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Philadelphia 76ers upset Brooklyn Nets 106-97

By ghoti
Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Coming into tonight's game the 76ers lost 5 straight and 12 of 13. Over that stretch, they lost to Minnesota, Washington and Orlando twice - including last night, which means they were playing the second half of a back-to-back.

The Nets were winners of 3 in-a-row and 8 of 12, including wins over Indiana, Milwaukee (twice) and Denver. They won Saturday in Atlanta and had Sunday off while the Sixers were battling the Magic in Orlando and traveling.

So why did the Nets, who were a touchdown favorite according to the oddsmakers, lose the game?

Mostly, it was poor defense, with a little help from unproductive games by key players and a questionable rotation.

- The Nets allowed the Sixers to shoot 52%.

- Six Philly players scored in double figures, including Spencer Hawes (24 points on 10-15 shooting - his season high), Damien Wilkins ( 13 points, 5-8), Dorell Wright (15 points, 6-10) and Thad Young (16 points, 6-9). All-Star Jrue Holiday and former #2 overall pick Evan Turner complete the sextet.

- The Sixers shot 8-15 (53%) from three led by 3 from Wilkins. The Nets went 6-19 (31%).

- Philadelphia had only 7 turnovers.

- Gerald Wallace: 2-8 shooting for 4 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal, 0 blocks in 25:37, Keith Bogans: 3 points, 1 rebound, no assists, no steals, no blocks in 26:04, Mirza Teletovic 2-7 for 4 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, no steals, no blocks in 17:01. That is a lot of minutes and almost no production. Combine that with the general offensive problems caused by playing Reggie Evans 31 minutes and you have a huge hole that is very difficult to climb out of.

The Nets' "big three" actually had good nights. Deron Williams had a monster game with 27 points and 13 assists. Joe Johnson shot 8-11 and made some tough shots down the stretch. Brook Lopez started strong again, but as is often the case he was removed for a long stretch spanning the 1st and 2nd quarters and never regained his form. Despite this happening so frequently, there has been no sign that the coaching staff will adjust to try and prevent it. Lopez still wound up with 19 points on 8-13 shooting, but based on his early dominance there was a sense it could have been much more. He also sat for a long stretch in the 4th quarter and actually played only 100 seconds more than the offensively-challenged Evans.

Quick Notes:

- Williams recorded his 10,000th NBA point.

- Before the game, interim coach P.J. Carlesimo was talking about the importance of Williams' recent good play and mentioned that Joe Johnson was still limited by "the ankle or whatever the hell it is - shin". A reporter informed him it is Johnson's heel that was injured. If you knew that, you are one up on the head coach!

- The Loud and Proud section made up of many rowdy NetsDaily members were indeed loud and did themselves proud. They were clearly audible throughout the game and were featured on the pre-game show and mentioned during the broadcast. Hopefully they had fun even though the Nets didn't come through with a victory.

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Game 64: Brooklyn Nets @ Philadelphia 76ers

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