Sixers Bounce Back and Take Down Brooklyn in NBA Cup Game

Coming off two straight losses, the 76ers recovered and took down the Brooklyn Nets 115-103 in Brooklyn on Friday night, marking the Sixers’ first win in the NBA Cup, finishing the tournament with a 1-3 record.

Philadelphia improves to 10-8 on the season and now holds the 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Nets fall to 3-15 and move down to the 13 seed in the East.

The Sixers were led by Tyrese Maxey, who, despite having a slower night offensively, snagged a season-high 9 rebounds. Maxey shot 7 for 16 from the field and knocked down two threes to add 22 points to the scoring column. Maxey struggled from deep, with his two made threes coming in 8 shot attempts. The three-point shooting was rough for Philadelphia all around, as the team shot just 11 for 37 from beyond the arc.

With the three-point shot lacking, the team relied on its defense to take down Brooklyn. The Nets were held to under 30 points in each of the four quarters, with their highest total being 28 points in the fourth.

Paul George made the most of his 21 minutes on the floor, knocking down 6 of his 10 shot attempts for a total of 14 points on the night. George played good defense as well, snatching 2 steals and holding his own against all of his matchups.

But it was Jared McCain who stole the show in Brooklyn.

McCain had his first breakout game of his second season, scoring 20 points with 4 three pointers. He came off the bench but ended up earning 28 minutes on the floor. He hit 7 of his 16 shot attempts and hit 4 of his 10 threes. McCain has been out for the majority of the beginning of the season with his UCL injury in his right thumb after his dominant early-season performance last season, but Friday’s showing was a step in the right direction after a slow start after his return.

Despite McCain’s performance, it was the injury of Andre Drummond that was the most important factor in Friday’s game. The 32-year-old went down awkwardly late in the first half, with his knees locking up as he fell to the floor. He proceeded to miss the rest of the game and was ruled to have a sprain in his right knee. Drummond, who has been a major piece behind Joel Embiid this season, is averaging 8 points and 11 rebounds, with his rebound average standing top 10 in the league. He and Adem Bona both have filled in for Embiid while he’s out with his knee injuries, and losing Drummond could be a major setback for Philadelphia.

Bona stepped up for Drummond on Friday, hitting 6 of his 7 shot attempts and scoring 13 points. He hit his first career three-pointer late in the fourth quarter and added 6 boards and had 4 blocks in his efforts.

Philadelphia moves on to play the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday in the Xfinity Mobile Arena, while Brooklyn will take on the Milwaukee Bucks tomorrow night.

Get New Articles Emailed Right To Your Inbox: