The Philadelphia 76ers (47-35) finished off their 2023-24 regular season with a matchup against the Brooklyn Nets (32-50). The Sixers didn’t look all that great but still took care of business, winning 107-86.
Let’s break down the 76ers' final regular season game.
76ers player notes:
Tyrese Maxey: 26 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 10-20 FG shooting
Maxey was ready from the jump, scoring 12 points in the first quarter while the rest of his teammates had just 10. His defense was great, too — he never allowed himself to stick on screens and he fought hard to contest every shot. Scoring with more acrobatic finishes and beautiful off-the-bounce threes, Maxey put a lovely bow on his regular season.
Tobias Harris: 21 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 8-15 FG shooting
The only other 76ers to score with any consistency was Harris. In spite of some other frustrating moments, he scored efficiently from inside and outside on top of putting in work on the boards.
Nets player notes:
Mikal Bridges: 8 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assists, 3-8 FG shooting
Bridges made a few plays here and there for the Nets but wrapped up his season without doing anything too memorable. His future in Brooklyn will be interesting to monitor as the need for a hard reset becomes more and more obvious.
Game recap:
This time last season, the 76ers and Nets played each other in the final game of the regular season under very different circumstances. Led by different coaches, both teams rested their main players ahead of facing each other in the 3rd seed-6th seed matchup. Now, Brooklyn isn’t even fighting for the play-in while the Sixers are looking to win (and get favorable results from other games) in the hopes of snatching a top-six seed.
Joel Embiid, De’Anthony Melton and KJ Martin were out for the Sixers. Mo Bamba started at center. The Nets were without numerous players, including Cam Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Ben Simmons and Dennis Schroder.
1st half
Maxey started the game by drawing a goaltending call on Nic Claxton and draining a transition triple, breaking through the “Game 82 afternoon game” vibes that permeated at the start. While Bridges guarded Maxey, the 76ers guard returned the favor, oozing intensity as he tried to lead his team to a pivotal victory. Philly went on a 7-0 run to start the game before Brooklyn answered back.
Bamba did a nice job defensively at the outset, blocking a pair of shots and forcing a turnover. Still, the Nets managed to tie it up as the rest of the Sixers failed to meet the moment like Maxey did (at least offensively). Tobias Harris started to get going, draining a jumper and assisting Paul Reed on a layup. But he contributed to Philly's stagnation by allowing Jacob Gilyard to force him into a turnover. The Nets took the lead at the end of the first quarter.
Hield's smart off-ball scoring helped the Sixers tread water with Maxey resting. Whether it was a slot cut into the paint or a relocation beyond the arc — or, alternatively, letting a three-pointer fly and drawing a foul — he put some important points on the board. The Nets' offense wasn’t clicking, so Philly was able to build a comfortable lead for Maxey before he subbed back in.
The Nets offense, understandably, lacked a consistent groove with so many newcomers. Lonnie Walker IV provided a huge spark off the bench and Brooklyn knocked Philly off its game offensively, staying close with transition buckets and by allowing the Sixers to make their own mistakes.
Philly looked a lot better with not just Maxey but Kyle Lowry back in the game. The veteran's playmaking helped open up shots while Maxey did his own damage. Maxey pushed the issue a little too much sometimes but, with how the game was going, you couldn’t blame him.
At halftime, the 76ers led 55-44.
2nd half
Cam Thomas pulled up for three twice early in the half, draining both. Bamba once again gave the Sixers some productive play, scoring twice on putbacks. He again stood strong on defense to force a turnover that led to a Maxey fast-break bucket. Philly didn’t run out of the gates playing super crazy but its lead grew to a game-high 13.
Bamba continued to dominate the paint on defense. He also did a nice job tipping rebounds out to teammates, sparking fast breaks from time to time. Reed, meanwhile, was once again not having a great game. He committed shooting fouls on consecutive possessions and got blocked from behind on a putback. Maxey ran the second unit with the bench guys as the third quarter came to a close, getting some critical help from Hield, who drained three triples in the final minute of the period.
Elsewhere in the NBA, the Milwaukee Bucks were losing to the Orlando Magic. Not only were they costing themselves the 2nd seed but it made Philly more likely to fall into the play-in. Damian Lillard was shooting poorly from the field and Doc Rivers was once again catching the ire of Philadelphia.
Up by 17, the 76ers kept Maxey in for a few minutes. They maintained the lead and went on a mini-run to make it even bigger as the Nets went deeper into the bench, playing guys like two-way player Keon Johnson. A few minutes later, Phily subbed in Jeff Dowtin Jr and Ricky Council IV, the latter fresh off of a new multi-year contract. Terquavion Smith was subbed in not too long after.
The Sixers had accomplished what it had to but because the Indiana Pacers beat the Atlanta Hawks and the Magic won, a three-way tie ensured. That meant that Philly was kept in the seventh seed. At the very least, the Sixers had momentum heading into the postseason with eight straight wins.
Assorted observations:
- Embiid was reportedly just sidelined as a precautionary measure. It's good news that he didn’t aggravate his injury too much after the spill he took last game. But he did miss an additional game to get tuned up.
- No player has ever looked as close to Batman while playing in an NBA game as Claxton did, rocking all black on his uniform and facemask.
- Hield played in his 84th game of the season, making him the first player to play that many games since the 2004-05 season. The only time he missed a game this season was because his trade was processing.
The 76ers are back in action on Wednesday in South Philly against the Miami Heat for the play-in game.
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