The shock was awaited by all Philly, ready to do battle against the Nets and to show that the Sixers had come out of the last trade between the two teams. It has not happened ! Authors of an exceptional start, the Nets, even without Ben Simmons, flew over the game with a whole collective in tune with the Irving-Durant pair.
The meeting started with a bang, launched by a huge tomar from Kevin Durant after overflowing Tobias Harris. The other “stars” of the meeting were quick to distinguish themselves in turn, between Joel Embiid, even mistreated at the start by Andre Drummond, the 3-pointer from Kyrie Irving and the response from James Harden (11-16) .
The Nets confirmed their good start following outside missiles from Kyrie Irving and Seth Curry, the latter forcing a time-out from Doc Rivers after a lay-up making it 15-26.
Joel Embiid got down to closing the gap by causing Andre Drummond’s second then third foul on a 2+1 giving him his 11th free throw of the match (21-26). Kevin Durant took things in hand by slamming a 3-pointer, and Joel Embiid answered him in stride by provoking a 2+1 and the anger of KD, generating a little trashtalk on both sides.
The Nets star had something to talk about since Brooklyn still turned to +17 after 12 minutes following a dunk from James Johnson and a 3-pointer at the last second signed Kyrie Irving (23-40)!
The room empties at the start of the 4th quarter…
On the lookout for the slightest opportunity to ignite, Sixers fans exulted on Tobias Harris’ 3-pointer at the possession buzzer. A very small highlight as Brooklyn mastered the debates while James Harden continued to find his rhythm in attack (1/11 in shooting to start) and while Kevin Durant signed his return to play with a new basket behind the arc ( 34-50).
Kevin Durant even paid Joel Embiid on a 2+1 in transition, helping to maintain a more than comfortable gap at the break, with the arrows of Seth Curry, Kyrie Irving and Goran Dragic, the latter causing the third foul in the process personal Cameroonian just before the break (51-72).
Unfortunately for the suspense, the Sixers failed to reverse the trend as the locker room returned, with a frozen offensive game, contrasting with that of the Nets who increased the gap thanks to 3-pointers from KD and Seth Curry, l another “returning”, twice (65-90). Bruce Brown’s dunk followed by Seth Curry’s lay-up then the alley-oop concluded by Andre Drummond were accompanied by the first whistles down from the Wells Fargo Center (67-98).
Relegated to -32 with 12 minutes remaining (70-102), the Sixers suffered until the end and the fans started to leave the Wells Fargo Center with 8 minutes remaining after another 3-pointer from the Nets, signed James Johnson (79-114). The latter stirred the knife to the end, allowing Brooklyn to win 129 to 100.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– The demonstration of the Nets. Expected firmly in the City of Brotherly Love, Brooklyn killed the game with his dream start and his 40 points planted in the first quarter. What to launch perfectly and maintain the pressure until Philly crack for good, as was again the case in a one-sided third quarter (30-19). Even if it’s just a match like the others, as Georges Niang had slipped before the meeting, the Sixers took a good spanking!
– Block Party. After counting up to 36 points in advance, the Nets still emerged from the meeting reinforced on a few points such as the defense which held firm with in particular 15 blocks (a record this season) as well as the transition game with 28 points scored after the Sixers’ ball losses (a record too).
– A record, and then nothing. James Harden had started hostilities by slamming a first 3-pointer, putting him ahead of Reggie Miller (present for the occasion), in 3rd place among the most productive 3-point shooters in league history. But “The Beard” failed to follow up, starting at 1/11 in shooting and at the same time sinking the increasingly slim hopes of the Sixers over the course of the meeting. The back recorded his first defeat there with Philly.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ The Irving-Durant duo. The two Nets stars delivered a high-level performance to get Brooklyn out of the trap that awaited it in Philadelphia. Kyrie Irving (22 points, 5 assists) surfed on his last outing to 50 points and Kevin Durant (25 points, 14 rebounds, 7 assists) never let himself be distracted by his duel against Joel Embiid. The Cameroonian struck first, but KD didn’t look down and ended up returning the favor with a 2+1. After such a start, the match was almost folded at the break.
✅ Seth Curry. Like Andre Drummond, he too had scores to settle after being involved in the deal between James Harden and Ben Simmons. For his return to the Philly floor, Seth Curry was a lethal weapon throughout the game, a powerful X factor with his 24 points at 10/14 shooting and his 5 interceptions.
⛔ Joel Embid. If James Harden was clearly not up to the event, Joel Embiid also missed his match since apart from his first quarter, he did not really weigh on the debates. His ubiquity in the Sixers’ offensive game had more of a counterproductive effect than anything else. Very far from his standards with his pitiful 5/17 shooting for 27 points, 12 rebounds and 2 assists.
THE FOLLOWING
Philadelphia (34-33): the Sixers continue in Orlando this Sunday.
Brooklyn (40-25): place in the New York derby for the Nets, this Sunday at home.
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