Home once again proved to be sweet for the Philadelphia 76ers, who earned a 117-106 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night.
Coming off a rough two-game road trip during which the Sixers went 0-2 and blew a halftime lead in both games, the team was in need of a victory. They got it courtesy of Tobias Harris, Ben Simmons, and some impressive fourth-quarter defense.
The game was a battle throughout, with the Nets leading by three after the first quarter, maintaining that three-point advantage at the half, and adding a point to the margin in the third to take a four-point lead into the final quarter. Brooklyn led by as many as seven during the first three quarters.
It was then that the Sixers took over, dominating the fourth quarter 31-16. The defense from the Sixers was fantastic in the final frame, as the Nets made just one of their last eight shots as the Sixers closed the game on a 15-3 run.
Tobias Harris led the way with a double-double of 34 points and 10 rebounds, hitting 14-of-20 from the field and 4-of-6 from 3.
Ben Simmons was great as well, chipping in 20 points, 11 assists, and six rebounds. He did an excellent job setting the tone early and continued to play spectacular defense.
Josh Richardson added 15 points and five rebounds and Al Horford had 14 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. Mattise Thybulle got a start and again made a huge impact at the defensive end with four blocks and two steals to go with five points and three rebounds.
Furkan Korkmaz hit some big shots off the bench, finishing with 15 points.
There was a lot to like about the performance. The Sixers shot 51.1 percent from the field, only committed 12 turnovers, and piled up 11 blocks. They’ve had their fair share of trouble guarding the Nets in recent matchups, so the fourth-quarter defense was particularly encouraging. It was also good to see the team successfully close a game.
The win moved the Sixers to 26-16 on the season and an impressive 19-2 at home. They’ll look to build on Wednesday’s performance when they host the Bulls on Friday.