Nets Top Joel Embiid, 76ers 122-109 with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving Sidelined
There was no Kevin Durant. There was no Kyrie Irving.
But there was Joe Harris, and his 28 points were enough to give the Brooklyn Nets a 122-109 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday at Barclays Center.
For a tired 76ers squad on the second night of a back-to-back, Shake Milton was the leader with 24 points. But with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons stifled, their five-game winning streak was snapped and they fell to 7-2.
Notable Performers
- Joe Harris, SF, Nets: 28 PTS (11-19 FG, 6-9 3PT), 6 REB, 4 AST
- Caris LeVert, PG, Nets: 22 PTS (9-25 FG, 0-5 3PT), 10 AST, 7 REB
- Tobias Harris, PF, 76ers: 17 PTS (7-16 FG, 1-4 3PT), 8 REB, 4 AST
- Shake Milton, SG, 76ers: 24 PTS (8-13 FG, 1-4 3PT), 7 AST
Nets Manage Without Their Stars
The Nets were able to game-plan for the loss of Kevin Durant, who is in the midst of a seven-day quarantine as a result of being exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19.
It hasn't been easy to fill the hole at forward, considering Durant is averaging 28.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists in six games, but veteran Jeff Green got some reps when he made his first start of the season Tuesday against the Utah Jazz, splitting time with Taurean Prince in place of Durant.
Two hours before tipoff Thursday, they were dealt another blow when it was revealed that Kyrie Irving would miss the game for personal reasons. As a result, the Nets also had to make up for their second-most productive scorer (27.1 points).
After a close first quarter, the Nets exploded for a 37-point second to take a 14-point lead at the half. Caris LeVert led with 18 points and five assists, while Joe Harris added 15 points off the bench to lead a Nets team in need of a playmaker.
Perhaps because they were without their dominant scorers, the Nets were also strong on defense. In the first half, they limited Philadelphia to 39.6 percent shooting while holding Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons to 14 total points. They shot a combined 4-of-15 in the first half and ended the night 11-of-27 from the floor.
Tired Sixers Run Into Trouble
Joel Embiid saved the Sixers from a loss to the 2-6 Washington Wizards on Wednesday night, scoring a season-high 38 points while shooting a perfect 13-of-13 at the line. He sank two free throws and a three-pointer when the team needed it most, putting the Sixers up eight with less than two minutes to play.
"They pay me to take over the game, and they pay me to dominate," Embiid told reporters after the game. "The situation was where these guys have a lot of trust in me. So that's my job. So I just did my job."
Embiid did his job Wednesday, but his heroic effort the night before during which he played a season-high 37 minutes may have played a role in slowing him down against the Nets (though teammate Ben Simmons praised his improved conditioning earlier this week).
The star was limited to 20 points as the rest of the Sixers' regular starters were also kept in check.
The Sixers also struggled the last time they played two consecutive games this season. After handily defeating the Knicks 109-89 on Dec. 26, they were easily handled by the Cleveland Cavaliers 118-94 the next day.
If Philadelphia wants to be in it for the long haul, it'll need to find a way to overcome the exhaustion, especially against teams like a 4-4 Brooklyn squad that was missing at least one future Hall of Famer.
What's Next?
The 76ers have a day off before hosting the 3-4 Denver Nuggets on Saturday, while the Nets will head to Memphis to face the 2-6 Grizzlies on Friday.
