NBA Playoffs: 76ers vs. Brooklyn Nets First-Round Schedule

For the first round of the NBA Playoffs, the Philadelphia 76ers will take on the Brooklyn Nets. Here's a look at the schedule.
NBA Playoffs: 76ers vs. Brooklyn Nets First-Round Schedule
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_.


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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  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 Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA