Brooklyn Nets look to build momentum after destroying Sixers

Can the Brooklyn Nets build momentum after a huge win over the Philadelphia 76ers? 

The Brooklyn Nets meant business last night in their 129-100 road victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. It took a true team effort for the win yesterday. Nets fans should be excited for the playoffs because the team was able to will convincingly without Ben Simmons.

The Nets are going to be one scary team to face if fully healthy.

Brooklyn dominated every aspect of that game yesterday, both offense and defense. The 76ers only shot 32 percent from the field last night, while the Nets shot 56 percent. I personably think this is the best basketball that the Nets have played this season. Better than they were playing when they were first in the East earlier in the season.

Philadelphia’s potent offense was held in check yesterday. James Harden only scored 11 points yesterday and shot 3-17 from the field, only hitting three 3-pointers and two free throws. A player who has benefitted from having Harden on the team is Tyrese Maxey. Maxey only scored four points, which is way below 17.4 points he is averaging this season.

The Nets also held the front-runner for MVP in check. Joel Embid did finish with 27 points, but he shot 5-17 from the field and scored most of his points from the free-throw line. Embid’s field goal percentage for the season is 36 percent, and last night he shot 29 percent. Brooklyn was playing some stellar defense yesterday and you could see they wanted to win that game.

Defense transitioning to offense was a staple of the Nets last night and everyone was getting in on the fun. Seth Curry dropped 24 points on 50 percent shooting from deep and racked up five steals as well. Seven different Nets players had a steal in the game and the team had 13 total steals.

Don’t forget about blocks, as Brooklyn had 15 of them last night. James Johnson led the team with five blocks, Andre Drummond finished three, Nicolas Claxton added three, and Kyrie Irving swatted two. The team defense yesterday was outstanding. Just imagine how scary it could be if Ben Simmons is healthy and playing to his full potential.

Last night was a close to perfect game for the Nets. They outscored Philly in every quarter but the last and Brooklyn was never worried about losing. One player who always shows up in big games for the Nets is Kevin Durant.

It’s no question that Brooklyn does not have the same team identity without Durant on the court. His skill level, basketball IQ, and desire to win are all what makes him better than most NBA players. Last night Durant dropped 25 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists, and two steals. He also shot 59 percent from the field, and 50 percent of his 3-pointers.

Kyrie Irving also had a great game for the Nets. He scored 22 points, four rebounds, and five assists. Irving also went 5-11 from deep. Kyrie and KD have been playing at a high level and Brooklyn needs Kyrie back full time on the court. Sadly it’s not his choice as to when that will happen.

The 29-point blowout is a victory that Nets fans can have pride in. Seeing a dominant win like this is reassuring that the team is ready for the playoffs and will not go down without a fight. Brooklyn will look to build on the success the team had in the last two games, and bring that forward with them.

How far can the Nets go in the playoffs? Will they even make the playoffs? A lot of questions still have to be answered and it’s coming down to the end very soon. What does the future hold for the Brooklyn Nets?