It was the game to watch tonight, without disrespecting the traveling Bucks in Orlando or the Wizards hosting Cleveland. In an Eastern Conference heavyweight duel between Sixers and Nets, it was the visitors from Philadelphia who came out on top behind the colossal efforts of their boss (and not just), Joel Embiid. Victory for Tyrese Maxey and company (110-102), with extra spice!
This is the kind of confrontation that we are already looking forward to seeing again in the regular season, and that we would love to see over 4 Playoff games.
Two weeks ago, Sixers and Nets had already faced off at Barclays Center, in a match ultimately won by Kevin Durant and his gang. The match had also led to a good part of trashtalking, we will come back to it because it had its effect on the meeting of the night. Among the Nets and their fans, the excitement was palpable before the game. James Harden hot boiling, out of sanitary protocol for KD and LaMarcus Aldridge, some first images of Kyrie Irving in training, that’s good to remember. Opposite ? Hard to say, because if the Sixers were on a good momentum by winning their last three away games, the Pennsylvania troop had to do without Doc Rivers as coach, also joining other coaches in the confined club. . This did not prevent Philly from starting strong, behind the assaults of a duo that will become fundamental in the group’s victory: Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Perfectly connected, the two men attack the Nets and when it is not the incumbents who do the job, it’s Andre Drummond who walks in the racket of Brooklyn. Dirty atmosphere, since the enthusiasm of the jump ball gives way to a trap match for Steve Nash and his men. At halftime, Embiid dominates the proceedings (22 points) while Harden and Durant hold the gaze with the pivot, aided by contributions from Nic Claxton and LaMarcus Aldridge.
In the second period, the entire basketball world will then meet in Brooklyn to attend a real table tennis of a very high level. James Harden, who came out of a wonderful mixtape with the Clippers and the Lakers, is going to do it again with three-pointers, well-controlled penetrations and caviar of all kinds. When it is not the bearded man who sanctions, it is Kevin Durant, perfectly calibrated in his shots at mid-distance and taking advantage of the lack of size of his defenders, whether Matisse Thybulle, Tyrese Maxey or any other To be human. For a while, we believe to see the Nets take off, but that’s without counting on the titan taf of George Niang out of the bench, which will save the period of the Sixers with two big shots at three-point well timed. It must also be said that in the camp opposite, Patty Mills is doing everything to show that he would have loved to play in Philly, all the magic potion used at Staples Center disappears to make way for one of the worst matches of the Australian this season. It does not take more to give hope to the Sixers. However, we see Embiid injured his ankle and his return seems uncertain in the last quarter. But what will happen?
Embiid (34 PTS, 6 REB) had himself a NIGHT vs. the Nets ???? pic.twitter.com/UkHEusV7wh
— NBA TV (@NBATV) December 31, 2021
This is what we fucking wantpic.twitter.com/mhIR0uPxtP
– TrashTalk (@TrashTalk_fr) December 31, 2021
Here is the complete sequence.
Embiid secures the win and tells KD and the Nets to “GO HOME”.
You should know that in the last game between Philly and Brooklyn, it was Durant who told the Sixers to go home.pic.twitter.com/uYV0AT8kqm
– TrashTalk (@TrashTalk_fr) December 31, 2021
Well, we’re going to witness this famous duel, or rather a double-duel between four men, the KD – Harden pair on one side and the Embiid – Maxey combo on the other. Achieving a record three-point match in his young career, Tyrese plants 5 shots from the parking lot and every serve given in the corner turns into a string, trashtalking included with the Nets bench. The Brooklyn public might believe it, but there is nothing it can be done. When KD returned the advantage to his team, Tobias Harris released his only good penetration of the game to keep the Sixers strong. And when Harden makes speak his magic ball in hand to make flinch the visitors, Embiid crushes the opposing racket with in particular this devastating and one which will put a lid on the meeting. The collective performance of Philly impresses, while the buzzer sounds we say to ourselves that we will stop there, best regards. But no. Getting confused a few minutes earlier at the throwing line, Joel Embiid and Kevin Durant exchanged a few courtesies. The Cameroonian pivot takes the ball at the buzzer and points to the locker room, telling the Nets to go home. The players are bound to be tense, but what can they do or say? The game is over, and the Sixers have won. Days earlier, it was KD himself who had told Philly to return home after a huge night from the Nets winger. The backlash? Yes a bit. But one more layer, above all, in the rivalry that exists between these two players and these two franchises. Finally ? Joel leaves with a new card in a Dantesque end of the calendar year (34 points), while Maxey ensures death (25 points) in front of the vital contribution of Niang and Drummond. Philly wins in Brooklyn, without Doc Rivers at the controls, and with a boss who puts the buzzer way there. What more could you ask for, if not a transfer of Ben Simmons counting down this Friday night.
We can say that things heated up nicely in Brooklyn last night! The Sixers had a bad taste in their mouths, having lost to the Nets two weeks ago. Ball in the center, trashtalking in support, the next meeting between KD and Embiid will be on March 10. As much to tell you that we have already noted the case in our diary, it will burn between the two All-Stars!
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