PLAYER GRADES: Philadelphia 76ers 122, Brooklyn Nets 100
The Philadelphia 76ers closed out their first-round series with the Brooklyn Nets in convincing fashion.
After a chippy Game 4, the Philadelphia 76ers came out with conviction in Game 5. It resulted in a thorough spanking of the Brooklyn Nets, with the crowd exploding and the defense living up to its elite potential.
From the tip, things weren’t close. At all. The Sixers started the game on a 14-0 run, which would eventually be expanded to 23-2. Ben Simmons locked up D’Angelo Russell, Joel Embiid emphatically protected the paint and communication was a non-issue. It was beautiful.
The Sixers’ dominance continued in the second quarter, with the halftime lead reaching 29 points. Brooklyn scored 15 and 16 points in the first and second quarters, respectively. Outside a decent Caris LeVert stretch, not much was falling.
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It was the perfect end to the series for a Philadelphia team that will need momentum in the second round. The Nets put in serious effort to disrupt the Sixers on a mental level, but even Jared Dudley‘s most desperate efforts couldn’t sidetrack the Sixers’ superior talent.
Joel Embiid dropped 23 points and 13 rebounds in 20 minutes. The other starters were also solid, with nobody forced to carry an excessive burden. It was a balanced effort and shots were falling. It was a good night for fans.
Embiid was benched midway through the third quarter, affording the big man some extra rest. By the last few minutes of that frame, Ben Simmons checked out and completed the starters’ reign. It was essentially 24 minutes of garbage time after the break.
Brooklyn’s Game 1 victory was impressive and the Nets deserve credit for offering some resistance. It wasn’t the best matchup for Philadelphia and the Dudley fiasco added extra spice to a division rivalry.
The series ended on a bitter note, however, as Jonah Bolden and Rodions Kurucs got into a minor scuffle. It resulted in ejections for those two, as well as Greg Monroe and Dzanan Musa, with 1:50 remaining in the fourth quarter. The ramifications shouldn’t be worrisome moving into next series.
A. <strong>20 mins | 23 pts | 13 reb | 2 ast | 1 stl | 0 blk | 2 TO | 9-18 FG | 2-5 3PT| 3-3 FT | 2 PF | +26 |</strong><p>Embiid was listed as probable before making his inevitable on-court appearance, coasting to 23 points and 13 rebounds in just 20 minutes — yet another example of the big fella’s insane per-minute production. With the lead expanding beyond 20 in the first quarter and never subsiding, Embiid was able to get some rest. It was the ideal series of events for Philadelphia.</p>. C. Philadelphia 76ers. JOEL EMBIID
A. <strong>27 mins | 13 pts | 5 reb | 6 ast | 0 stl | 0 blk | 2 TO | 6-10 FG | 0-0 3PT| 1-3 FT | 0 PF | +34 |</strong><p>All five starters were benched at some point in the third quarter, with the game out of hand by halftime. Simmons played the longest, registering 27 minutes and propelling the Sixers’ balanced offensive attack. His numbers weren’t special, but he showed some nice moves at the rim, dropped a few impressive dimes and once again suffocated D’Angelo Russell on defense.</p>. PG. Philadelphia 76ers. BEN SIMMONS
J.J. REDICK. A. <strong>26 mins | 11 pts | 0 reb | 2 ast | 0 stl | 0 blk | 0 TO | 4-8 FG | 3-6 3PT| 0-0 FT | 1 PF | +33 |</strong><p>Redick did what he needed to do in limited minutes, inserting daggers into Brooklyn’s metaphorical chest on several occasions. He hit big shots, continued his underrated defensive series, and helped the Sixers put the Nets away.</p>. SG. Philadelphia 76ers
<strong>26 mins | 12 pts | 8 reb | 4 ast | 3 stl | 0 blk | 0 TO | 5-8 FG | 2-4 3PT| 0-0 FT | 0 PF | +31 |</strong><p>Harris was efficient en route to 12 points. He found his normal mid-range shots and mangled to hit a couple threes, extending a moderate hot streak that’s coming at the right time. He also nabbed three steals, contributing to the Sixers’ early defensive push.</p>. PF. Philadelphia 76ers. TOBIAS HARRIS. A
SF. Philadelphia 76ers. JAMES ENNIS III. A. <strong>20 mins | 11 pts | 3 reb | 3 ast | 1 stl | 0 blk | 1 TO | 5-8 FG | 1-3 3PT| 0-0 FT | 5 PF | -9 |</strong><p>Ennis was the Sixers’ most present bench piece, showcasing his hustle on defense and working hard for 11 points on offense. While not flawless, this wasn’t a game for nitpicking. I wouldn’t pay attention to the plus/minus, as most of those minutes and score fluctuations were inconsequential. It’s good to see Ennis making his mark heading into the Toronto series.</p>
In Toronto, the Sixers face possibly their worst on-paper matchup in the Eastern Conference. The Raptors are loaded with versatile defenders, athletic scorers and capable role players. It will be a challenge, both for the Sixers’ core pieces and Brett Brown.
Brown made several key adjustments in the Brooklyn series, essentially closing the door on the Nets after the surprising Game 1 upset. The Raptors are a new beast, and one Brown will need to gameplan spectacularly well for. Nick Nurse isn’t an elite coach, but the Raptors have a lot to work with.
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It should be a fun series. You can follow our friends over at Raptors Rapture for the opposing views. Also, shout out to our other friends at Nothin’ But Nets for a fun series.