Field Level Media
Dec 15, 2019
Spencer Dinwiddie scored 24 points as the Brooklyn Nets capitalized on Joel Embiid's absence and led most of the way in a 109-89 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night in New York.
The Nets led for the final 41:54 in the first meeting between the teams since the first round of last spring's postseason. Embiid averaged 24.8 points in the four games he played in that series but sat out with an upper respiratory illness and missed his sixth game of the season.
Dinwiddie helped the Nets improve to 10-5 without Kyrie Irving (right shoulder impingement) by shooting 9 of 21 from the field and adding six assists. It was Dinwiddie's fourth straight 24-point game and 13th game scoring at least 20 since being elevated to the starting lineup to replace Irving.
Joe Harris added 16 for the Nets, who led by as many as 23 and shot 45.7 percent. Garrett Temple added 13 while DeAndre Jordan had 13 points and 11 rebounds as the Nets scored 64 points in the paint and outrebounded Philadelphia 51-38.
Ben Simmons scored 20 points for Philadelphia, which saw a five-game winning streak stopped, lost for only the second time in its past 11 games, and was held under 90 points for the first time this season.
Tobias Harris added 17 for the 76ers, who shot 43 percent and missed 21 of 26 3-point attempts.
Josh Richardson was held to 11 points, and Al Horford finished with 10 as he started for Embiid at center.
After taking a five-point lead through the first quarter, the Nets took their first double-digit lead when Jordan's tip-in made it 38-27 with 7:58 remaining. The Sixers were within 49-41 on a basket by Simmons with 3:12 left, but Brooklyn held a 57-43 lead by halftime.
Dinwiddie's dunk over Harris put Brooklyn up 64-52 with 8:28 remaining in the third quarter, and the Sixers were within 66-58 on a jumper by Harris with seven minutes left. Philadelphia missed nine straight shots until a 3-pointer by Mike Scott with 80 seconds left. The struggle extended to missing 11 of its final 13 shots to end the quarter as the Nets took an 83-66 lead into the fourth.
The Nets finished off the game when Dinwiddie hit a 3-pointer with 6:29 remaining to push the lead to 99-76.
--Field Level Media