Field Level Media
Apr 3, 2018
JJ Redick scored 19 points, Marco Belinelli added 17 and the Philadelphia 76ers cruised past the Brooklyn Nets 121-95 Tuesday night at the Wells Fargo Center.
Ben Simmons contributed 15 points, 12 rebounds and six assists and Robert Covington had 12 points for the surging Sixers, who won their 11th straight game and further strengthened their playoff position in the Eastern Conference. Ersan Ilyasova scored 11 points and grabbed 13 rebounds while Richaun Holmes scored 10 points. T.J. McConnell and Markelle Fultz had 10 apiece. The Sixers last won 11 straight games in 1989-90.
It was the 36th double-double for Simmons.
The short-handed Sixers continued to play very well without All-Star center Joel Embiid (orbital bone) and forward Dario Saric (elbow).
Philadelphia recorded at least 20 assists for the 29th straight game.
Spencer Dinwiddie led the Nets with 16 points while Jahlil Okafor added 15 and Joe Harris had 13. Nik Stauskas scored 13 points and DeMarre Carroll had 10 before leaving with an apparent injury in the third quarter.
Even with mostly bench players, the Sixers maintained a large lead through the fourth quarter. They held a 105-85 advantage with 4:43 remaining.
A quick 11-0 spurt early in the third pushed the Sixers' advantage to 72-50.
Because the game already was well in hand, Sixers head coach Brett Brown even played Simmons and Fultz in the same backcourt for a bit, which has been rare. Fultz drained a deep jumper and the Sixers lead was suddenly 80-56 with 5:47 remaining in the third.
Philadelphia held a 93-71 advantage at the end of the third.
The Sixers bolted to a late 13-0 run to take a 61-49 lead at halftime.
Without Embiid and Saric, Simmons took over for much of the first half with 12 points, nine rebounds and four assists.
The Nets launched an incredible 27 shots from beyond the 3-point arc, making 12.
--Field Level Media