PHILADELPHIA – When the Nets double-teamed presumptive league MVP Joel Embiid, he simply discovered his teammates, who carried the Sixers to a 20-point victory in Game 1 regardless of a suboptimal scoring evening from the celebrity large man.
Yet when the 76ers started double-teaming Mikal Bridges within the second half after his scorching begin by means of the primary two quarters, the Nets didn’t have the identical luxurious. The Sixers have been ready to remove the three-point shot by crashing the glass. Brooklyn turned the ball over 12 occasions within the second half and 19 occasions on the evening.
The Nets couldn’t generate sufficient offense to maintain up with a high-scoring 76ers staff with championship aspirations.
As the Nets proceed an uphill battle of their first-round playoff collection in opposition to the Sixers, defensive sport planning – and making counter-adjustments – would be the distinction between ending the primary quarter down 5, getting into halftime down 9, and shedding in blowout style like they did on Saturday.
The Nets should discover methods to double-team Embiid, which Spencer Dinwiddie mentioned will probably be their sport plan your entire collection, and nonetheless take away Philadelphia’s different scoring choices – whereas additionally higher responding to the Sixers’ makes an attempt to stifle Bridges’ scorching taking pictures.
“Overall I thought our guys did a good job of the game plan that we had for them of trying to go get that done,” head coach Jacque Vaughn mentioned forward of apply at Temple University’s Pearson & McGonigle Hall late Sunday morning. “There’s some tweaks that we can make for sure that we will make and that’s the great part of playoff basketball. I was impressed with our guys ability to adjust when we needed to, so I’m very confident in that and I thought they were ready to play. What the first quarter looked like, I thought we were ready for the atmosphere.”
The Nets double-teamed Embiid on the high-post contact from the opening tip-off. He scored solely 10 factors within the first half on three-of-seven taking pictures from the sector. He scored 16 extra within the second half and made all 11 of his free throw makes an attempt in Game 1.
Dinwiddie mentioned the Nets have been happy with how the Nets defended probably the greatest isolation large males in NBA historical past.
“I think we did a solid job,” the start line guard mentioned after Sunday’s apply. “I anticipate him to come back out full drive subsequent sport making an attempt to make an affect. It’s not a man who’s going to be held to zero factors as a result of he’s going to shoot 20-something occasions and get 10 free throws. It’s simply not the case, so it’s about making it laborious on him after which we will restrict a pair extra threes from them when it comes to common share sensible.
“We’re right there.”
What was unsatisfactory for Vaughn and the Nets, and what might decide whether or not this collection goes past a four-game sweep, is Brooklyn’s protection in opposition to the opposite 4 gamers on the courtroom with Embiid.
The celebrity heart led the Sixers in scoring, however ex-Nets star James Harden hit seven threes for 23 factors and dished 13 assists. Long Island native Tobias Harris additionally scored 21 factors and made all three of his makes an attempt from downtown.
The Nets didn’t defend the three-point line effectively in Game 1, nor did they try the amount of threes that historically lends itself to victories for Brooklyn. While Vaughn needs his staff to aim 40 to 50 threes an evening, the Nets solely obtained up 29 in opposition to the Sixers, changing on simply 12.
Harden and Harris hit 10 mixed. The Sixers hit 21 on 43 makes an attempt.
“We’re going to give up some threes because obviously you see our strategy is to double Embiid, which means we’re going to give up threes,” Dinwiddie mentioned. “But in the event that they shoot 40% as a substitute of fifty% – which might nonetheless be superb – it utterly adjustments the format of that sport. Four extra missed 3s, provide you with a pair extra hustle performs, after which we take our turnovers from like 20 to love 12, that’s eight extra shot makes an attempt for us.
“And these are all very normal, controllable things vs. saying ‘You know what? I don’t know what to tell you. We played a perfect game. We gave it our best shot and we just were short.’ I mean, that wasn’t the case.”
Vaughn, nonetheless, was fast to level out solely half of the Sixers’ made threes got here when Embiid sprayed the ball out of a double staff. The different half have been open seems in opposition to a lax Nets protection.
On one occasion, the Sixers recovered an offensive rebound that led to an open three for reserve ahead Georges Niang. On one other, the Nets have been sloppy with the ball, and the turnover led to a transition three for Tyrese Maxey.
“That’s the great thing about the film. It tells the truth,” the Nets’ coach mentioned. “You take one for example: I think the game is a three-point game, and Tobias comes down on Spencer in front of their bench and he takes two dribbles and pulls up and makes an off-the-bounce three. That has nothing to do with double teams. So you really gotta look at all the possessions, and I’ve gotta convince this group to look at all the possessions and see which ones came from scrambling and which ones came from just normal basketball plays.”
Yet the important thing for Brooklyn offensively is to take a web page out of Philadelphia’s sport plan.
In his first playoff sport as a staff’s No. 1 scoring possibility, Bridges picked up the place he left off within the common season. He scored 30 factors on 12-of-18 taking pictures from the sector, up from his Nets common of 27 factors per sport. Eleven of these Game 1 factors got here within the first quarter and the Nets star tallied 23 by halftime.
And then, the Sixers began to double Bridges. They additionally discovered methods to raised reply to Brooklyn’s makes an attempt to point out Embiid additional our bodies. The Nets held Embiid to only 10 first half factors and 26 altogether – seven below his league-leading season scoring common.
Bridges solely scored seven factors within the second half. He made his solely two pictures of the half, however the Sixers succeeded in taking him out of the sport.
The Nets are actually anticipating the Sixers to start out displaying Bridges the double staff on the opening tipoff of Game 2, not halftime. Starting heart Nic Claxton, who solely scored 4 factors to go along with his 10 rebounds and three blocks, mentioned the staff has to do a greater job of assuaging the defensive stress proven to Brooklyn’s star scorer.
“That’s one of those quick adjustments you’ve gotta be ready for,” mentioned beginning heart Nic Claxton, who solely scored 4 factors to go along with 10 rebounds and three blocks in Game 1. “Going into the next game, I’ll be more aware of it going to set screens, and we’ve all gotta make sure if we’re cutting off-ball or guys are spacing out for the three, we’ll make sure that we’re in the right spots.”
Dinwiddie mentioned when Bridges will get double-teamed, the Nets need to be OK with him being faraway from the play and enjoying four-on-three basketball on the second facet of the courtroom.
“Once you get two on the ball, your job’s done. We talked about that when they blitzed me and stuff like that,” the start line guard mentioned after Sunday’s apply. “It may not be a big scoring game after that, but you get that second defense incredibly well if they’re resorting to that defense because it’s basically an admission that they can’t guard you.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com