Brooklyn Nets vs. Philadelphia 76ers Takeaways and Player Grades

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Jan 8, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) reacts in the fourth quarter against Philadelphia 76ers at Barclays Center. Sixers win 105-95. Mandatory Credit: Nicole Sweet-USA TODAY Sports /

Takeaways

1. Another game, another third quarter meltdown

It’s worth repeating that the Brooklyn Nets held the lead for the entire first half. For 24 consecutive minutes, the Nets did not trail. And then, halftime happened. And, as they have many times this season, the Nets came out of the break flat. The Sixers, by comparison, came out of the break determined. 13 straight points by the Sixers put the Nets in a hole that Brooklyn simply could not get out of. Philadelphia had their best performance in the third quarter, putting up 32 points, while the Nets had their worst, putting up just 16 points. If the Nets are going to truly change the culture and develop into a winning team, Brooklyn needs to figure out the root of their third quarter struggles. Often times, the Nets in the first half and the Nets in the second half look like two different teams.

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2. The Nets turned the ball over far too much

Third quarter struggles, if not a trend, are certainly common place for the Nets. And so, too, are turnovers. Brooklyn turned the ball over 22 times on Sunday afternoon. Nets’ starters turned the ball over 11 times, led by Isaiah Whitehead with six. Lopez and Bogdanovic each turned it over twice. Kilpatrick turned the ball over five times off the bench. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson also had three turnovers. The Sixers, as evidenced by their record, are not a great team. But that doesn’t mean you can continue to give them chances by turning the ball over 22 times.

3. The Nets somewhat contained Joel Embiid, but still lost

The last time the Nets and 76ers played, Joel Embiid erupted for 33 points in a 108-107 Sixers win on December 18. After that performance, it seemed if the Nets could contain Embiid, they would have a chance on Sunday. Embiid scored 20 points, as he dealt with foul trouble, but the Sixers found other ways to score. Nik Stauskas scored 15 points, and was a huge part of Philadelphia’s third quarter comeback. Robert Covington added 15, and Dario Saric put up 18 off the bench. As for Embiid, he’s averaging 19.3 points per game this season, so the Nets held him to nearly his average. But after putting up 33 last month, holding Embiid to just 20 feels like a win. Unfortunately, Philadelphia got the actual win on Sunday.