PHILADELPHIA – Two teams with championship aspirations clashed when the Philadelphia 76ers hosted the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night. The encounter, a possible preview of the Eastern Conference finals, was the second of the season between the teams, as the Nets defeated Philadelphia once in January. Early in the evening, the Sixers were at the top of the East with a record of 16-7, while the Nets were in third position with a record of 14-10. Both teams were looking for a recovery of victory, since each came from a defeat. Philadelphia fell to the Portland Trail Blazers at home on Thursday night, while the Nets lost the game against the Toronto Raptors in Brooklyn on Friday.
The Nets were understaffed in Philadelphia, as they were without Kyrie Irving (sprained right index finger) and Kevin Durant (health and safety protocols). Without their two stars, the Nets were unable to keep pace with the Sixers and Philadelphia won a 124-108 victory. Joel Embiid led the way to Philadelphia with 33 points and nine rebounds, while Tobias Harris added 21 points and 12 rebounds. James Harden led the Nets with 26 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. It’s hard to get much out of this game, as the Nets didn’t have two of its main contributors, but even so, here are three conclusions from Philadelphia’s victory over Brooklyn.
Nets had no answer for Embiid and the Sixers
One of the things the Nets had to sacrifice in order to get James Harden earlier this season was the depth of the interior, as pivot Jarrett Allen was sent as part of the deal that took Harden to Brooklyn. Allen’s departure left a void in the Brooklyn attack court, as he left De’Andre Jordan as the only useful center. Against some teams, the Nets can escape because it is so small, but not against a team with a big, dominant man like Embiid. Brooklyn has since added Norvel Pelle to bolster its bank, but that move alone is clearly not enough, as Embiid conquered the big guys from Brooklyn on Saturday night. The Philadelphia MVP candidate scored 17 points and five rebounds in the first half of the action, and ended the game with 33 and nine.
Philadelphia’s advantage over most teams is that Embiid creates an incompatibility that works in your favor, and that was certainly the case against the Nets. It wasn’t just Embiid either. The Sixers as a whole took advantage of Brooklyn’s lack of size inside and ended up with 62 points in the painting – compared to just 32 for Brooklyn. The Sixers also beat Brooklyn on the boards, 51-34. His ability to dominate the countryside was a big reason the Sixers won a victory on Saturday.
76ers remain undefeated with their full five initials
Like all teams across the league scene this season, the Sixers have dealt with their fair share of ill health and injuries, and some players have lost games as a result. However, when they have their top five – comprised of Embiid, Simmons, Curry, Green and Harris – Philadelphia is undefeated for the season. They entered Saturday night 12-0 with their full set of starters, and with the win over Brooklyn they switched to 13-0. Now, this obviously doesn’t mean that the Sixers are unbeatable, or that they won’t lose a game with their starting group, but it certainly is a solid sign for a team looking to build solid chemistry and pace for what they hope be a deep playoff push.
Ben Simmons’ defense at James Harden was a game changer
The Nets kept the dispute fierce during the first half and in the third quarter. They managed to keep him around thanks in large part to James Harden, who seemed to be on his way to a great performance. The Sixers used Danny Green primarily to protect Harden during the first half and the second half. However, in the middle of the third quarter, Doc Rivers made a switch and placed Ben Simmons in Harden. Philadelphia then immediately started going for a 14-0 run and the game exploded. They never looked back after that. There were plays like this one from Simmons that helped propel the Sixers to victory:
Harden had 24 points in the game when the switch to putting Simmons on him was made. He finished the game with 26 points. After the game, Rivers said he thought the move to put Simmons in Harden was the main turning point in the competition. Rivers also explained that he hoped to put Simmons in Harden until the second half because he wanted to conserve his energy and personal faults. Simmons built a good case to be the league’s Defensive Player of the Year this season, and Saturday night was another feather in his cap.