2 min read • December 30, 2021
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When the Nets face the 76ers on Thursday looking for their 3rd win in a row, they should have their full complement of rotation players available for the 1st time in weeks. Kevin Durant, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Cam Thomas, the last of Brooklyn's health and safety protocol holdouts, cleared those protocols on Tuesday, joining James Harden, Blake Griffin, Nic Claxton, Bruce Brown, and Patty Mills, who are coming off of impressive wins over the Lakers and Clippers.
(Kyrie Irving cleared protocols as well, although Steve Nash said he will need a week or 2 of practice before he is ready to return).
The 76ers, meanwhile, are awaiting the returns of Danny Green and Shake Milton, although both are within the timeline to be available for the contest. Milton is listed as questionable for the game, and would be a needed 2nd-unit scorer to combat the Nets’ offensive onslaught, while Green would be a welcome addition to Philadelphia’s defensive rotation.
It appears the 3-game postponement imposed by the NBA did 23-9 Brooklyn well, as it was not only able to get its starts back with minimal games missed, but the Nets also avoided excess losses and are standing pat at the No. 1 seed in the East. The Nets will still be without Joe Harris, who is out indefinitely after undergoing left ankle surgery in late November, but have scrambled together his production from Mills and DeAndre’ Bembry, who are each shooting over 40% from 3.
Philadelphia is 18-16 on the season and 11-8 on the road, both straight up and against the spread.
The Nets, meanwhile, are only 5-11 ATS at home this season.
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