Brooklyn Nets: Flatbush Takes Opening Game at Philadelphia

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

The Dismayed City of Brotherly Love

FINAL

Nets    111

76ers  102

Home Crowd Turns on Sixers as Brooklyn Nets Negate Home Court With Game One Victory at Philadelphia.

Philly is a tough sports town, and Saturday afternoon, they let their Sixers know exactly how they felt.  They appeared less distressed about getting outplayed by the Brooklyn Nets, and far more incensed with their team's own piss poor performance.  While Brooklyn was making it rain threes, the crowd spent the better part of their afternoon likewise raining boos down upon their team.

Oh, the glory of it all.

Joel Embiid, clearly hobbled by a bad knee, nonetheless contributed 22 points, 15 rebounds (11 on the defensive boards,) and five blocks, in 24-minutes.  However, more than half (12) of his points came from the free throw line, not to mention he shot a dismal 0 for 5 while loitering behind the arc.

Jimmy Butler showed up to play.  But the same can not be fully said of a Philly team well stocked with talent.

• Just three scorers in double digits.
• Tobias Harris led the Sixers with 41 minutes but only accounted for four points.
• Ben Simmons: nine points and just three assists.
• JJ Redick: just five points on 2/7 from the field.
• They hurt themselves at the line, converting just 29 of 42 (69%) free throws, but were even more pathetic shooting 3 of 25 (12%) from three range.

The Nets on the other hand, were 24 of 26 (92%) from the free throw line, and an efficient 11 of 26 (42%) from beyond the arc.

Jarrett Allen got into early foul trouble and only logged 10 minutes.  Enter Ed Davis, whom matched Joel Embiid with a double-double of his own, scoring 12 points off the bench and securing a game high 16 rebounds (13 on the defensive end).  Spencer Dinwiddie added another 18 points in 32 minutes off the bench.  Joe Harris played up to his average with 13 points and 3 of 4 form three point range.  D'Angelo Russell led the Nets with 26 points, but Caris LeVert's 23 points off the bench proved most lethal.  In fact, the Nets bench outscored the Philly bench by a 59-26 margin.