The Philadelphia 76ers dropped a tough one on the road, falling 114-106 to the Brooklyn Nets - a team that’s been struggling near the bottom of the standings. On paper, this looked like a game the Sixers should’ve had. But as head coach Nick Nurse pointed out postgame, they just didn’t have the legs - or the bodies - to match Brooklyn’s energy.
Joel Embiid left the game with an injury, and while he later said he was good to return, his absence in the second half was clearly felt. Without their MVP anchor, the Sixers lacked both interior presence and offensive rhythm.
Nurse didn’t mince words: “We missed three athletes,” he said, referring to Quentin Grimes, Dominick Barlow, and VJ Edgecombe, all sidelined with injuries. “Other than Tyrese, that’s our speed right there.”
That speed - or lack of it - was a major storyline. With Tyrese Maxey essentially operating as the lone perimeter threat who could consistently break down the defense, the Sixers’ offense looked stuck in second gear. No one outside of Embiid scored more than 19 points, and without their usual depth, Philly struggled to generate clean looks or push the pace.
It wasn’t just the Sixers’ offense that took the hit. Defensively, they couldn’t contain Brooklyn’s young guns.
Michael Porter Jr. lit it up with 28 points, and rookie guard Egor Demin added 20 of his own in a breakout performance. The Nets played with energy and confidence, while the Sixers looked like a team trying to patch holes on the fly.
This loss drops Philadelphia to 16-12 on the season - not disastrous, but certainly frustrating given what was at stake. A win would’ve bumped them up in the Eastern Conference standings, leapfrogging the Toronto Raptors for the fourth seed. Instead, they’re left looking for answers.
The challenge for Nurse moving forward is clear: find ways to win when the roster isn’t at full strength. That’s the reality of an 82-game season.
Injuries happen. Rotations shift.
But for a team with playoff aspirations, the expectation is to adapt - not unravel.
There’s no questioning the Sixers’ talent when healthy. But depth matters, and so does versatility.
Nights like this are reminders that even the best teams can’t rely solely on their stars. The supporting cast has to step up, and the system has to hold when the pieces are missing.
For now, the hope is that Embiid’s injury isn’t anything serious, and the sidelined trio of Grimes, Barlow, and Edgecombe can return soon. But even if they do, the Sixers will need to find another gear - especially when the schedule tightens and the margin for error shrinks.
This wasn’t just a missed opportunity. It was a wake-up call. And how Philly responds could tell us a lot about who they are - and who they’re trying to become.