76ers complete sweep of Nets with dominant second half

Tobias Harris had 25 factors and 12 rebounds, and the Philadelphia 76ers overcame the absence of Joel Embiid to beat the Brooklyn Nets 96-88 Saturday, finishing a sweep that made them the primary workforce to succeed in the second spherical of the playoffs.

James Harden added 17 factors, 11 assists and eight rebounds for the third-seeded 76ers, who will look forward to the winner of the collection between the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks. The defending Eastern Conference champion Celtics have a 2-1 lead in that collection.

The 76ers hope Embiid might be recovered from his sprained proper knee in time for the beginning of the following collection. The MVP finalist and two-time NBA scoring champion was dominated out Friday evening, and the 76ers struggled to attain with out him.

In order that they turned to their protection and ended up outscoring the Nets 21-4 throughout a stretch of greater than eight minutes within the third quarter.

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James Harden of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles the ball in opposition to the Brooklyn Nets throughout Recreation 4 of the primary spherical of the 2023 NBA Playoffs April 22, 2023, at Barclays Heart in Brooklyn. (Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE by way of Getty Photos)

Tyrese Maxey completed a robust collection with 16 factors, and Paul Reed added 10 factors and 15 rebounds after changing Embiid within the beginning lineup.

Spencer Dinwiddie scored 20 factors, and Nic Claxton had 19 factors and 12 rebounds for the Nets, who have been swept for the second straight 12 months and have misplaced 10 straight postseason video games. They went 0-8 this season in opposition to the 76ers.

Embiid went to the locker room early in Recreation 3 and was limping a pair instances later within the recreation, however he had a blocked shot to protect a two-point lead with 8.8 seconds left and stated afterward he was OK. However coach Doc Rivers stated Embiid was complaining of soreness behind his knee and already had swelling shortly after the sport. An MRI examination revealed the sprain.

Dorian Finney-Smith’s 3-pointer two minutes into the third quarter made it 53-42, matching the Nets’ largest lead of the sport. However Harden and P.J. Tucker hit consecutive 3s to get the Sixers began on what grew to become a 14-0 run that made it 56-53 on Reed’s basket.

Maxey’s 3-pointer prolonged it to 63-57 with 1:49 remaining within the interval, capping the Nets’ prolonged drought that may have appeared unimaginable when Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have been in Brooklyn.

Tyrese Maxey of the Philadelphia 76ers in opposition to the Brooklyn Nets in Recreation 4 of the primary spherical of the 2023 NBA Playoffs April 22, 2023, at Barclays Heart in Brooklyn.   (Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE by way of Getty Photos)

They have been each dealt at midseason, and this workforce went down simply as shortly because the one they led final season, when Brooklyn was additionally the primary workforce eradicated after getting swept by Boston.

Embiid averaged solely 20 factors within the collection, 13 beneath his NBA-leading average of 33.1, because the Nets closely double-teamed him.

However these double-teams have been leaving open appears to be like for his or her guards that weren’t accessible Saturday, and the Sixers have been simply 2 for 11 from 3-point vary within the first half and the Nets led 48-40.

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However the 76ers restricted them to 40 factors within the second half and ultimately pulled away to a 14-point lead because the cheers of the Sixers followers within the constructing grew louder.

TIP-INS

76ers: Philadelphia’s eight-game successful streak in opposition to Brooklyn within the playoffs is its second-longest ever in opposition to an opponent. The 76ers beat the New York Knicks 10 straight instances within the early Nineteen Eighties.

Nets: The Nets fell to 0-7 all-time at dwelling in opposition to the 76ers within the postseason. … Patty Mills performed for the primary time within the collection, going scoreless in 5 minutes. … Brooklyn’s final playoff win stays Recreation 5 in opposition to Milwaukee within the 2021 East semifinals.

The Philadelphia 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey gestures after making a 3-pointer throughout the second half of Recreation 4 of a first-round playoff collection in opposition to the Brooklyn Nets, Saturday, April 22, 2023, in New York.  (AP Picture/Frank Franklin II)

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DREADED LETTERS

Rivers stated he does not fear when he sees Embiid seem like hurting, as he was at instances throughout Recreation 3. His considerations start when he’s informed the medical workers needs to do an MRI examination.

“As a coach, I hate that phrase, I hate these three letters. I imply, as a result of it by no means comes out nicely,” Rivers stated. “It simply looks like that at any time when they inform a coach, ‘Hey, we’re going to get an MRI,’ it doesn’t prove nicely more often than not and this one didn’t.”