Players Observations After Sixers Pull Off Upset in Brooklyn

Just a week ago, it seemed the Philadelphia 76ers hit a low point of the season. As they faced the shorthanded Atlanta Hawks at home, the Sixers put up a dud of performance and fell short, picking up their 16th loss of the year and causing them to be one loss away from possessing a losing record for the first time this season.

After getting a couple of days off to re-group, the Sixers bounced back and closed out last week with an impressive win on the road against the Washington Wizards. Then, they returned to the court on Tuesday night to face the Toronto Raptors.

While the way the Sixers beat the Raptors was a controversial topic following Tuesday's game, the 76ers were just happy to pick up the win and make it two in a row before heading into their toughest game of the three-game road stretch on Thursday.

Visiting the Brooklyn Nets for the second time this season, the Sixers were looking to avoid going 0-3 against their Atlantic Division rival. Right off the bat, the Sixers proved they were going to play with high-energy for four quarters in Brooklyn as they nearly produced 40 points in the first 12 minutes.

While Brooklyn avoided falling into a hole, the Sixers went into halftime with a one-point lead. Throughout the entire second half, the Sixers and the Nets remained neck and neck with each other. However, Philly found a way to outscore Brooklyn 26-20, finding separation in crunch time.

It wasn't easy by any stretch, but the Sixers escaped Brooklyn with a big 110-102 win on Thursday night. With that victory, the Sixers pick up their third-straight win and advance to 19-16 before closing out 2021.

76ers vs. Nets Player Observations

How did the Sixers individually perform against the Nets on Thursday. 

Matisse Thybulle

Typically, Thybulle’s defense stands out more than anything as his offense still could use a lot of work. On Thursday night, though, Thybulle had an all-around solid game. 

Defensively, his usual dominance was on display as he picked up three steals and blocked two shots. Then offensively, Thybulle had some nice moments as he went 3-5 from the field for six points. His three-point shot still isn’t a threat to opposing defenses, but at least he’s showing versatility on offense.

Tobias Harris

Coming off of his first career triple double, Harris did not impress in Brooklyn. Getting up 14 shots, Harris drained just four of his field goal attempts. 

It’s rare when the veteran forward scores less than ten points, but Thursday’s matchup was the second time he failed to score double digits this year. He finished the night with just nine points.

Joel Embiid

Over the last two games, Embiid scored 36 points in each outing. He nearly did it again for the third-straight matchup. 

Right out of the gate in Brooklyn, Embiid was a man on a mission. Going 6-9 from the field, the Sixers center collected 16 points in the first quarter of action. By the end of the first half, he had 22 of Philadelphia’s 55 points. 

While he scored just 12 points in the second half, Embiid was a key factor for the Sixers as he had four rebounds and a key blocked shot in the final two quarters of action. In total, Embiid wrapped up the night with 34 points, seven rebounds, three steals, and a blocked shot.

Seth Curry

Considering Seth Curry is the Sixers’ most reliable shooter, they need him to consistently produce night in and night out as Embiid needs all the offensive help he can get. Curry played a stellar game on Thursday as he knocked down six of his 13 shots from the field and drained all three of his free throws for 17 points.

Tyrese Maxey

The second-year guard had a forgettable performance on Tuesday night in Toronto. Fortunately, he was able to laugh about it as his star center Joel Embiid made fun of his terrible stat line. 

Maxey has shown many times this season that he possesses mental toughness and has a short memory. Therefore, he’s able to leave struggles in the past and rise above them and become a better player the next time he steps on the court.

Embiid might’ve been the shining star for the Sixers on Thursday, but Philly simply doesn’t win that game without Maxey’s services. In 33 minutes, Maxey scored 25 points, draining 10 of his 18 shots from the field. He also lit it up from beyond the arc as he knocked down all but three of his eight long-range shots. 

Georges Niang

After missing several games due to having a case of COVID-19, Niang looks unaffected after taking his mandatory time off. Picking up 18 minutes off the bench in Brooklyn, Niang wrapped up the night with nine points. He drained 50-percent of his threes, taking six attempts. He was a plus-15 for the game.

Shake Milton

In his first game back since missing the last few outings due to COVID, Shake Milton struggled to find his rhythm from the field. He went 0-6 from the field in a little over 11 minutes. 

Not every player is affected by COVID, but Milton might fall into a different category. To be fair, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers mentioned last week that he believed Milton was one of the only then-current Sixers players in the health and safety protocol to show symptoms. Therefore, he could take some time to find his footing once again.

Andre Drummond

After doing some live tweeting over the last few games, Drummond was finally able to take the court once again. He sure didn’t disappoint. In his first set of action since December 16, Drummond went 5-8 from the field for ten points. He made it a double-double as he came down with ten rebounds as well. 

Furkan Korkmaz

Just when you think Korkmaz is breaking out of his slump, he struggles to produce once again. In nearly 18 minutes on the court, Korkmaz was scoreless. He didn’t shoot the ball a ton, but he missed all three of his long-range attempts and went 0-4 from the field overall. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.