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The Brooklyn Nets returned to winning ways against the Philadelphia 76ers, another playoff-bound contender, at the Wells Fargo Arena on Friday. The Nets had opened their campaign with a big opening-day loss against reigning champions, the Milwaukee Bucks.
The home team started out quickly off the gate, with a rabid Philadelphia crowd egging on Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris and crew. With the uncertainty surrounding Ben Simmons’ future at the team, the fan base finally had something to cheer about. The 76ers welcomed their throngs of fans with a volley of baskets the Brooklyn Nets had almost no answer early on.
For much of the game, though, the Brooklyn Nets kept the Philadelphia 76ers in sight before unleashing their big-game pedigree to escape with a pulsating win. Kevin Durant, La Marcus Aldridge and James Harden were key in a devastating 16-1 run with a little over four minutes left in the fourth quarter that broke the 76ers' spirit.
On that note, here are the five talking points from an exciting back-and-forth game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers:
#5 Tobias Harris on a mission for Philadelphia 76ers
Tobias Harris played like he had something to prove right the game commenced. He was every bit the leader the Philadelphia 76ers would need along with Joel Embiid this season. On several occasions, Harris was heard giving out instructions, encouraging the young Tyrese Maxey and scoring buckets all over the floor. He had 19 first-half points on 3-4 shooting from three 8-12 overall.
The versatile forward has come close to getting an All-Star nod, but has never been selected for one. Without Ben Simmons, he is the undoubted Robin to Embiid’s Batman. Instead of a Big Three in Philly, the 76ers would have to live with, for now. The dynamic duo could potentially allow the 76ers to challenge the best teams in the East like the Brooklyn Nets.
Tobias Harris also helped in trying to slow down Kevin Durant. He did not have much success - not many players do - but he made the Brooklyn Nets' All-NBA forward work harder for his shots. This is the version of Harris that could finally land him an All-Star berth and make the Philadelphia 76ers tough to contend with.
#4 Tyrese Maxey is making a case to be the Philadelphia 76ers' franchise point guard
![Tyrese Maxey is off to a strong start in his last two games as the starting point guard of the Philadelphia 76ers. [Photo: Sporting News]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/10/978a7-16349563757365-1920.jpg)
In the game against the New Orleans Pelicans in the Philadelphia 76ers' season opener, Tyrese Maxey played the most minutes with 34. The 76ers outscored the Pelicans by 23 points when he was on the floor, which was the best on the 76ers' roster.
Maxey was solid in defense and, more importantly, provided a scoring threat that Simmons cannot or does not offer. The sophomore point guard shot 8-14 from the field and 2-3 from downtown. He was also stable and efficient with his plays, committing only one turnover in the minutes he played.
Against the Brooklyn Nets, Maxey came out a little flat and seemed hesitant. Playing against James Harden as the starting point guard for the 76ers and with the added pressure was probably the reason why it took him time to get going.
However, Maxey grew in confidence as the game against the Brooklyn Nets wore on. Tyrese Maxey was key in helping keep Harden in check. The Beard did not put up his usual mind-boggling numbers, partly because of the new Philadelphia 76ers' starting point guard.
Harden did have the last say, though. He was a big part of the Brooklyn Nets' run that dashed the Philadelphia 76ers' hopes of winning in front of a boisterous home crowd.
#3 Another slow start for the Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets got off to a sluggish start against the Philadelphia 76ers. They trailed early on as they did in their season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Midway into the first quarter, the Nets were already down 20-6 against the 76ers. It could have been worse had Kevin Durant not responded with six points of his own. The first quarter eventually ended 28-34, with the Nets trailing the 76ers.
The Nets have plenty of firepower, and can shake off slow starts. But it is never ideal to get out of the gates facing significant deficits in the opening 5-7 minutes of games.
Playing catch up early in the game, like they did against the Philadelphia 76ers, often saps the energy of the chasing team. The window to commit errors becomes smaller and the sense of urgency often leads to more uncharacteristic mistakes.
Their slow start against the 76ers was a little surprising. That's because the Brooklyn Nets had enough time to prepare for the game, knowing Kyrie Irving would not be walking through the door anytime soon.
#2 Kevin Durant played at small forward, almost exclusively, against the Philadelphia 76ers
Kevin Durant at the power forward took on an entirely different meaning when he was with the Golden State Warriors. That team only had a certain guy named Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, two of the best shooters the league has ever seen.
When Durant spurned the Warriors to join the Brooklyn Nets, he helped transform the latter into an offensive juggernaut by again playing the power forward or center. Durant was paired with DeAndre Jordan or Jeff Green, with KD playing center with Green on the floor.
The Brooklyn Nets then acquired Blake Griffin mid-season and moved him to center during the playoffs. Durant almost exclusively played power forward when the Nets posted an offensive rating of 135.6. At the four spot, the Slim Reaper opens up a ton of opportunities for the Nets.
With Irving virtually out for the season, the return of LaMarcus Aldrige and the development of Nic Claxton has forced Steve Nash to juggle more with his lineup. For now, Durant is almost exclusively at the small forward spot. While the offense will almost always be tough, with Durant and Harden around, the defense has struggled a little.
Any combination of Griffin, Aldridge, Claxton and Paul Millsap isn’t just quick enough on closeouts or run outs. The Nets are also prone to allow drives, as they hastily scramble to guard the three-point line. Two games into the season are not conclusive, but this is something worth noting.
Regardless of where he’s at, Kevin Durant never fails to impress, though. He already had a triple-double with two minutes left in the third quarter. Durant eventually finished with an impressive stat line of 29 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists against the Philadelphia 76ers.
#1 LaMarcus Aldridge, the difference-maker for the Nets
LaMarcus Aldridge temporarily retired last season due to an irregular heartbeat, which forced the Nets to be aggressive in acquiring Blake Griffin. Before his retirement, Aldridge started at center for the Nets, and was a seamless fit because of his mid-range jump shooting and low-post game.
Against the 76ers, he came off the bench and scored 23 points, including crucial points that allowed the Nets to escape with a hard-earned win. Aldridge tallied 23 points, five rebounds and two blocks, including 10-12 shooting from the field. He also made free throws in the dying seconds of the game to give the Nets a little cushion before the final score was settled.
The Brooklyn Nets outscored the Philadelphia 76ers by 21 points when Aldridge was on the floor. This is a stat worth noting because the starting center, the young Nic Claxton, was bullied in the post and was minus 19 in 17 minutes of play.
Brooklyn will need this version of LaMarcus Aldridge, particularly without Kyrie Irving.
