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Are Nets More Motivated Facing James Harden? Vaughn Weighs In

With the Nets set to face their former star James Harden once again, Brooklyn head coach Jacque Vaughn makes it clear his team is focused on the bigger picture.
Justin Grasso|
Are Nets More Motivated Facing James Harden? Vaughn Weighs In
Are Nets More Motivated Facing James Harden? Vaughn Weighs In

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Philadelphia 76ersBrooklyn Nets

Wednesday night’s game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets marks the second matchup the Nets will face their former All-Star, James Harden. 

Last season, the Nets and the Sixers met just one time since the deadline blockbuster trade. In the early March matchup, Harden struggled in the 28 minutes he spent on the court, scoring just 11 points on 17 shots in the 29-point shorthanded loss. 

When the Sixers and the Nets met for the first time this season on November 22, Harden was in the midst of a month-long recovery due to a tendon strain. Although he missed the Sixers’ last matchup against the Sacramento Kings over the weekend, Harden’s cleared for action and on pace to face his former team for the second time since the trade.

Before Wednesday’s matchup, Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn was asked whether he sensed his team had some extra motivation facing Harden or not. The head coach made it clear that his team approached the matchup business as usual. 

“Not that I felt from our group at all,” Vaughn said when asked if there is any added fuel because of Harden. “I think we’re more excited to build on the last two wins that we had and approach today’s game as a game that we can try to win.” 

Going into Wednesday’s game, the Nets are on a two-game win streak. Meanwhile, the Sixers have won five in a row. While the storylines of Harden facing the Nets and Simmons facing the Sixers remain relevant between the two NBA fan bases, both teams are focused on the Eastern Conference playoff picture. 

As it currently stands, the Sixers are placed second and one game in front of the fourth-seeded Nets. No matter how the Atlantic Divisional matchup plays out on Wednesday, the Eastern Conference’s standings will have a different look on Thursday. 

The Sixers and the Nets will begin their battle at 7:30 PM.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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