Nets drop Game 1 as Sixers use 3-point shooting to their advantage

PHILADELPHIA — The Nets never let the game get out of hand, but the Philadelphia 76ers showed why they’re one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference during Game 1.

Brooklyn dropped the opening game of the best-of-seven series on Saturday afternoon 121-101 at Wells Fargo Center. The Nets were dominated along the offensive glass by Philly and the Sixers were hot from three-point range even as Brooklyn tried to limit Joel Embiid’s impact in the game.

The MVP candidate still finished the night with a team-high 26 points for Philly.

“That’s the discipline, the consistency that you’re gonna need for four quarters,” Nets coach Jacque Vaughn said of Embiid’s second half. “And so for us we were able to be on time with some of our traps at the beginning of the game. We still got to be on time and a third in the fourth quarter. What he did do is reestablish himself, whether it was trying to repost or reestablish at the top of the key once he gave it up.

“Those are the ones we need to take away from it and make it tougher for him. Everything has to be challenged for him. There’s nothing that we want to allow to be easy for especially those two guys on the other team.”

The Nets kept things close for the better part of the afternoon before the 76ers finally pulled away in the final 12 minutes of the game. Mikal Bridges recorded 30 points in his first postseason game with the Nets, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Sixers’ lead.

Philadelphia used its size to pull down 14 offensive boards that kept countless plays alive and the Nets were outscored 21-3 in second-chance points. The Nets also took 19 fewer shot attempts than the 76ers in the Game 1 loss.

“Our boards and three-point attempts and three-point makes,” Cam Johnson said when asked what made the difference in Saturday’s loss. “They shot 19 more times and it’s hard to beat a team when they shoot 19 more times than you, they make 21 threes and come away with 14 offensive rebounds. It just makes a lot harder.”

Bridges shot 12-of-18 from the floor and 2-for-4 from three, while grabbing five rebounds. Cam Johnson shot 7-of-11 from the field while putting up 18 points and Spencer Dinwiddie had 14 points and seven assists.

“None of that s–t matters when you lose,” Bridges said about his individual effort. “It feels good to make some shots, but I’d rather miss shots and win, so it’s whatever.”

Dinwiddie did turn the ball over four times and struggled to try to lob the ball to his teammates at various times on Saturday. Seth Curry had 10 points off the bench and hit a pair of threes.

Even with Embiid being limited to just seven shot attempts in the first half, the NBA superstar still ended the day shooting 7-for-15 from the floor and hit all 11 of his free throws. Harden was able to stick it to his former team a bit with a 23-point performance which included seven three-pointers.

The Sixers took all four meetings against the Nets during the regular season and have now extended their stretch into the playoffs.