With the NBA in infinite quarantine, I am continuing my quarantine diary where I give my thoughts to a game whenever a game becomes accessible. These will become a bit more frequent now that all games have become accessible.
Wednesday’s game focuses on Game 4 of the 2019 NBA Playoffs when the Philadelphia 76ers took on the Brooklyn Nets in an exciting Round 1 series.
First Quarter
- Ben Simmons being booed by the Brooklyn crowd is incredible. The Nets crowd clearly remembers everything from Game 3 when Jared Dudley infamously called Simmons “average” in halfcourt play before he fired back by asking who Dudley is and the fans let him have it.
- Joel Embiid returns after missing Game 3 and he scores the first two buckets of the game for Philadelphia. He looks active and strong early. The Nets just do not have an answer.
- Boban Marjanovic enters the game for Embiid at the 6:45 mark and Brooklyn sees an opportunity. With the slower Marjanovic protecting the basket, the Nets immediately attack the paint with Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen getting easy buckets down low. Embiid returns at the 2:11 mark and LeVert then cashes a triple as he is already in a good offensive groove.
- Brooklyn leads it 33-24 after one quarter despite a strong start from Tobias Harris who scored eight points on 4-for-7 shooting. They must do a better job of containing LeVert’s dribble penetration. It caused a lot of issues in defending the paint.
Second Quarter
- Jimmy Butler is getting aggressive. He drills a pullup jumper, a layup, triple, and then takes on the entire Nets team for a floater to tie the game at 40. That strong move by the veteran. He does look a little frustrated with his team though.
- It is complete comedy to watch the smaller Nets try and defend the great Boban the Giant. He grabs an offensive rebound, lifts it up with one hand while multiple Nets helplessly jump and try to grab the ball from him before he floats it in. It truly is hilarious.
- 4:58 mark of the second quarter: Jonah Bolden enters the game. Brett Brown, you’re rolling with Jonah Bolden? Really?
- The Bolden experience lasts 3:29 and he gives one point, two rebounds, a foul, a turnover, and a few missed defensive assignments. Brown then turns to Greg Monroe in his place.
- Dudley drills a triple to give the Nets a 59-53 lead and spreads his arms out and he stares at Simmons. God, this series is so much fun.
- The Nets lead 63-57 at halftime. Harris has 14 points to lead the way while Butler and Embiid have 11 points each.
Third Quarter
- LeVert continues to have an impressive game. He works his way into the paint and throws up a lob to Allen for a slam and he then drills a jumper to stretch the Nets lead to 10. LeVert continues to give the Sixers a lot of issues off the dribble.
- 7:42 mark: HERE WE GO!! Embiid gives Allen a hard playoff foul and Dudley then comes in and escalates things by giving Embiid a shove and then mayhem ensues. Butler gives Dudley a huge push into the row of courtside seats sand Simmons enters the fray to back up their big man. The results? Embiid gets hit with a flagrant 1 while both Butler and Dudley are ejected from the game. Not even sure why Dudley got so mad, it was a good playoff foul on Embiid in the moment of things. Embiid responds by rejecting Joe Harris’ layup and he then drives in for a bucket before Simmons scores as well. It’s now a 4 point game.
- The Nets extend their lead to 82-74 and have a lot of momentum. D’Angelo Russell and Spencer Dinwiddie get some tough shots to fall from beyond the arc and LeVert continues to cause some issues for the Sixers defense.
- Ahh, a T.J. McConnell sighting! McConnell knocks down a jumper and Philadelphia will go into the final frame within 91-85.
Fourth Quarter
- It’s in moments like these where your stars have to step up and be stars. Luckily, the Sixers have two of them as Simmons cut to the basket for a layup and Embiid slammed it after a good entry pass from Simmons. Philadelphia is beginning to build momentum.
- After some empty possessions, Embiid gets another bucket to pull Philadelphia to within 94-93 before the Nets answer with a layup and Russell drills a triple. The Sixers then have a few turnovers and empty possessions to find themselves down 101-94. JJ Redick is having a nightmare game following his solid Game 3 effort.
- After a long 3:31 field goal drought, Embiid begins to take over in a way a superstar should. He scores eight straight points as he bulldozes his way in for buckets and he then assists Harris on a cutting layup to take a 104-103 lead. There is so much about Embiid’s game that is so impressive on every level.
- The teams then go back-and-forth as Russell drills an open triple, Redick answers with a 3, and Joe Harris then scores to give Brooklyn a 108-107 lead with 25 seconds left.
- The Sixers call for time and they dump it down to Embiid. The Nets force the ball out of his hands and he finds Mike Scott in the corner who launches a triple and he cashes out to give Philadelphia the 110-108 lead with 19.7 seconds left. The stunned Barclays Center crowd goes silent.
- Allen turns the ball over, Harris makes two free throws, Dinwiddie misses a 3, and the Sixers win it 112-108. An impressive road win for the team as they take a 3-1 series lead.
Embiid finished with 31 points, 16 rebounds, seven rebounds, and six blocks, Harris had 24 points, nine rebounds, and six rebounds, and Simmons had 15, eight rebounds, and eight assists. Postgame, Embiid and Simmons were praised for their work as they fulfilled an obligation with Butler ejected from the game while Scott made the clutch shot to get it done for Philadelphia. [lawrence-related id=27771,27751,27728]