The Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers enter Saturday’s matchup dealing with extensive injury concerns as the teams prepare to meet at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Tipoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET on March 14.
Philadelphia faces the more significant availability issues, with several core rotation players ruled out. Joel Embiid will miss the game due to a right oblique strain, while Tyrese Maxey remains sidelined with a right finger tendon strain.
Maxey’s absence removes the 76ers’ primary offensive engine. The guard leads the team with 29.0 points and 6.7 assists per game while playing a team-high 38.3 minutes.
Paul George is also unavailable due to a league suspension. The veteran wing averages 16.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists across 27 appearances this season.
Kelly Oubre Jr. is out with a left elbow sprain. Oubre has been another consistent scoring option for Philadelphia, averaging 14.7 points and 4.9 rebounds.
The 76ers’ frontcourt depth is also affected. Andre Drummond will miss the contest with back spasms after averaging 8.4 rebounds per game in limited minutes.
Johni Broome remains out following right knee surgery, while Jabari Walker is unavailable due to illness. Adem Bona is listed as questionable with back soreness.
With multiple starters sidelined, players such as VJ Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes are expected to shoulder larger offensive roles. Edgecombe averages 15.3 points and 5.5 rebounds, while Grimes contributes 13.0 points and 3.4 assists.
Brooklyn also enters the game with several players unavailable, though the injury list is shorter than Philadelphia’s. Starting center Nic Claxton is out for rest after appearing in 60 games this season.
Claxton averages 12.0 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists while shooting 57.6 percent from the field. His absence removes Brooklyn’s primary rim protector and pick-and-roll finisher.
Leading scorer Michael Porter Jr. will remain sidelined with a right ankle sprain. Porter has produced 24.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game in 52 appearances, providing the Nets’ most consistent perimeter scoring.
Day’Ron Sharpe is also unavailable due to a left thumb UCL tear, eliminating another key rebounder who averages 6.7 boards per game.
Rookie Egor Demin continues to sit out while managing a left plantar fascia injury. Demin has averaged 10.3 points and 3.3 assists in 52 games.
Drake Powell is out for injury management related to his left knee. Ochai Agbaji is listed as probable despite left ankle soreness.
Brooklyn enters the contest on a two-game losing streak after falling 108-97 to the Atlanta Hawks on March 12. Philadelphia also lost its most recent game, dropping a 131-109 loss to the Detroit Pistons.
The teams have met three times this season. Philadelphia won the first two matchups in Brooklyn, while the Nets secured a 114-106 victory in the most recent meeting on December 23 in Philadelphia.
Saturday’s game features two teams in different positions in the Eastern Conference standings. The 76ers sit ninth at 35-31 and remain in the play-in race, while Brooklyn is 17-49 and has already been eliminated from postseason contention.
