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The Philadelphia 76ers played without superstar Joel Embiid, but it hardly mattered, as they leaned on a balanced attack on Thursday night. Three players scored at least 25 points for the Sixers en route to a 131-115 win over the Brooklyn Nets in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series. According to ESPN, three players scored at least 25 points for the 76ers for the first time in a playoff game since the 1978 NBA Playoffs.
The last time where three players scored at least 25 points for Philadelphia was in a conference semifinals showdown with the New York Knicks. Former Sixers stars Julius Erving, George McGinnis, and World Free was the last trio to score 25 points or more for the franchise in a playoff game.
The 76ers have three 25-point scorers (Simmons, Harris, Redick) in a playoff game for the 1st time since Game 3 of the 1978 Conference Semis vs the Knicks.
That night, it was Julius Erving, George McGinnis and World B. Free. That's the only other instance in the last 50 seasons. pic.twitter.com/HweUR94l2Y
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 19, 2019
Ben Simmons led the scoring parade for the Sixers, as he finished with a playoff career-high 31 points on 11-for-13 shooting from the field. The second-year guard also added nine points, four rebounds, three blocks, and two steals for the 76ers, who are the third-seeded team in the Eastern Conference.
Tobias Harris also had a huge night for Philadelphia, as he finished with 29 points on 11-for-19 shooting, including a perfect 6-for-6 clip from beyond the arc. JJ Redick was also smoking from distance in Game 3, as he knocked down five three-pointers to finish with 26 points in 34 minutes.
With the win, the Sixers took a 2-1 series lead and regained homecourt advantage. Game 4 of the series will be on Saturday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. It remains to be seen whether or not Embiid will recover from a knee injury in time for the next game of the series.
