ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith was not thrilled about the Brooklyn Nets sitting their stars against a pivotal game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
NBA fans were looking forward to a pivotal Eastern Conference matchup on Wednesday between the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers. This is the third and final time the two squads will face off in the regular-season, with the winner holding the tiebreaker for playoff seeding if necessary. The problem is that the majority of the Nets’ starters will not be playing on Wednesday.
The team announced hours prior to the big game that Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge are all inactive for Brooklyn. Hoops fans were bummed to hear this news, as well as ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith, who called the update “BS.”
Nets: Stephen A. Smith blasts Brooklyn stars for sitting out of 76ers game
To start things off, guard James Harden remains out due to a strained right hamstring. Aldridge will not be active for the 76ers game because he is dealing with a non-COVID illness. As for Griffin, he is sitting out as he manages a knee ailment.
Durant is not playing because he played on Tuesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Nets fans had the feeling Durant would not suit up for the team on Wednesday evening, as he continued to play deep in a blowout against the last-place Timberwolves. In that contest, Durant dropped 31-points (11-for-15 on field goals, five-for-six on free throws), four rebounds and four assists in 27 minutes of playing time.
If there is one bright spot for the Nets, it is that guard Kyrie Irving is available to play against the 76ers. He has not played since this past Saturday’s 126-101 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he was notably ejected alongside Dennis Schroder. From the sounds of it, he will have to face the likes of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris alone.
Many share the sentiments of Smith, who was looking forward to the battle of the Eastern Conference juggernauts. Instead, it looks to be the makings of a throwaway game for the Nets.