CAMDEN, N.J. — Looking at the box score of the Philadelphia 76ers’ 137-133 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday, one sees the Sixers overcame a huge offensive night for Brooklyn.
The Nets shot 64.5% from the floor, and they shot 14-for-26 from deep. They received 32 points from Seth Curry who knocked down seven 3s and Kyrie Irving added 30 and 10, yet it was the Sixers who were in control.
Philadelphia led by as many as 17 and the Nets had to put on a furious rally just to tie the game late and give themselves a chance. It was an odd game, but for the Sixers, the win is all that matters.
“During the game you know they’re shooting well, but you don’t know they’re shooting 64-65%,” coach Doc Rivers said at practice on Friday. “I never look at that because I want to coach the game, but yeah, after the game, they made everything.”
To Rivers’ point, the Nets made a lot of tough shots. Irving, who is a wizard with the basketball, made some incredibly tough shots down the stretch for Brooklyn, and Curry was huge off the bench. The Sixers clearly have to clean up the defensive issues if they want to succeed in the playoffs.
“I just think they were hitting some shots,” added De’Anthony Melton. “We definitely lost some of the guys you know, defensive miscommunication. So, I think that happened, but we got to attend to more shooters. Curry got 10 3s up. So, we just go to tend to that more. Find guys and make them put it on the floor.”
On the flip side, the Sixers fought through all of that and won. That speaks volumes about the team and how they are continuing to come together.
“They made tough shots, too,” Rivers finished. “When a team shoots 64% against you, 65, and you win the game that says a lot about your basketball team is what that does. What’s amazing is they had to come back. Usually, when you think about it, we were up in that game. It’s not like we made a crazy run and the end to steal the game. We led throughout the game with them shooting 65%. That says a lot about your team.”
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