Three observations from last night’s overtime thriller over the Nets
- Last night, the Philadelphia 76ers overcame a disastrous second quarter to defeat the Brooklyn Nets, 112-104, in a wild back and forth overtime battle at the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers (35-21), who were without their All-Star point guard Ben Simmons (back), had to rely heavily on Joel Embiid to carry them to a victory over the Nets (25-29). With the win, the Sixers extended their winning streak to four games and improved their home record to an NBA best 26-2.
Here are three observations I noticed from last night’s game:
Joel Embiid is the best center in the league
With Ben Simmons sidelined, Joel Embiid was asked to carry the load in the team’s first game back since the All-Star break.
And boy did he deliver.
JoJo single-handily put the team on his back, putting up a game-high 39 points, 16 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks, all while being a plus 24 when on the court. He was 18 of 19 from the free throw line with none bigger coming late in the fourth quarter when he hit four straight to send the game into overtime. From the sweet euro step on DeAndre Jordan to the remarkable rim protection late in the game, the Sixers needed every bit of Joel last night to secure the win.
Ben Simmons’ absence was felt
Ben Simmons was ruled out for the first time since November with lower back tightness and man was his presence missed. After going up 20-4 to start the game, it seemed as if the Sixers would roll through the Kyrie Irving-less Nets. But, just like how Brooklyn has always done against us, they slowly crept back into the game, ending the first quarter only down six.
Then, the second quarter started and all hell broke loose.
The Nets would go on a 28-4 run in the second quarter and a 44-10 run overall to close out the first half. Without their floor general, the Sixers couldn’t get anything going on the offensive end as Brooklyn doubled Embiid and forced the Sixers to shoot contested jumpers. The league leader in steals was also missed on the defensive end as the Nets seemingly got to the basket with ease, bullying the likes of Raul Neto and Al Horford (-26 when on the court) every chance they got and outscoring the Sixers 32-16 in the quarter. Simmons, whose injury doesn’t appear to be serious, will be desperately needed on Saturday as the Sixers travel to Milwaukee to take on the 1st place Bucks.
Alec Burks was an underrated pick up at the trade deadline
When the Sixers traded for Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III at the trade deadline, not much was made out of the move. We knew both players could shoot the ball as both were shooting 37 percent from beyond the arc. But that’s about it.
Both have jumped around the league a bit as Robinson III is on his fifth team in eight seasons while Burks is on his fifth team in twelve seasons. Still, the Sixers saw something in both of them and believed they could be valuable pieces to upgrade their thin bench unit.
Well, so far, so good, as Alec Burks came in through the clutch last night, scoring five of the team’s nine points in overtime to help seal the Sixers’ win. Burks worked the pick-and-roll to perfection as you saw he was able to pull up from mid-range or attack the basket with force. Burks, who ended with 19 on the night, showed he’s able to create his own shot and provided the spark the Sixers needed to get back and win the game.
