76ers Fans Hype Embiid, Harden, Historic 3-Point Shooting as PHI Beats Bridges, Nets
The Philadelphia 76ers made team history in their 121-101 win over the Brooklyn Nets in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series Saturday.
With 21 three-pointers made, the Sixers broke the previous franchise record of 18 successful trifectas in a playoff game.
The mark was set early in the fourth quarter when Georges Niang knocked down a triple to extend the Philly lead to 15:
Eight Sixers players made at least one three-pointer, but no one was more dominant from long range than James Harden, who led the team with seven triples and finished with 23 points.
Harden, who also dished out 13 assists, contributed arguably the top highlight of the game when he faked out Spencer Dinwiddie and knocked down an open trey:
Fair or not, Harden has often been criticized over the years for coming up short in the playoffs, but he received a ton of praise for his performance on social media Saturday:
While Harden made a massive impact on the game, NBA MVP candidate Joel Embiid was a big-time difference-maker as well.
Embiid led the 76ers with 26 points on 7-of-15 shooting, plus five rebounds and three assists, but it was his defense that received the most compliments.
The two-time NBA scoring champion had two blocks in Saturday's win, and they were emphatic rejections that undoubtedly got the fans at Wells Fargo Center out of their seats:
Embiid's scoring prowess is often discussed, but much of the hype on Twitter was focused on the manner in which he patrolled the paint against Brooklyn:
Brooklyn's Mikal Bridges led all scorers with 30 points in a fine effort, but the Nets were outgunned, as they didn't have another player reach the 20-point mark.
Embiid, Harden and Tobias Harris all scored at least 20 points for the 76ers, while Tyrese Maxey and Paul Reed were in double figures as well.
The Nets had championship aspirations entering the season with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving leading the way, but after the team traded both of them, simply making the playoffs was a major accomplishment.
Philly will look to take firm control of the series Monday night when it hosts the Nets in Game 2.
