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NBA Fans React to 76ers’ Dominant Win Over New Zealand Breakers

How did NBA fans react to the Philadelphia 76ers' big win over the New Zealand Breakers?

Justin Grasso

Mar 14, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers logo on the hardwood court against the San Antonio Spurs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Mar 14, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers logo on the hardwood court against the San Antonio Spurs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
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The sportsbooks didn’t give the New Zealand Breakers a shot ahead of Monday night’s preseason battle against the Philadelphia 76ers.

After four quarters of action, it was easy to see why.

Even without the presence of Joel Embiid and Paul George on the floor, the Sixers took care of business early. Rolling out a starting five of Tyrese Maxey, Eric Gordon, Caleb Martin, Kelly Oubre, and Andre Drummond, the Sixers dominated from the jump and never looked back.

Through the first quarter of action, the Breakers trailed 40-19. Sixers star Tyrese Maxey shot the lights out fresh off of his busy summer, which featured signing a brand new max extension.

The young guard checked in for the entire quarter, shooting 5-7 from the field and knocking down all but one of his threes. Maxey led the way with 15 points before checking out for the rest of the night.

Maxey’s Back Like He Never Left

Drew Hanlen: !!! [Tyrese Maxey]

@PresidentEmbiid: “First glimpse at Tyrese Maxey on the court, he looks so much bigger wtf he definitely put some muscle on this summer.”

@21for2: “I know we're playing an NBL team, but Tyrese Maxey looks really, really good.”

Drummond Rains Threes

Andre Drummond made it clear the Sixers brought him on board to grab rebounds. Nick Nurse made it clear that he believes the veteran big man is much more than that.

As a result, Drummond let some shots ring off on Monday night. While he’s not typically viewed as a stretch-five, Drummond’s three-pointer made plenty of noise on social media.

@Mrcrockpot: “Catch and shoot 3 from Andre Drummond in the corner? Live look at me putting together some Drummond + Embiid lineups”

@Drew_H_Stevens: “Without hesitation, Andre Drummond just knocked down a corner three with 11 seconds on the shot clock.”

The Sixers were able to have some fun with their preseason opener on Monday night as they won in style. While it was a short night for the team’s temporary starting five, the reserves came in and did an excellent job building on the lead and putting the game away.

Guerschon Yabusele finished with 15 points as the team’s backup center. The backup guard Reggie Jackson was active in his nine minutes of action, scoring 15 points.

The rookie Jared McCain shot the ball with confidence, and ended up scoring 15 points in his first NBA action since getting drafted back in June.

After a 139-84 win, the Sixers advanced to 1-0 in the preseason. They will return to the court on Friday for a matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

More 76ers on SI

Sixers Reveal Plans for Keeping Joel Embiid Healthy

Daryl Morey Confident in Sixers’ Championship Position

Nick Nurse Praises Jared McCain at Training Camp

Grizzlies Star Mentions Joel Embiid at Camp

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA

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