Nets vs 76ers game 1 injury report: Will James Harden play?
Round One of the NBA playoffs gets going with the Brooklyn Nets vs the Philadelphia 76ers in the Wells Fargo Center. Let’s look at the injury update.
In one of the league’s biggest rivalries, the Nets and 76ers will square off in round one of the playoffs. The 76ers have been difficult to beat at home and will come into this game full of confidence, but the Nets will make life difficult for Philly.
The biggest name in the NBA is Joel Imbiid coming into the postseason and he is listed as questionable for Saturday’s game with calf trouble.
With Imbiid possibly out, there will be a ton of pressure on the 76ers backcourt, and that is hampered by the status of James Harden, who missed two games at the back end of the season with an Achilles injury. He will play but that soreness could be something to keep an eye on for Philly.
Harden averages 21 points and 10.7 assists per game, so if he is even a little off the pace, there will be some heavy lifting to do by Tyrese Maxey.
The Nets have struggled against the 76ers all season and have barely limped over the line into the playoffs, mainly due to injuries.
Royce O’Neal (knee), Cam Johnson (knee), Dorian Finney-Smith (wrist), and Seth Curry (ankle) are all going to be in the playoffs but with those nagging issues, any one of them could cause trouble for the Nets. Ben Simmons will miss the entire series with back trouble and that will be a big setback for Brooklyn.