Embiid Hopes To Play In Game 1 Of Next Series
By Shara Talia Taylor
A decline in the Brooklyn Nets’ performance in the third quarter determined the outcome of Game 4 as they were swept by the Philadelphia 76ers in a 96-88 loss for Round 1 of the Eastern Conference series of the NBA playoffs.
Philadelphia’s play intensified after halftime, while Brooklyn fell behind and could not regain their earlier advantage. The 76ers adapted without Joel Embiid, who did not play because of a sprained right knee, as the Nets struggled in the second half of Game 4, unable to maximize the differences on the court.
“When Joel is out that’s a massive amount of shot attempts and plays that are going to free up for the other guys,” said Spencer Dinwiddie. “For the most part we did a good job on maxing Harden (James) and Tobias (Harris) kind of got free a little bit.”
Dinwiddie led the Nets with 20 points and six assists. He said they expected Harden to be more aggressive overall with Embiid out. Harden, who is currently ranked third for the most three-pointers made in NBA history, had more success with field goals due to the Nets’ defense. He had 17 points and led Philadelphia with 11 assists. Harris led the 76ers with 25 points and had 12 rebounds. Paul Reed added 10 points and led Philadelphia with 15 total rebounds.
Prior to the game Nets Head Coach Jacque Vaughn spoke with the media about how they would approach the game knowing Embiid would not play.
“He was an extreme focus for us in the previous games,” Coach Vaughn said. “We had to go back and look at some games with no Embiid. What does that look like for their group? They play differently, faster, more transitions.”
Philadelphia was on the scoreboard first, but Dinwiddie followed up with a three-pointer. Brooklyn kept their lead until the third quarter. They were ahead 29-22 at the end of the first quarter and 48-40 by halftime.
The Nets defended well in the second quarter, only allowing Harden to make two field goals and one three-pointer. Nic Claxton’s efforts to stop him from driving down the lane resulted in a jump ball. Claxton blocked Harden again later in the quarter. He had 19 points and led with 12 total rebounds.
Coach Vaughn challenged the Nets during this season to play aggressively all four quarters. The 76ers energy was unmatched in the third quarter as the Nets were outscored 26-15. Vaughn said they were not getting turnovers and easier shots in the paint with Embiid out as they expected and rebounding hurt. Brooklyn had only one offensive rebound in the third quarter.
Philadelphia was still hot in the fourth quarter, but Brooklyn stepped up to match the intensity. A double technical was called on P.J. Tucker and the Nets bench after some bickering and flexing after a foul was called on Mikal Bridges when defending Tucker. The Nets tied the score at 70 with about 9:31 minutes remaining in the game and came back briefly 72-70. However, the 76ers reignited their spark regaining the lead for the remainder of the game.
“They knew that they were down their best player,” Bridges said. “The guys that came in, just played even harder, played harder than us.”
Bridges added 17 points, fewer than normal, but Philadelphia most likely anticipated guarding him.
Bridges had been one of the best shooters for the Nets as the season concluded. He scored a career-high 45 points against the Miami Heat in February and led the Nets against the 76ers with a game high 30 points in Game 1 and a game high 26 points in Game 3.
“I just feel like these past games, I’ve been letting my team down,” Bridges said. “I hate not winning a game for them. It hurts me.”
Bridges had 21 points in Game 2. He said he has to get in shape and work on his game during the off season. Coach Vaughn was optimistic about Bridges.
“He’s going to grow from it,” Vaughn said about the lower numbers. “He’s going to be a better player from it.”
The No. 3-seeded 76ers will move ahead to take on the No. 2 Boston Celtics or No. 7 Atlanta Hawks in Round 2.
Coach Vaughn said the Nets strengths in this final game were coming into the game strong, defensive and ready to play.
“I told them they should feel extremely proud when they walk around the borough of Brooklyn,” Coach Vaughn said. “We competed. We didn’t make excuses this year. We figured out how to stay together. That locker room was together even until the end of the game.”
Coach Vaughn also looks forward to the opportunity for the Nets to grow, reenergize and learn about each other in the offseason.
