76ers Trample Nets in Final Game of Road Trip; 123-94
Jan 4, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) celebrates with guard Tyrese Maxey (0) during the first half against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
The 76ers finish their road trip on a high note after owning the Nets for 4-straight quarters. The Sixers conclude the 6-game road trip with a record of 4-2 following this 29-point victory. This win also gets them back on track after dropping two straight to the Kings and Warriors.
The Nets came out swinging for the first few minutes of the game, building an 11-0 advantage out of the gate. The Sixers stormed back, starting off with a nice Paul George catch-and-shoot three and the score became 15-15.
From that point midway through the first the Sixers never looked back, and never gave up the lead again. The Sixers looked the best they have all season, granted the Nets were missing Cameron Johnson and Cam Thomas.
They had 5 players score in double digits, of course, the usual suspects: Joel Embiid, George, and Tyrese Maxey. The most noteworthy, however, were Caleb Martin and rookie Justin Edwards. Martin had the best game of his season, scoring 17 points on 7-8 from the field with 4 rebounds and 3 assists to boot. Then off the bench, Philadelphia native and Imhotep alum, Justin Edwards, scored 11 off the bench while sinking 3 threes and grabbing 5 rebounds. Edwards played 22 minutes tonight which more than doubled his recent game-high, which happens to be the previous game against the Warriors where he played 10 minutes. Edwards getting a more sustained run in the short future may be expected.
While Jared McCain is out, Nick Nurse and the Sixers need to find major contributors now as they look to crawl back into the playoff race. These contributions are unlikely to come from guys like Kyle Lowry, Reggie Jackson, or Eric Gordon, despite how well they played today. This is a gamble Nurse should be willing to take, playing a young guy with raw talent, like Edwards, to spark something.
Overall, the Sixers had an above-average shooting night by their standards, they took 5 more threes than their average, and they shot 4.5 points above that 3-point average. Tonight they shot over 51% from the field, which is over 6 points more than their average, and they held the Nets to an atrocious 41% from the field.
The Sixers went 3-2 on their road trip. Going positive on this road trip wasn’t “necessary,” however, it really helps them and their position as the season marches on.
As of right now, they sit at 14-19, good for 11th in the East. They are a half-game back of Chicago for the final play-in spot and 3.5 games back of Miami and Milwaukee who own the 5th and 6th place respectively (non-play-in spots).
The Sixers have got a nice 3-game home stint coming up, and they start by taking on the Phoenix Suns on Monday. This Suns team is struggling as they have dropped their 4-straight games. They then take on Washington, then New Orleans before going back on the road to take on the Magic.
The Sixers have a 37% chance to make the playoffs, according to Basketball Reference. This is the highest it has been since it was at its lowest. Sixers are still maintained to make the playoffs according to Vegas, right now their average line is -165, which makes their implied probability to make the playoffs 62.5%.
All of this is to say the Sixers have positioned themselves to hit their stride midseason, and with Miami losing Jimmy Butler seemingly for the rest of the season, there is a huge chunk of games and spots for the taking.
Use code PHILLYSPORTSREPORT for $20 off your first SeatGeek order
Click here to save 10% on any order at FOCO
Nate Tramdaks
Nate is a Sophomore at La Salle studying finance. He closely follows the 76ers, has co-hosted his own 76ers podcast in the past, and has been writing for Syracuse University Sports.
