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The Philadelphia 76ers crushed the Brooklyn Nets in the paint in Game 2 and held on to grab a 2-0 lead. Philly outrebounded Brooklyn 56-33, including 13-5 offensive rebounds, which allowed the 76ers to mask their struggles in shooting the ball.
Philadelphia’s 46-22 edge in points in the paint was another telling difference of the 76ers’ dominance in the interior.
The series now shifts to Barclays Center on Thursday night, but the venue may not matter if the Brooklyn Nets can’t stop Philly’s damage inside.
The Nets limited Joel Embiid, the NBA’s back-to-back scoring champ, to 20 points in Game 2. He did his damage on almost every aspect of the game by adding 19 rebounds, eight assists, three blocks and one steal.
“The Process” could be seen repeatedly urging his teammates to be aggressive and attack if he was double-teamed. Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris were the beneficiaries of the open looks as the 76ers’ shifty guard finished with 33 points while Harris had 20.
The Brooklyn Nets will be desperate to put a stop to the 76ers’ dominant ways as they try to get their first win of the series.
Where to watch
The game between the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets will start at 7:30 PM ET. TNT will feature the game nationally while YES2 and NBC Sports Philadelphia will handle local coverage.
The game can also be streamed via the NBA League Pass.
Game preview
The Nets did not give up on their playoff dreams despite trading Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks and Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns. They held off the fast-charging Miami Heat in the regular season to clinch an automatic postseason spot.
The reward for all their trouble was a matchup against Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers. Most experts consider this series to be the most lopsided in Philly’s favor simply because of Embiid’s dominance.
The Brooklyn Nets often put Royce O’Neale or Dorian Finney-Smith on “The Process” before an endless stream of double teams comes along. While Embiid hasn’t been as prolific, he’s controlled the game with his passing and with just his presence on the floor.
Brooklyn center Nic Claxton did not score a point in Game 2 but had six rebounds and two assists. The Nets will need him to punish Philly’s defense on him. Jacque Vaughn’s team is bleeding for points. They need everyone to contribute.
The Brooklyn Nets earned a ticket to the playoffs without having to go through the play-in tournament. They may also be the fastest to the brink of elimination if they can’t come up with something better against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Game prediction
Spread: (76ers -4)
Total (O/U): 210
Moneyline: 76ers (-175) vs. Nets (+150)
The Nets seem to be out of answers in trying to stop the Philadelphia 76ers. Playing at Barclays Center and in front of their home crowd could help them in Game 3.
If Philly can withstand Brooklyn’s initial onslaught, they could be on their way to a 3-0 lead.
Philadelphia 76ers 100, Brooklyn Nets 90
