Nets Quick To Dismiss Idea Of Rivalry With Sixers
The term rivalry has been loosely thrown around the league. In the words of injured superstar Kevin Durant, rivalries in the NBA today are not really a thing. It's more of a social media battle between fanbases.
"No. I mean, there's juice for every game. I've been saying, rivalries in the NBA are not really a thing, in my opinion," Durant said. "So it's going to be a battle amongst each fan base on social media, but as far as the players, it's another game on the schedule, and each team is trying to get better and improve."
Enter the two NBA teams that are only separated by the New Jersey Turnpike: The Brooklyn Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers. The two Eastern Conference contenders have been labeled as rivals but the Nets were quick to dismiss that narrative.
"I don’t know if I’d classify it as a rivalry," head coach Jacque Vaughn stated. "I think the Philly fans are very into the game, and that makes it a fun atmosphere to be around and you really have to hone in as a group and stay together as a group, so I’d probably like to lean into that more than anything."
When Brooklyn travels down the New Jersey Turnpike to face off against Philadelphia on Wednesday night, both teams will run into former friends in Sixers guard James Harden and Nets point forward Ben Simmons. At least for the Nets, squaring off against their former superstar guard doesn't add anything extra.
"I think more than anything it’s Philly is a game or game and a half above us in the standings, and I think that makes it important," Vaughn said. "You’re playing an Eastern Conference team and you don’t know what the results are gonna be at the end of the year. I think at the end of the day, that’s the most important thing."
Of course, the two teams haven't played in a game that featured all of their stars since the blockbuster NBA trade deadline transaction last February. The contests have missed at least one superstar on each team since.
Both of the Sixers stars, Joel Embiid and Harden missed their previous matchup. The Nets forward Kevin Durant will not be playing this time around, and Simmons missed last season's final regular season matchup due to his lower back.
In their last meeting down at Wells Fargo Center, the Nets knew what to expect. In fact, Vaughn joked that it would be an 'earmuff' night. That, of course, was due to former Sixer cornerstone Simmons making his playing return. He was booed heavily throughout the contest, but Simmons said postgame that he expected the atmosphere to be louder.
This time around, don't expect any different response from the rowdy yet passionate Sixers fanbase in attendance.
The Sixers have listed Embiid (left foot soreness) as questionable ahead of their Wednesday night meeting with the Nets. Meanwhile, Durant will not be joining the Nets in Philadelphia. He will remain in Brooklyn focusing on his right knee rehab.
"No. I just think it's better for me to stay here with all the equipment we got here," Durant said. "I've been in a nice routine the past couple of weeks, so I don't want to break that just for a day. The guys understand I'll be back with them soon. Even if I'm not playing, I think in a couple of weeks I'll be good enough to move around. But for now, I want to stay close to the facility with all of the equipment we have."
