GRADES: Brooklyn Nets 109, Philadelphia 76ers 89
The Philadelphia 76ers lost big to a shorthanded Nets team.
Despite the absence of Kyrie Irving, Caris LeVert, and Kevin Durant, the Brooklyn Nets were spry and effective on the second night of a back-to-back. The Philadelphia 76ers, on the road without Joel Embiid, didn’t fit the same description.
The Nets jumped out early and controlled most of the game. Spencer Dinwiddie had his way, slicing the Sixers’ gutted defense to the tune of 24 points. Joe Harris (16), Garrett Temple (13), and DeAndre Jordan (13) also scored in double figures for Brooklyn.
Former Sixer Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot had an impressive showing for the Nets. He posted eight points in 22 minutes, with a few aggressive takes and acrobatic finishes that never quite manifested in his Philadelphia days.
The Sixers got an early spark from Tobias Harris and a relatively strong game from Ben Simmons on the offensive end. The positives ended there, however, as the defense crumbled and the supporting cast bottomed out in Embiid’s absence.
Josh Richardson and Al Horford needed 15 shots a piece to get 11 and 10 points, respectively. Both dealt with obvious rust, but it became abundantly clear Horford shouldn’t have played to begin with. On the heels of a two-game absence due to knee and hamstring pain, Horford looked a step slow on defense, which played a large role in Brooklyn’s effortless forays to the basket.
The Sixers had a reason to rush Horford into the starting five — Embiid was out. Given Philadelphia’s long-term aspirations, however, it’s probably better to proceed with added caution and bite the bullet. Let Kyle O’Quinn and Norvel Pelle run the frontcourt for one night.
<strong>27 mins | 10 pts | 9 reb | 5 ast | 1 stl | 3 blk | 1 TO | 5-15 FG | 0-6 3PT| 0-0 FT | 3 PF | -13 |</strong><p>At first glance, the common reaction to Horford’s stat line is probably indifference. He only scored 10 points, but Horford’s value has never been rooted in points. He dished out five dimes, tallied three blocks, and only committed one turnover. But things weren’t so peachy for Horford. His feet were in cement all night, his shots weren’t falling, and Embiid’s absence was felt more than it has been all season.</p>. C. Philadelphia 76ers. AL HORFORD. D
<strong>28 mins | 20 pts | 5 reb | 3 ast | 1 stl | 2 blk | 1 TO | 7-10 FG | 0-0 3PT| 6-8 FT | 3 PF | -11 |</strong><p>Simmons was efficient and effective on offense, with 20 points on 10 shots and a solid 6-for-8 showing at the charity stripe. His defense wasn’t up to par, however, as Philadelphia’s scheme crumbled without Embiid (not to mention Horford’s slow-footedness).</p>. PG. Philadelphia 76ers. BEN SIMMONS. B-
TOBIAS HARRIS. C+. <strong>32 mins | 17 pts | 6 reb | 3 ast | 0 stl | 2 blk | 4 TO | 8-17 FG | 0-3 3PT| 1-1 FT | 0 PF | -17 |</strong><p>A mixed bag for Harris, who started the game strong — he scored six of Philadelphia’s first eight points on 3-for-3 shooting. He ended on a more sour note, as did the Sixers. He had more turnovers than assists, and he failed to hit a three-point shot.</p>. SF. Philadelphia 76ers
D. <strong>24 mins | 11 pts | 4 reb | 0 ast | 1 stl | 0 blk | 3 TO | 5-15 FG | 0-4 3PT| 1-2 FT | 5 PF | -9 |</strong><p>Richardson finished in the 24-minute ballpark once more, and his performance was still littered with rust. He scored 11 points, but needed 15 shots and went 0-for-4 from deep. His defense was subpar, he didn’t pick up an assist, and he posted five fouls in his limited playing time.</p>. SG. Philadelphia 76ers. JOSH RICHARDSON
C+. <strong>20 mins | 2 pts | 4 reb | 0 ast | 0 stl | 2 blk | 2 TO | 1-1 FG | 0-0 3PT| 0-0 FT | 3 PF | -7 |</strong><p>Pelle spent 20 minutes on the floor in a blowout loss. He was not without his flaws, but Pelle managed to reject two shots, including a massive reverse-poster on the ill-fated DeAndre Jordan, who unsuccessfully attempted to send the rookie to the shadow realm. That alone earns a passing grade.</p>. C. Philadelphia 76ers. NORVEL PELLE
Philadelphia now drops to 20-8, a fraction of a percentage behind Miami and good for third place in the Eastern Conference. It was an ugly loss, one sure to inspire heated takes and irrational commentary. It’s important to remember the Sixers were previously on a five-game win streak.
Next. Rookie Report - Thybulle has major role again. dark
Next up for the Sixers is a home matchup with … Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat on Wednesday, a full-on battle for the (momentary) No. 2 seed.