Game 1 Review
Photo Cred: New York Post
James Harden and the 76ers faced off against Harden’s former team, the Brooklyn Nets, on Saturday to start this year’s playoffs. Harden couldn’t have looked more at ease as he finished with 23 points and 13 assists in 36 minutes, leading Philadelphia to a 121-101 victory and the start of what the 76ers hope will be a lengthy playoff run. The Nets made it clear that their game plan was to do whatever they could to keep the ball out of Joel Embiid’s hands and force Philadelphia’s other players to make plays — and, specifically, make shots.
Photo Creed: Newsday
The Nets were at a significant talent disadvantage in this series since midseason trades in February that sent Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to Phoenix and Dallas, respectively. At least on Saturday, they were made frequently by both Harden and his 76ers teammates. Philadelphia made 21 of its 43 3-point attempts. Philadelphia’s quest to reach the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2001 was off to a strong start.
Game 2 Review
Photo Cred: CBS
A 20-5 run in the third quarter led to the Nets losing. The 76ers off held on to a 96-84 victory in Game 2. This is probably the last round of the playoffs where Joel Embiid and James Harden can get away with first-half performances like in Game 2. They had nine points, nine turnovers, and nine missed shots.
Photo Cred: Fanduel
Those were the totals from the Sixers’ ostensible superstars in one of the more brutal couple of quarters you will see out of either. Embiid, the two-time NBA scoring champion, was quite offensively, going 6 of 11 from the floor, but he did just about everything else. The MVP finalist had 19 rebounds, seven assists, and three blocks.
