The Philadelphia 76ers (10-8) handled the Brooklyn Nets (3-15) 115-103 on Friday night at Barclays Center. Philadelphia’s balanced scoring, resilience on the front court and dominance in transition secured its 10th win of the season.
Let Maxey breathe
The 76ers have often relied on a huge effort from Maxey to come out on top, but that wasn’t the case tonight. Although he led Philadelphia in scoring with 22 points, five other players reached double figures.
Jared McCain’s redemption continued tonight as he posted a season-high 20 points, five steals and four rebounds. Tonight was his third straight game in which he eclipsed 15 points and the eye test reflected as such. With every shot McCain attempted, he looked like the player who was on the verge of winning the Rookie of the Year award last season. His ability to score both on and off the ball shined tonight, especially in the fourth quarter where he put up 10 points.
Quentin Grimes wasn’t far behind, recording 19 points, nine assists and two steals. He was crucial to the 76ers’ victory despite going 0-6 from three-point range. Grimes’ off-the-dribble scoring gave Philadelphia a lift, namely in the third quarter, where he scored nine points. His brutal scoring helped keep the Nets within arm’s distance as they cut the 76ers’ lead to nine points.
While Paul George’s minutes restriction limited him to 21 minutes, he scored 14 points on 6-10 shooting from the field. His shot creation and spot-up shooting were transformative in building a 21-point lead for the 76ers in the second quarter. However, George went scoreless in the final two quarters, settling for contested shots off the dribble.
Filling the void
Philadelphia’s frontcourt came into tonight shorthanded, without Joel Embiid (knee) and Trendon Watford (adductor). Things promptly went from bad to worse when Andre Drummond suffered a sprained right knee in the second quarter, sidelining him for the rest of the night.
It looked like the 76ers were in trouble as Adem Bona, who missed the last five games with a right ankle sprain, Dominick Barlow, Jabari Walker and Johni Broome each picked up three personal fouls at halftime.
But Bona and Barlow scored just one each in the second half and manned the paint in such challenging conditions. Bona scored 13 points on 6-7 shooting from the field, six rebounds, three blocks and hit his first career three-pointer. His help on defense and decision making during pick-and-rolls were on display. Meanwhile, Barlow recorded 10 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. His intensity off the glass and activity off the ball earned him respectable results.
Bringing the vision to life
Philadelphia has wanted to play faster this season, but its undersized defense has rarely allowed it to do so this season. However, the 76ers executed their vision against the Nets. They finished with 31 fast-break points and converted Brooklyn’s 18 turnovers into 17 points.
Much of Philadelphia’s offensive success came from its transition play, especially in the first half. The 76ers’ up-tempo pace allowed George and McCain to leak into their spots, and Maxey’s seven assists went toward those efforts. Philadelphia needs to maintain this intensity against a higher caliber opponent.
The 76ers return to the Xfinity Mobile Arena on November 30 at 6:00 PM EST to take on the Atlanta Hawks (11-8).
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