By: Kylan Watson

The new look Brooklyn Nets faced the Philadelphia 76ers who wanted to sweep both New York teams in back-to-back nights. It took them most of the game, but they were able to turn up the heat on the defensive end and force Brooklyn into harder shots. That pressure paid off for them as they only allowed 15-points in the fourth quarter tonight. Their late game execution was crucial tonight as they were able to hit some clutch free-throws, and high percentage shots to beat the Nets 101-98.

Philly once again did not start the game off well, they were able to get an early lead but lost it immediately. The new look Nets were able to take full advantage of Philly having tired legs because they played last night and had to travel to Brooklyn. Before the Sixers knew it, they were on their heels thanks to Mikal Bridges who continues to hunt Philly for trading him to Phoenix. He scored 23-points tonight and got whatever he wanted from the field. Bridges will get way more shot opportunities in Brooklyn where he is now the best player on that team, and he played like a franchise cornerstone tonight. Making Philly pay for daring to leave him open from the perimeter and when they overplayed, he attacked the paint and got them in foul trouble. The Sixers were able to slow him down by putting Tobias Harris and Jalen McDaniels onto him and that slowed him down. He only hit eight/18 shots tonight, and missed a late-game lay-up that would have won the game for his team. Once the Sixers put more size on him and he wasn’t able to use his length to get a shot off. Their offense went from dynamic to stifled.  Philly deserves all the credit tonight they were up against it having played last night. However, they were able to grind this one out and get their 35^th win of the season tonight.

The Sixers late game execution which had been missing throughout the last few games came through tonight. They found the right guy with their ball movement tonight and that won them this game. Late in the game the offense ran through Joel Embiid, who scored 37-points and grabbed 13-rebounds. He dominated the Nets overmatched defenders and he dragged his team over the finish line. His continuing development in the playmaking department really helped his teammates when they were struggling tonight. He found them when it mattered most and although he only had two assists tonight because his teammates missed shots. His late game scoring and playmaking helped Philly get the win tonight. If that continues and the shots start falling again, the Sixers will have the most dynamic offense in the league.

Philly will now prepare for a matchup with the Houston Rockets on Monday night. They will need to continue to keep the ball moving to get high-percentage shots. Their offense is most dynamic when the ball is moving and they are able to find the open man for a good shot. Additionally, they will need to play a complete defensive game on the perimeter and not wait until the second-half to turn the defensive pressure up. It will not help them against the better teams in the Eastern Conference and with the athleticism of the Rockets backcourt the defensive scheme will be important to slow Jalen Green down. If the Sixers can do these things, they can get their 36^th win of the season.