The Brooklyn Nets are likely in the ‘City of Brotherly Love’, preparing for their Saturday afternoon affair with the Philadelphia 76ers. The Nets, who have been officially eliminated from the NBA playoffs, will look to tie their season series with the depleted 76ers. The Nets will also be shorthanded with at least four players sidelined.

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Brooklyn (17-49) enters tomorrow’s contest having lost 11 of its last 13, including two straight. The Nets fell to the Atlanta Hawks 108- 97 on Thursday night, ending any chance of them playing more than 82 games. That was not their goal anyway. With the loss to the Hawks, the Nets fell to 16.5 games behind the 10th-place Charlotte Hornets with 16 games remaining. They join the Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers, and Sacramento Kings as teams currently eliminated.

Brooklyn won’t have Egor Demin and Day’Ron Sharpe, who have both been ruled out for the season. Nic Claxton (rest) and Drake Powell (left knee management) are also sitting out the Sixers game, per ClutchPoints Erik Slater. Slated added that Michael Porter Jr. (Right Ankle Sprain) is doubtful and Ochai Agbaji (Left Ankle Soreness) is probable. 

“Nic Claxton (Rest) and Drake Powell (Left Knee Injury Management) are OUT for the Nets tomorrow at Philadelphia, Slater tweeted. “Michael Porter Jr. (Right Ankle Sprain) is doubtful. Ochai Agbaji (Left Ankle Soreness) is probable.”

With five players, including Porter Jr., sitting out for the Nets, Brooklyn has 12 available players. The Nets had an open spot heading into the day, but according to Michael Sotto of HoopsHype, Malachi Smith will fill that hole. Sotto said that Smith and the Nets have agreed to a 10-day deal.

“The Brooklyn Nets and Malachi Smith have agreed to a 10-day deal, league sources told @hoopshype,” Sotto tweeted.

Smith’s deal is not completed. But if it becomes official on Saturday, he will be eligible to appear in six games during this short tryout.  After the Sixers game, the Nets host Portland, OKC, and New York. They then hit the road for back-to-back affairs in Sacramento and Portland on March 22 and 23.

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