PHILADELPHIA–The Philadelphia 76ers were looking to take advantage of having home court advantage in their Round 1 series with the Brooklyn Nets and take a 2-0 series lead before they paid a visit to the Barclays Center for Game 3. Considering the talent gap and the experience gap, this was a good opportunity for Philadelphia.
However, the Sixers looked sluggish in this one. They were not finishing at the basket, they had a tough time taking care of the ball, and they played into Brooklyn’s strengths all night long. However, Tyrese Maxey came to the rescue and the Sixers were able to walk away with a 96-84 victory in Game 2 at home.
Maxey had 33 points to lead the Sixers, Tobias Harris had 20 and 12 rebounds, Joel Embiid had 20, 19 rebounds, and seven assists, and De’Anthony Melton had nine off the bench. James Harden added eight points, seven assists, and five rebounds in an off night for him while PJ Tucker grabbed eight rebounds.
Here are the player grades following the win:
The Nets were much more aggressive in the way they defended Harden in this one. They were constantly pressuring him out on the perimeter and they were forcing him to be more of a passer rather than letting him get comfortable with any step-back 3s or drives to the rim. All game long, he had such a tough time finding any offensive rhythm. Brooklyn deserves a lot of credit for slowing him down and forcing him into some tough looks, but Harden has to be better moving forward in this postseason run.
The young man out of Kentucky was more aggressive than he was in Game 1 as he was attacking the basket more often. He really saved Philadelphia in this one considering the offense was unable to find a rhythm from the jump. If it weren’t for Maxey, Philadelphia would have been down by much more at the half. He also made some big shots after halftime to help keep the Nets at bay. The Sixers always remind him that he needs to be involved on offense despite playing with two stars so this one was encouraging.
If the Sixers are going to continue to get this version of Harris throughout the playoffs, then they will be in a good position to go deep in the playoffs. He continues to make quick decisions with the basketball and he’s getting to his spots. All of this is a good sign for him going forward. The quick release on his jumper continues to be an important factor and it played a role in this one as the Sixers…
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