Sluggish Sixers beat Nets in matinee
NEW YORK - The bumpy Uber ride from Manhattan to Brooklyn was smoother than the 76ers' performance against the Brooklyn Nets for most of the game Sunday.
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NEW YORK - The bumpy Uber ride from Manhattan to Brooklyn was smoother than the 76ers' performance against the Brooklyn Nets for most of the game Sunday.
The sluggish squad struggled from the three-point line, committed inopportune turnovers, and appeared a step too slow while missing defensive rotations. Something about a noon start brought out the worst in the visitors.
Yet they were able to get a road win over the Brooklyn Nets. Thanks to a late 13-0 run, the Sixers built a sizable lead and held on for a 105-95 victory at the Barclays Center.
"I don't like noon games," said Sixers coach Brett Brown, whose squad trailed, 57-46, at the half. "You are always trying to pull teeth at the start, it seems. And on the road, noon games are even more difficult.
"I just felt like we weren't who we have been. I think we have been playing good basketball."
The Sixers improved to 10-25 with co-managing owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer seated in front-row floor seats. It was their squad's third victory in four games. The Sixers also tied last season's win total with 47 games left.
"That's definitely an achievement in itself from a year ago," said reserve center Nerlens Noel, the team's sixth man. "Winning 10 games at this point as opposed to last year is a big thing for us."
The Nets pulled within one point (88-87) after Sean Kilpatrick's layup with 6 minutes, 24 seconds to play. Brooklyn, however, went on to miss six shots and commit three turnovers on its next eight possessions. That enabled the Sixers to build a 14-point cushion before Trevor Booker scored the Nets' next points on a layup with 1:36 remaining.
"You have to tip your hat to [the Sixers], obviously," said center Brook Lopez, whose Brooklyn squad (8-28) suffered its sixth straight loss and 12th defeat in 13 games. "But I think we just hurt ourselves. I think we could keep taking the next step, but we've got to play a complete game."
The Nets were doomed by 22 turnovers. Lopez led all scorers with 26 points.
Joel Embiid paced the Sixers with 20 points to go with five rebounds, four assists, two blocks, and three turnovers. The leading candidate for rookie of the year and NBA All-Star Game hopeful was serenaded with chants of "trust the process" at the foul line by the large number of Sixers fans in attendance. A huge crowd also stood in the baseline stands near the tunnel to deliver more chants as the center exited the court.
This came two nights after Embiid was serenaded with those chants at the foul line in Boston.
"It shows that the fans, the Sixers' fans, especially, are all over the place," he said. "You can tell by how many votes for the All-Star [Game - 221,984 in Thursday's first returns]. They keep voting.
"So it's just great going on the road in Boston, now in Brooklyn it's been happening and on the whole season on the road. It's amazing and I'm here to enjoy it."
Dario Saric added 18 points off the bench. Nik Stauskas made 3 of 4 three-pointers in route to scoring 15 points. All of his point came after intermission. Robert Covington finished with 15 points and game highs of 11 rebounds and five steals to go with 13 deflections and three scares. He fell to the court three times after being hit in the head. He suffered a bloody nose after being hit in the face to cause his first fall.
He received a bloody mouth/swollen lip and a pop in the face on the other two falls.
Reserve center Jahlil Okafor did not play for the second consecutive game. Okafor exited the locker room before the media was allowed in. The third overall pick of the 2015 draft had started 14 games this season.
Embiid (23:59) and Noel (24:01) split all 48 minutes at center.
"We've learned that you can't jam three into one position," Brown said. "It just shortchanges and it's unfair to everybody."
The Sixers shot 29.6 percent on three-pointers and 39.4 percent from the field and had 13 turnovers.
It the first half, it was as if they were worn out from after having too much free time in the Big Apple the day before. The Sixers had the day off from practice and went to see Hamilton on Broadway.
@PompeyOnSixers