Sixers Fall Flat Against Nets, Embiid’s Knee a Concern After Scare
PHILADELPHIA - On paper, this one looked like a game the Sixers should’ve handled. Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey were all in the lineup Tuesday night when Philadelphia hosted a young, rebuilding Brooklyn Nets squad. Even with VJ Edgecombe and a few other key contributors sidelined, the Sixers had their core stars available and a chance to build momentum heading into the holidays.
Instead, they walked off the Wells Fargo Center floor with a frustrating 114-106 loss-and more questions than answers.
Let’s start with the obvious: the offense never found its rhythm. The Sixers shot just 40.7% from the field and a rough 7-of-27 from beyond the arc.
That’s not going to cut it, especially against a Brooklyn team that, while scrappy, came into the night as a clear underdog. The Nets used their length and athleticism to disrupt Philly’s flow, closing out hard on shooters and forcing contested looks all night.
The Sixers, in turn, looked out of sync-too often settling for jumpers that didn’t fall and unable to generate clean offense in the halfcourt.
“They just did a pretty good job making everything tougher for us,” Joel Embiid said postgame. “It seemed like no one could really get it going tonight.”
That much was clear. Despite holding the Nets to 42.7% shooting overall, the Sixers were outgunned from deep-Brooklyn knocked down 17 threes to Philly’s seven, a 30-point swing from long range that proved decisive.
The Sixers’ defense wasn’t the issue. The offense simply didn’t show up.
But the bigger storyline might be what happened just a minute into the third quarter.
Embiid, the reigning MVP and the heartbeat of this team, took a hard shot from Nets guard Terance Mann and immediately went down, clutching his right knee. The arena went silent.
Embiid eventually got up under his own power, but he headed straight to the locker room. Andre Drummond checked in, and suddenly the game felt secondary.
“Just hyperextended it,” Embiid said afterward. “Went to the locker room, checked it out, and we’ll see how I feel.”
That’s the part that lingers-the uncertainty. With Embiid, the day after is always the real test. Swelling, stiffness, and pain don’t always show up right away, and given his injury history, any tweak to that right knee sets off alarms.
“It’s alright,” he added. “We’ll see how it feels. Obviously, when you’re hurt, it’s kinda hard to judge so we’ll see how it feels tomorrow.”
The Sixers will certainly be hoping for good news on that front. They’ve got two days off before hitting the road for a five-game trip that starts Friday in Chicago. That stretch will test their depth and cohesion, especially if Embiid is limited or unavailable.
This loss stings-not just because it was winnable, but because it exposed some lingering issues. The offense remains inconsistent, even with three All-Stars on the floor.
The ball movement stalled. The shooting was cold.
And when the Nets turned up the pressure, the Sixers didn’t have a counter.
It’s just one game in a long season, but it’s a reminder: this team still has work to do. And as always, everything hinges on the health of No. 21.