76ers vs. Nets prediction: Philly’s defense will shine again in Game 3 in Brooklyn

Here’s how good things are going for the Philadelphia 76ers in the early going of the postseason: They’re 2-for-2 — both double-digit wins by a combined 32 points — and yet All-Star center/presumptive NBA MVP Joel Embiid has scored a total of 46 points.

The same Embiid who scored at least 46 points in six different games during the regular season.

Of course, Philadelphia hasn’t needed much offense from its best player through the first two games of an opening-round playoff series against the Brooklyn Nets because the overall team defense has been suffocating. Then again, those two games were contested in Philadelphia. Now it’s Brooklyn’s turn to play host, beginning with Game 3 on Thursday.

Will a little home cookin’ be enough to lead the Nets to their first victory over the Sixers in seven tries this season? Doubtful.

But rather than lay a handful of points with Philly in Game 3, we’re going to bet on the 76ers to deliver another sterling defensive effort.

After all, as the cliché goes, defense travels.

Odds updated as of 3:35 p.m. ET on April 19.

The 76ers played some matador-like defense against Brooklyn in the first half of Game 1 on Saturday, giving up 58 points. The offense compensated, though, by lighting up the Nets for 67 first-half points.

Since emerging from the locker room after halftime of Game 1? Philadelphia has held Brooklyn to the following point totals in six quarters: 23, 20, 25, 24, 14 and 21.

Two prime examples of the Nets’ offensive issues in this series: Point guard Spencer Dinwiddie, who averaged 17.3 points in the regular season (second-most on the team), scored a total of 26 points in Games 1 and 2. That’s 21 more points than center Nic Claxton tallied in Philly — and Claxton, averaged 12.6 points in the regular season.

Then again, Brooklyn has had trouble putting the ball in the basket against the Sixers all season long.

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Including a meaningless regular-season finale dominated by scrub bench players — a finale Philadelphia won by 29 points — the Nets have scored 105 points or fewer in five of six meetings. That includes 98, 101 and 84 points in three of the last four head-to-head battles.

The only time this season that Brooklyn’s offense exploded against the 76ers was on Jan. 25, when it put up 133 points in Philadelphia (and still lost). Of course, Kyrie Irving was with the Nets for that game, and he had 30 points.

Brooklyn’s scoring average in four meetings with the Sixers since that Jan. 25 contest: 97 points per game. That includes a 101-98 home loss on Feb. 11. The Nets’ five starters that day — Claxton, Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, Cameron Johnson and Myles Bridges — are the same five who started the first two games of this playoff series.

Obviously, in today’s NBA, it’s difficult to hold a team under 102 points in any game — let alone three in a row. And Brooklyn figures to get a boost from its home crowd Thursday night.

Still, save for one game, the Sixers have held the Nets’ offense in check all season. A big reason why is Brooklyn simply cannot compete on the boards — and that’s an understatement.

Philadelphia has a cumulative 270-218 rebounding edge against the Nets this season, including 94-68 in this series.

It’s pretty basic, really: If you can’t get your hands on the basketball, it’s difficult to score. Expect that trend to continue Thursday night in Brooklyn, with the Sixers holding the Nets below their projected point total.

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