Tyrese Maxey. Maxey has supplanted Tobias Harris as the third option on the team.
Maxey has an excellent ability to get to the rim and create his own shot. He has also been deadly from three-point range, averaging an impressive 42% from behind the arc. Maxey's development has been another reason for optimism for the 76ers as the playoffs approach.
The 76ers are currently 40-24, which puts them in second place in the stacked Eastern Conference. The 76ers will want to make a statement tonight, not only because of the bitter rivalry between the two teams but also to keep their spot in the standings and protect home-court advantage in the playoffs.
This is one of the most exciting regular-season games we will see, due to the conflict of the personalities involved, and the playoff seeding potential as the season winds down.
Key Matchup
Kyrie Irving vs. James Harden
Much was made about the personality clash between James Harden and Kyrie Irving. Harden and Kyrie seemed to mesh on the court, but it came out that these two players definitely had problems connecting as teammates and in the locker room.
The rift was eventually enough to force Harden to ask out of Brooklyn. These players will not guard each other often, but both will be looking to make a statement. If Kyrie Irving is able to replicate his performance against Charlotte and put up another efficient, hot shooting night, the Brooklyn Nets have a great chance to get a big victory. If Harden can take over the game and outscore his former teammate and newfound rival, the Philadelphia 76ers will get the win.
Best Bet
I like the Brooklyn Nets to get things done here in a statement game against their rivals. As good as Embiid has been this season, I still maintain that Kevin Durant will be the best player on the floor. Durant has the best ability of any player in this game to get quality looks in crunch time.
Durant is only in his fourth game back, but he has looked better each successive game. I expect Durant and the Nets to make a statement against a potential playoff foe. For our best bets, Today's Play of the Day is the Nets +4.5.
NBA Pick: Nets +4.5 (-110) with BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
