NBA Playoffs: 76ers vs. Brooklyn Nets First-Round Schedule
With the Philadelphia 76ers clinching the third seed in the Eastern Conference, they had to wait a bit to find out who would become the third seed ahead of their run in the 2023 NBA Playoffs. For a little, the battle was between the Miami Heat and the Brooklyn Nets. Eventually, the latter team clinched the spot, leaving the Heat to battle for their seat in the NBA Play-In Tournament.
On Saturday, the Sixers and the Nets will battle for Game 1 of the first-round series. Being that the Sixers are in the higher seed, they possess a home-court advantage. The two teams will meet for Games 1 and 2 at the Wells Fargo Center in South Philly.
The third and fourth games of the series will head to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. If a Game 5 is needed, the Sixers and the Nets will return to the Wells Fargo Center. If one of the teams forces a Game 6, it will take place in Brooklyn. The Sixers will get a home-court advantage if a Game 7 is needed to settle the series.
Here’s a look at the full schedule, which the NBA announced on Wednesday:
76ers vs. Nets First-Round Schedule Dates & Times
- Game 1: Saturday, April 15, 2023, at 1:00 PM
- Game 2: Monday, April 17, 2023, at 7:30 PM
- Game 3: Thursday, April 20, 2023, at 7:30 PM
- Game 4: Saturday, April 22, 2023, at 1:00 PM
- Game 5: Monday, April 24, 2023, TBD
- Game 6: Thursday, April 27, 2023, TBD
- Game 7: Saturday, April 29, 2023, TBD
Series Breakdown
The Sixers and the Nets met four times this season, as usual. During the first outing in late November, the Sixers missed a few key players as Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and James Harden were recovering from injuries.
Although the Nets had a fully healthy squad with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant on the floor, the Sixers pulled off the upset win, taking Brooklyn down 115-106. Embiid, Harden, and Maxey would return to the Sixers’ lineup a couple of months later for a matchup against a Kevin Durant-less Nets team.
Once again, the Sixers found success in a high-scoring offensive matchup, which resulted in a 137-133 win for the Sixers. That late January matchup marked the final time the Sixers would face a Nets team with Irving and Durant on the roster.
In an early February matchup, the new-look Nets debuted their newest additions, including Spencer Dinwiddie and Mikal Bridges. In a much tighter matchup than the first two games, the Sixers squeezed out a 101-98 win.
Then during the final outing between the Sixers and the Nets last weekend, both teams rested their core players. With a playoff series guaranteed for both squads, preserving health and a playoff gameplan was the right choice for both sides.
While the Sixers finished the regular season with a sweep over the Nets, the slate is wiped clean this week as the two teams will start with 0-0 records for the playoffs.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
