The Philadelphia 76ers took the floor in Brooklyn Thursday with a chance to extend their winning streak to three games. With Kevin Durant and James Harden in the lineup, the Nets had all the firepower they needed to end the Sixers' momentum. Things were neck-and-neck down the stretch, but the Sixers managed to take down the conference leaders.
Behind another great Embiid performance, they came away with a 110-102 victory. Here are some observations from the matchup.
1) Sixers looking whole again
Like the rest of the NBA, the Sixers have had their run-ins with health and safety protocol. Their most recent outbreak has left them without a head coach and multiple key players in the second unit. For the first time in a long time, the Sixers looked like a full team Thursday.
While Doc Rivers entered protocol leading into the matchup, the Sixers got some reinforcement before squaring off with the Nets. Andre Drummond and Shake Milton cleared protocol and made their return to action.
The second unit provided a nice lift on Tuesday against the Raptors, and did the same against Brooklyn. Some of the key standouts included Drummond and Georges Niang. Drummond posted a double-double with ten points and ten rebounds, while Niang connected on a trio of threes en route to finishing with nine points.
Getting players back from protocol has this team looking whole again. Not only has their return aided in victories, but should take some weight off others' shoulders moving forward.
2) Tyrese Maxey has career night
Tyrese Maxey has been somewhat quiet as of late but made his presence known against Brooklyn. Not only did he take on the task of guarding Harden, but erupted on the offensive end as well. When all was said and done, Maxey was the Sixers' second-leading scorer with 25 points.
It's no secret Maxey has struggled to find balance at point guard playing alongside the stars. But Thursday was a prime example that he can get his own shots while keeping others involved. On top of his 25 points, Maxey knocked down a career-high five made three. Some of them coming in the guts of the game.
Embiid and Maxey did their thing in the 76ers' win over the Nets 🔥 pic.twitter.com/hFuthXs30M
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 31, 2021
This performance could be a sign Maxey feels 100% again after dealing with a hip injury. Whether that is the case or not, Thursday was a much-needed breakout showing from the second-year guard.
3) Joel Embiid continues his dominant run
At this point, there is really nothing more that can be said about Embiid. He continues what is arguably the most dominant stretch of his career with a 34-point outburst against the Nets. Brooklyn lacks the frontcourt depth to defend a player like Embiid, and the All-Star center took full advantage of it.
From the opening tip, he asserted himself against the smaller Brooklyn team. By the end of the first quarter, Embiid was already up to 15 points on the night. Along with being a bruiser around the rim, he even stepped out and connected on three shots from beyond the arc.
Embiid is proving to everyone why he belongs in the conversation among top players in the league. He is putting on offensive masterclasses on a nightly basis, getting the Sixers' season back on track in the process.
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