The Philadelphia 76ers will host the Brooklyn Nets in Game 1 of the 2022-23 NBA Playoffs today at 1PM in South Philadelphia. 

Series Schedule: Brooklyn Nets vs Philadelphia 76ers

• 4/15 (Sat): Nets at Sixers, 1PM – ESPN

• 4/17 (Mon): Nets at Sixers, 7:30PM – TNT

• 4/20 (Thur): Sixers at Nets, 7:30PM – TNT

• 4/22: (Sat): Sixers at Nets, 1PM – TNT

• 4/24 (Mon): Nets at Sixers – TBD

• 4/27 (Thur): Sixers at Nets – TBD

• 4/29 (Sat): Nets at Sixers – TBD

2022-23 Regular Season

The Sixers swept the season series against Brooklyn, while only two of those games came after the NBA trade deadline with the lineup we’ll see this afternoon. Of course, the final game of the season didn’t really matter either since pretty much no one played besides bench players. 

That really doesn’t give us much to look at in terms of a preview. The only game you could look at would be the February 11th matchup, where the Sixers walked away with a 101-98 victory.

• November 22nd: 115-106 Sixers win.

• January 25th: 137-133 Sixers win.

• February 11th: 101-98 Sixers win.

• April 9th: 134-105 Sixers win.

That was a comeback win for the Sixers on the second night of a back-to-back in Brooklyn. Embiid dropped 37 points with 13 rebounds, two assists, and two steals while shooting 12-of-18 from the floor. James Harden scored 29 points on 9-of-20 shooting while Tyrese Maxey was the only other Sixers player to score more than six points, scoring 12 points off the bench. 

For the Nets, Mikal Bridges led the way with 23 points while Cam Johnson was the only other starter to score in double digits with 12 points. Joe Harris (18) and Cam Thomas (14) reached double digit scoring nights off the bench for the Nets in the loss. 

Sixers Player Stats vs Nets

• Joel Embiid (2): 31.5 PTS, 11.5 REB, 2.5 AST, 50% FG

• James Harden (2): 26 PTS, 6.5 AST, 4.5 REB, 46.9% FG, 43.8% 3PT FG

• Tyrese Maxey (2): 19.5 PTS, 3.5 REB, 4.0 AST, 48% FG, 46.2% 3PT FG

• Tobias Harris (3): 15 PTS, 5.0 REB, 43.9% FG, 37.5% 3PT FG

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Predictions – Series Notes

Joel Embiid is going to make Nic Claxton’s life miserable this series.

Finally, the MVP front runner will enter the playoffs (fingers crossed) relatively healthy for really the first time in his career while also playing the best basketball the NBA has ever seen from a center in nearly two decades. Good luck stopping Embiid, even more so at home this afternoon to begin a championship run.

Joel Embiid to score 40+ Points: +280

James Harden spoke with the media yesterday and said the following about this year’s playoffs compared to last year.

“I’m excited, man. My energy, my pace, my aggressiveness is gonna be better. I’m just more comfortable, more confident in what I’m supposed to be doing out there.”

Tobias Harris

Last season, while the majority of the Sixers’ lineup were banged up, Tobias Harris came alive in the playoffs and played fantastic defense against the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat. Harris, like usual, had an up and down regular season but if he can be that defensive presence while knocking down a few key shots for the Sixers, then he has a clear advantage over Brooklyn Nets forward Cam Johnson. 

Playoff PJ

Will we finally see “Playoff PJ Tucker”? The only reason that Tucker was brought here in the offseason is for the playoffs and I’m excited to see what he will do over the next two months for the Sixers. Playoff basketball slows down significantly and PJ Tucker provides a veteran leader in the locker room while understanding what it takes to win in the playoffs. Plus, if he does what he did against the Celtics at the end of the regular season in knocking down a few key three points while spacing the floor for Harden and Embiid, then the Sixers will be SCARY against any team they face. 

Tyrese Maxey

Maxey has a tough draw against Mikal Bridges out on the perimeter this series. He and the rest of the Sixers will need. to defend the three point line and hold Bridges, Dinwidde, and Joe Harris’ damage to a minimum. Offensively, Maxey finished fifth in the league in 3-point shooting at 43.4% from deep and he averaged 20.3 points per game. The Nets should have trouble figuring out how to contain Harden and Maxey while also keeping a close eye on Joel Embiid in the paint.  

Sixers‘ Bench and Doc Rivers

Obviously, fans will be keeping a close eye on how Doc Rivers manages rotations. Georges Niang needs to be hitting shots from beyond the arc but has a history of either being on fire or ice cold. Outside of Niang, Paul Reed, Jaden McDaniels, and Shake Milton need to simply just not play sloppy and provide some rest time for the starting lineup, and the Sixers should be just fine against the Nets. 

Prediction: Gentleman’s Sweep Incoming. Sixers in 5.