3 observations: Sixers lose badly to Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving-less Nets

Despite the Brooklyn Nets being so shorthanded, the Philadelphia 76ers take their lumps in a loss on the road.

The Philadelphia 76ers were rolling into Barclays Center on Thursday night riding high in the Eastern Conference. They entered the night with five consecutive wins, their 7-1 start had them at the top of the standings in the East, and they were facing a Brooklyn Nets team missing stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

Everything seemed set up for them to win another game, but Joe Harris, Caris LeVert, and the Nets handed them a 122-109 loss to bring them back down to earth with a thud.

Shake Milton led Philadelphia with 24 points and seven assists, Tobias Harris added 17 points and eight rebounds, and Tyrese Maxey had 16 off the bench. Joel Embiid had 20 points and 12 rebounds, but he shot 7-for-14 from the floor and he did not look like his dominant-self and Ben Simmons added 11 points on 4-for-13 shooting.

Here are the three observations in this one: