Third Quarter
The second half opened with some brilliant moments in the two-man game between Maxey and Embiid. Maxey got downhill off the drop pass and was able to get it back to Embiid rolling down a wide open paint. Later, Embiid found him on a baseline cut and Maxey was somehow able to readjust to make the layup while being found. He also made his first three of the night when George found him relocating to the corner.
Maxey’s luck significantly changed from half to half as he got a three to pop all the way out and fall again. The Sixers put their offense in cruise control this early in the first half, but it felt a lot more comfortable now that their lead was pushing 20 instead of just 10. D’Angelo Russell was ruled out at halftime, making offense an even bigger uphill climb for the Nets, they shot 36% from the field in the third.
This felt like a night where Edwards got more of a chance, regardless of the score. He smoothly knocked down the next open three that came to him, his first in the NBA. Little else came to him, but it’s noticeable seeing a young wing who actually spots up right behind the three-point line. The Sixers took a 25-point lead into the fourth.
Fourth Quarter
The benches weren’t emptied quite yet, but it was pretty much a race to the finish line. Reggie Jackson scored the first five points of the quarter while Edwards knocked down a three. His form never looked bad, but his shot was a question coming into Summer League. He looks a bit more confident in it now though — perhaps shooting 36.8% on over six attempts in the G-League helped that. He ended the night 3-of-6 from behind the arc.
Halfway through the quarter is when the Sixers emptied the tank. Ricky Council IV and Adem Bona checked in, making it so every healthy Sixer saw game action. Kyle Lowry also sunk a pair of threes after going 0-for his last three games.
The Sixers will finally head home, where they wrap up their season series with the Phoenix Suns at 7 p.m. ET on Monday. Phoenix won the first contest 118-116 back in November in Paul George’s first game of the season.
That’s how you flush the last two games.
The Sixers took care of business Saturday night, knocking off the Brooklyn Nets 124-94 and giving Joel Embiid the fourth quarter off in the process.
Despite the early exit, he led all scorers with 28 points, shooting 8-of-16 from the field while also putting up 12 rebounds and six assists. Tyrese Maxey finished with 18 and seven assists shooting 5-of-12 from the floor.
Caleb Martin started off hot, finishing with 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting. Paul George shot 6-of-14 to finish with 17 of his own.
Jared McCain and KJ Martin remained out, as did Kelly Oubre Jr., who missed his third straight game with a left hand sprain. Brooklyn was without Cam Thomas and Cam Johnson, as well as Ben Simmons who was a late scratch due to calf soreness.
Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.
First Quarter
It took a bit for the Sixers to get back on East Coast time as the Nets opened the game on an 11-0 run, making their first four shots of the night. On the other end it was Caleb Martin who got going early with a three and a transition and-1. Embiid picked up an early technical foul after he aggressively wrapped up Keon Johnson. Nic Claxton came over to defend his teammate and jaw with Embiid — there’s no love lost between those two after the first round of the 2023 playoffs.
Embiid got on the board when George found him on a roll, and from there he got into a rhythm. He grabbed an offensive rebound on the next possession and spun into a nifty post move to get around Claxton. He capped off his stretch of eight straight points with a dunk down a wide open lane, finishing with 15 in the first.
Not only were there more first quarter minutes for Justin Edwards, but he was the first wing Nick Nurse went to off the bench tonight. He had a good look at an open three but his lone shot of the quarter didn’t fall. On the other end they held the Nets scoreless over the final 3:34 of the first, allowing them to get out to a 10-point lead.
Second Quarter
Maxey was one of the few who struggled for the entire first, but he got on board early in the second by getting to the line. Edwards drove and spun to the hoop to notch his first points of the game. The second unit was able to expand the lead, despite a little too much freelancing from Andre Drummond. Nurse did roll with the twin towers lineup for about a minute, likely to get Embiid subbed in while Drummond was at the free throw line.
Despite a 0-for-2 trip to the free throw line, Caleb Martin was off to a hot start as he made all seven of his field goals in the half. It was just one of those halves where he was flying all over the place. His first two rebounds of the game were offensive and they both led to second-chance points.
It felt like the Sixers’ lead should have been bigger, so George closed the half strong to make sure that happened. After knocking down a three, he picked off a pass that led to another wild Guerschon Yabusele dunk in transition. That must have given George some inspiration as he went for an ambitious dunk attempt in a crowded paint and was able to draw a foul. George scored or assisted nine of their last 10 points as they took a 17-point lead into the break.
Joel Embiid led all Sixers scorers with 28 points as they dismantled the Nets 124-94.
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