Brooklyn @ Philadelphia preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 20, 2020 ) Philadelphia 117, Brooklyn 111

Brooklyn standout guard Kyrie Irving aggravated his shoulder injury and will be out of action when the Nets visit the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday. Irving will have the ailing right shoulder examined in a visit with a specialist later this week, which likely will provide a timetable in terms of how long he will be sidelined.

Irving missed 26 games earlier this season due to the shoulder injury and there is concern the ailment could be season-ending, though Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson wasn't ready to consider that possibility. "The shoulder is a tough thing," Atkinson told reporters. "I just think it was an on and off thing where it's bothering you. Some days you feel good, some days you don't feel good. But I think it got to the point it was, 'Hey let's see another specialist.'" The 76ers won their final three games prior to the All-Star break and are a stellar 25-2 at home. Still, Philadelphia is viewed as bit of a disappointment to be sitting in fifth place in the Eastern Conference.

TIME: 8 p.m. ET. TV: TNT, Sportsnet One

ABOUT THE NETS (25-28): Brooklyn won seven of its last 10 games prior to the All-Star break and sits in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, five games clear of the ninth-place Washington Wizards in the battle to claim one of the eight playoff spots. "After All-Star break, every team picks it up a little bit because they know it's the home stretch of the season and guys are fighting for playoff spots, guys are fighting for placement, homecourt advantage, whatever it may be," Nets center DeAndre Jordan told reporters. "So we know how serious that is and we just have to be able to pick our intensity up and hopefully surpass other teams too." Standout guard Spencer Dinwiddie will be called upon to pick up the scoring slack with Irving out and he scored at least 20 points in six of the past nine games.

ABOUT THE 76ERS (34-21): Philadelphia is hoping to kick things up a notch over the final third of the season and point guard Ben Simmons is looking to see more cohesiveness. "We just got to be sharp with what we are doing defensively and offensively," Simmons told reporters. "Everyone has to buy in and play their role." Simmons, a two-time All-Star, was playing well before the break by averaging 22.3 points, 10 assists and 8.7 rebounds during the three-game winning streak.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The 76ers are 2-1 against the Nets this season, including a 117-106 home win on Jan. 15.

2. Philadelphia All-Star C Joel Embiid averaged 27 points and 10.5 rebounds over the past two games.

3. Brooklyn SG Caris LeVert averaged 24 points over the past five games.

PREDICTION: 76ers 109, Nets 103