Sixers Stumble Against Nets in Tough Shooting Night Despite Star Power
PHILADELPHIA - On a night when the Philadelphia 76ers had their full trio of stars-Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey-on the court, it felt like the kind of game they should’ve taken care of. But instead, the Sixers came up short, falling 114-106 to the Brooklyn Nets and dropping to 16-12 on the season.
The loss wasn’t about effort-it was about execution, or more accurately, the lack of it on the offensive end. Philly shot just 41% from the field and a rough 7-for-27 from beyond the arc.
That kind of shooting night is hard to overcome, especially when the other team is launching and connecting from deep the way Brooklyn was. The Nets hit 17 threes on 46 attempts, and those extra points from distance added up fast.
Tyrese Maxey, who’s been electric all season, had one of those off nights that even the best players run into. He started 1-for-10 and finished 3-for-14-a rare stumble for the young guard who’s been the engine of Philly’s offense. After the game, Maxey didn’t sugarcoat it.
“I just wasn’t good,” he said. “I didn’t get in rhythm. I didn’t feel like I was in rhythm, but it’s OK.”
Maxey’s shot selection wasn’t the problem-he liked the looks he got. They just weren’t falling. And when your primary scorer is struggling, it puts a lot more pressure on everyone else to pick up the slack.
But the Sixers’ issues didn’t stop at the offensive end. Defensively, they had their hands full with Nets forward Michael Porter Jr., who lit them up for 28 points and five rebounds.
He came out blazing, scoring 14 in the first quarter alone, and never really cooled off. After the Sixers jumped out to an early 8-1 lead, Porter’s hot hand helped flip the momentum.
Head coach Nick Nurse saw some positives early, but they didn’t last.
“I thought we came out the start of the game playing some really good defense,” Nurse said. “We were really into some things and ready to go.
But then, just in general, the game took a turn. They beat us in a lot of ways.
They beat us really badly from the 3-point line.”
Nurse pointed to Brooklyn’s energy and athleticism as key factors. When the Nets started hitting shots, it gave them life-and the Sixers just couldn’t match that level of bounce.
“Their energy was way better than ours,” Nurse added. “That’s what happens when the ball is going in for them. They get extra bouncy and all that kind of stuff.”
Philadelphia tried mixing things up-different lineups, different defensive looks-but nothing really clicked. Outside of two stretches where Nurse felt the team was connecting well on both ends, the Sixers never found a consistent rhythm.
On the defensive side, the Sixers simply couldn’t keep track of Porter. Whether it was missed switches or losing him in transition, he found too many clean looks.
“We lost him a couple of times,” Maxey admitted. “We got to stay on his body.
We messed up a couple switches. We missed him in transition a couple times.
That wasn’t good on our part.”
Now, the Sixers turn the page and prepare for a five-game road trip, starting Friday in Chicago. It’s a chance to reset after a frustrating night-and a reminder that even with stars on the floor, execution is everything in this league.