They say NBA basketball is a game of runs. The Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets took that axiom to the extreme on Thursday night in what ended up a 112-104 win for the Sixers.
Even without Ben Simmons, things started out swimmingly for the Sixers. They ran out to 20-4 lead and appeared on their way to an easy blowout win. Except the Nets weren’t prepared to fold, and ripped off a 14-4 run to close within six. It was just the beginning.
With the Sixers in the midst of a 1-of-12 shooting stretch, Brooklyn started the second quarter 16-0, building on the work it had done to close the first, and eventually pushed the run to 44-10. Yes, you read that correctly. In a game they were once winning 20-4, the Sixers found themselves down 50-30.
The first 30 minutes produced more than enough craziness for a full game, but the wildness wasn’t over yet.
The Sixers continued to chip away, taking their first lead since the mammoth Brooklyn run with 35 seconds to go in the third. They ultimately won the third quarter 35-26 and facing just a one-point deficit heading to the fourth.
Philadelphia would lead by as many as five in the fourth quarter, only to see the Nets respond and take a six-point lead with just 2:16 to play. The Sixers would answer, closing the fourth on an 8-3 run. During that push, the Sixers went 6-of-6 from the free-throw line, with Alec Burks hitting two and Joel Embiid hitting four, including two with 16 seconds left. Embiid would then ensure the game went to overtime with a block just ahead of the buzzer.
The Sixers controlled the overtime period, winning in 9-1 with five points from Burks, and escaped a potentially disastrous result.
Embiid was spectacular, carrying the Sixers in the absence of Simmons. The big man finished with 39 points, 16 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks. He was 10-of-20 from the field and an impressive 18-of-19 from the foul line.
Tobias Harris added a double-double of his own with 22 points and 12 rebounds, adding six assists. Burks was fantastic off the bench, finishing with 19 points and making a handful of huge shots for the Sixers down the stretch.
It wasn’t all good for the Sixers. What can you say about a 44-10 run? It was truly astonishing. Beyond that, the team’s defense at the point of attack was poor, allowing Brooklyn to parade into the paint and leading to a barrage of alley-oop dunks. Philadelphia also got pounded on the defensive glass, surrendering 15 offensive rebounds for the Nets.
Still, you have to like the way the team responded. For them not to be completely shellshocked by what transpired late in the first quarter until midway through the second and to have the gumption to cut the lead to a manageable 10 at the break was admirable. Embiid played the way he’s shown he can, dominating and making a tremendous impact for the Sixers. Finally, the team made the plays down the stretch to get the win.
It was an important win. Not only did it help the Sixers get off to a strong start post All-Star break and run their win streak to four, but the Miami Heat suffered a surprising loss to the Atlanta Hawks, allowing the Sixers to pull within a half-game of Miami for the four seed in the East.
It was one of the most bizarre basketball games you’ll ever see, but the Sixers managed to come out on the right end. They’ll look to keep things rolling on Saturday when they travel to Milwaukee to take on the East-leading Bucks.
