3 observations after Sixers fail to increase win streak, lose in Brooklyn with out their All-Stars initially appeared on NBC Sports activities Philadelphia
NEW YORK — The Sixers failed to complete off their first three-game successful streak since late January.
Regardless of main by as many as 14 factors, they suffered a 112-107 defeat Tuesday night time to the Nets at Barclays Heart.
Kelly Oubre Jr. (season-high 30 factors, six rebounds, 4 assists) and Tobias Harris (18 factors, 9 boards, 4 assists) have been the crew’s prime producers.
Dorian Finney-Smith and Dennis Schröder scored 20 factors apiece for the Nets, who improved to 25-37.
Sixers All-Stars Tyrese Maxey (delicate concussion) and Joel Embiid (left knee meniscus process) have been every sidelined. De’Anthony Melton (lumbar backbone bone stress) and Robert Covington (left knee bone bruise) remained out, too.
Brooklyn was down Cam Thomas, Ben Simmons, Day’Ron Sharpe and Dariq Whitehead. Cam Johnson suffered a proper ankle sprain within the second quarter and didn’t return.
The 35-26 Sixers will wrap up their back-to-back with a matchup Wednesday night time vs. the Grizzlies at Wells Fargo Heart. Listed here are observations on their loss to the Nets:
Lowry helps information Sixers to sizzling begin
The Sixers started the night time with a unit of Kyle Lowry, Cameron Payne, Buddy Hield, Harris and Mo Bamba.
In his third straight begin, Bamba started brightly. He scored the Sixers’ first basket on a soar hook over Nic Claxton and their third on a put-back lay-in.
“We lately have performed in opposition to groups which might be very comparable … the place their tallest middle or their most at-the-rim man begins, after which they arrive in with a smaller (middle),” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse mentioned pregame. “The backup’s a small-ball man or a bit of bit smaller model. In order that’s a part of why we began doing it, and it simply so occurs that it’s the third sport in a row the place we’re most likely going to look the identical.”
Nurse certainly used Paul Reed when the Nets turned to small-ball 5 choices. Bamba’s stage of play tailed off and he wound up taking part in solely 12 minutes. KJ Martin and Harris dealt with middle minutes within the fourth quarter earlier than Reed subbed again in with a bit of over three minutes left.
Claxton was clearly the night time’s finest large man, notching 17 factors, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks, and the Sixers continued to sorely miss Embiid. They’ve gone 6-9 total since his knee damage.
Payne’s first stint in every half was very brief — a shade beneath three minutes. He estimated that he was at “75, 80” % well being, however Payne wished to “struggle via” the sickness that stored him out of the Sixers’ victory Sunday in opposition to the Mavs.
He was in a position to play 23 minutes and scored 15 factors on 5-for-10 capturing.
“Go as laborious as I can, then come out and inform them once I was prepared once more,” he mentioned. “That’s the dialog we had, and we executed it through the sport.”
Beginning guards Payne, Lowry and Hield all made early three-point photographs. With Lowry in control of the offense, the Sixers grabbed a 13-5 edge and opened 7 for 8 from the ground.
Whereas Lowry has loads of savvy instruments, his glorious fundamentals are an enormous cause why he’s nonetheless beginning NBA video games at nearly 38 years outdated. He’s all the time wanting up, wanting to throw the ball forward, and probing for home windows to take advantage of in opposition to a barely sleepy protection.
Dowtin debuts
The Sixers have been sturdy to shut the primary quarter, elevating their defensive stage significantly. Nicolas Batum blocked a Trendon Watford three-point try on the Nets’ final possession of the interval.
Martin checked in to start out the second quarter and Jeff Dowtin Jr. quickly joined him.
Whereas it’s uncommon for a current two-way contract signing to debut exterior of rubbish time, Dowtin is comparatively skilled for a participant in that place. He’s a 26-year-old guard who’s been a dependable, low-turnover participant within the G League and impressed Nurse along with his protection final season on the Raptors.
“I’m going to only seize each second, seize each alternative attainable,” Dowtin mentioned Tuesday morning earlier than the Sixers’ shootaround. “Each day are available in right here, get able to work, and simply be myself. I’m excited for that, and I’m excited to be round Coach Nurse once more and simply be who I’m.”
Dowtin’s on-ball protection was high-quality Tuesday in his six second-quarter minutes. He didn’t add a lot offensively, although. Dowtin took no photographs, recorded one help and one turnover, and unsurprisingly appeared within the strategy of getting in control along with his new teammates. The Nets ended up outscoring the Sixers by six factors with Dowtin on the ground.
“At that time of the sport, we weren’t certain what Cam was going to have as a result of he performed these three minutes and mentioned he wanted a sub,” Nurse mentioned. “That was time to get Jeff’s ft moist a bit of bit, simply in case Cam wasn’t going to have the ability to play a lot tonight. … We have been making an attempt to verify, simply in case we have been down to at least one (backup) level guard, that Jeff already had some minutes beneath his belt.”
The Sixers misplaced construction and composure late within the second quarter, usually spacing the ground poorly and making unusual selections.
Lowry dedicated his third private foul with 1:46 left within the second interval on a Schröder three-point try. Schröder and Lowry then had an animated dialog after the whistle and each have been assessed technical fouls. A Schröder three ultimately gave the Nets a 53-52 lead.
The one two out there Sixers who didn’t play Tuesday have been rookies Ricky Council IV and Terquavion Smith. Nurse has most popular Martin over Council the final two video games, eradicating Council from the Sixers’ rotation following 12 consecutive appearances.
Broadly talking, Council’s physicality, maturity and foul drawing are among the many qualities that create the impression he is nonetheless worthy of rotation probabilities for this shorthanded Sixers crew.
Too many late miscues
The Nets regarded on the verge of breaking open a double-digit lead early within the third quarter. Lowry dedicated his fourth foul, Finney-Smith drilled a wide-open pick-and-pop three, and a visibly irritated Nurse requested for timeout.
Lowry’s two third-quarter triples helped preserve the Sixers in a manageable scenario. Payne’s shotmaking additionally boosted the Sixers late within the third interval and Oubre threw down an explosive dunk on their closing possession of the quarter.
Together with exceeding 20 factors for a second straight outing, Oubre once more dished out a season high-tying 4 assists. He drove exceptionally laborious, did not settle for a lot of contested jumpers, and browse the sport properly.
“That’s what playmakers are,” he mentioned. “They will create photographs for themselves and others. If I’m creating photographs for myself at a excessive charge, persons are going to start out serving to and I’ll have teammates which might be open.”
Once more, the Sixers struggled to place Brooklyn away within the fourth quarter. The Nets responded to a 92-84 gap with an 11-0 run that featured a missed Hield layup and extreme Sixers fouling. Lowry and Harris bungled a easy perimeter trade, resulting in a Dennis Smith Jr. steal and slam. These sorts of errors clearly sting far more with none wholesome All-Stars.
Harris knocked down two large, powerful mid-range jumpers, however the Sixers have been unable to play sufficient on-ball protection, defend the rim, or earn any telling stops. A Finney-Smith three stretched Brooklyn’s result in 106-100 and virtually iced the sport for the Nets.
“We are able to’t make so many obvious errors — these have been some large point-swing errors we made — if you happen to’re going to win a sport like this,” Nurse mentioned. “We gave ourselves an opportunity. If we don’t make a few of these (errors), it’s most likely coming all the way down to the final shot or one thing like that.
“However we performed nicely sufficient in stretches to even seize management of it, and we simply couldn’t fairly dangle on tonight.”