Brooklyn @ Philadelphia preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 15, 2019 ) Philadelphia 89, Brooklyn 109

The Philadelphia 76ers seek some more love at home when they open up a two-game stay at the Wells Fargo Center against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday. The 76ers are 3-6 over their last nine games, with all six losses coming on the road and all three wins at home, where they are 18-2.

The latest road setback was a 101-95 loss at Indiana on Monday, which also dropped Philadelphia to 4-6 this season without star center Joel Embiid, who will be out several more weeks following surgery on his left ring finger. "We're still figuring some stuff out, like what's life like without Joel," coach Brett Brown told reporters Monday. "We miss him terribly but when we do absorb him back into the mix, I hope we have some momentum built up." The Nets rebounded from a recent seven-game losing streak with back-to-back wins before falling 118-107 to Utah at home Tuesday night. Kyrie Irving had 32 points and 11 assists in his second game back from a shoulder injury for Brooklyn.

TIME: 7 p.m. ET. TV: ESPN, YES (Brooklyn), NBCS Philadelphia

ABOUT THE NETS (18-21): Irving, who made 12-of-19 shots in Tuesday's loss, indicated he plans to play at Philadelphia in the second half of the back-to-back. He had two of Brooklyn's four steals in the contest, part of a defensive effort that was lacking against the surging Jazz. "We never found a solution to stop them," coach Kenny Atkinson told reporters after his team let the Jazz shoot 50 percent from the floor and forced only nine turnovers.

ABOUT THE 76ERS (25-16): Ben Simmons is doing his best to fill in some gaps with Embiid out and had 24 points on 10-of-17 shooting with 14 rebounds in Monday's loss. However, he offers very little in the perimeter game and his teammates have been off the mark in that department, hitting 15-of-70 3-pointers during the recent 0-2 road trip. "We just have to make more open looks," forward Tobias Harris told reporters. "I think, all around, we haven't shot it well from 3 so we've got to stick with it. At the same time, we've make more of the shots we're getting."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. 76ers SG Josh Richardson is averaging 22.8 points over his last four games.

2. Nets C Jarrett Allen tied a season low with two rebounds in 25 minutes in the loss to Utah.

3. Philadelphia had its lowest-scoring effort of the season in a 109-89 loss at Brooklyn on Dec. 15.

PREDICTION: 76ers 113, Nets 103