PHILADELPHIA — Tyrese Maxey had 33 points, Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris had 20 each, and the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Brooklyn Nets 96-84 Monday night to take a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference playoff series.
Embiid, the two-time NBA scoring champion, was offensively calm, going 6 of 11 from the floor, but he did almost everything else. The MVP finalist had 19 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks.
Harris had 12 rebounds. James Harden scored just eight points on 3-of-13 shooting for the Sixers after a sensational performance in Game 1.
Game 3 is in New York on Thursday.
Cam Johnson led the Nets with 28 points. Johnson tripped Embiid on a one-handed dunk on the right depicting the 7ft poster. Johnson glared at Embiid as the Nets forward stepped back on defense in the first half.
That was Brooklyn’s last GIF-worthy highlight.
Maybe the 76ers just needed to listen to their coach more as they chase their first NBA championship since 1983.
After Brooklyn scored the first bucket of the second half, Doc Rivers called a quick timeout.
“Go boys! Come on!” Rivers pleaded in the crowd. “Listen, it’s up to you all what you all want to do.”
How about finally deciding the game?
Maxey, who kept the Sixers alive with 15 points in the first half, was tamped off the rim on a quick break, but Harris followed for the bucket and the 76ers eventually leveled the game with 55 points. Maxey didn’t miss the next possession – a corner 3 that sent the crowd into a frenzy.
Then PJ Tucker missed a 3, grabbed his own rebound, played Harden and the Bart buried his first 3 of the game. Harris came right back and connected with a 3 that had him bouncing and waving his arms off the court for a timeout.
Embiid raised his fist in the air and urged the crowd to raise their voices with a 64-56 lead.
The Sixers needed the spark after going from Game 1 dominance to Game 2 disaster in the first half.
No Sixer represented this fall more than Harden. His seven 3s stabilized the Sixers in the first set, but the aging vet – who struggled with left Achilles tendon pain during the regular season – was overwhelmed in Game 2. He missed 6 of 7 shots in the first half and all four 3-point attempts. Throw in two fouls and five turnovers and it was a miracle the Sixers were only 49-44 down at the break.
That had to worry the Nets. Johnson scored 22 points at halftime but — much like Game 1 — the nets were crushed on the boards and in the paint. Embiid scored eight points but grabbed 15 boards, 13 defensive.
Embiid seemed to make up for some offensive frustrations with a late-game two-handed jam that got the crowd on their feet.
TIP INS
Nets: Lost six straight playoff games to the 76ers. … Mikal Bridges scored 21 points after going 30 in Game 1.
76ers: Embiid’s 15 rebounds was the most by any 76ers player in a playoff half in the last 25 seasons. …Maxey made 13 of 25 shots.
NEXT
The Sixers went 2-0 and 4-0 overall in Brooklyn this season against the Nets.
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