Nothin' But Nets
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Brooklyn Nets Versus Philadelphia 76ers Preview

By Anthony Parisi

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The Brooklyn Nets(16-19) welcome the tanking Philadelphia 76ers(5-29) to Barclays Center in a match-up between two teams who are both in the Atlantic Division. The Nets are in a battle for playoff positioning  and currently rank as the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference. The 76ers are in an intense battle for positioning themselves, only their battle isn’t for playoff positioning. The 76ers are in full tank mode this season and appeared to have the number one worst record in the NBA secured, but the horrid New York Knicks have been even worse than Philly and have taken over sole possession for the worst record in the NBA at the moment. The Nets and 76ers have faced off twice this season and Brooklyn won both meetings.

Key Matchup: Jarrett Jack Versus Michael Carter Williams 

Dec 12, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Michael Carter-Williams (1) drives around Brooklyn Nets guard Jarrett Jack (0) during the second quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

The Nets will be without Deron Williams for an undisclosed amount of time as it was revealed on Thursday that Williams has a fractured rib. That will require Jarrett Jack to carry a hefty load for Brooklyn and Jack will need to play his best basketball while Brooklyn is without D-Will. Jack’s counterpart against the 76ers will be sophomore Michael Carter-Williams. Carter-Williams is putting up solid numbers in what’s looked at too many as a lost season for the 76ers. MCW is averaging 14.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game this season for Philadelphia.

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Jack wasn’t expected to start this season but here he is as a staple in the starting lineup and Jack has been a huge contributor for Brooklyn all season. There is no word on when Williams will be back so Jack is going to have to play a lofty amount of minutes for the time being. Carter-Williams is one of the few well known names on the 76ers roster, so if Brooklyn can hold him in check, they should have no problem handling Philadelphia.

Prediction: Brooklyn Nets 105 Philadelphia 76ers 87

The Nets are on a three game winning streak and they are coming off of a loss in which they played down to their level of competition and fell to the Boston Celtics at home. The Nets tend to play their best basketball at Barclays Center and I cannot envision a scenario in which Brooklyn loses two consecutive home games to below average opponents. The Nets will take care of business against a bad team and will end their losing streak.

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