PHILADELPHIA — Cam Johnson’s poster dunk over Joel Embiid went viral inside seconds, however the Nets’ Game 2 loss Monday erased any pleasure the ahead had from the second.
Johnson scored 23 first-half factors, none extra punctuating than a one-handed, cock-back tomahawks over the league’s presumptive MVP earlier than staring him down on his method again up the court docket on protection within the remaining minute of the primary half.
“I just thought Embiid was kind of a step behind, and I had a lane,” stated a disgruntled Johnson postgame. “I thought there were times last game where I should’ve dunked, and I said that. So I just thought I’d take advantage of an opportunity at that point.”
Johnson stated the second wasn’t the very best dunk of his profession.
“It don’t really mean that much. It’s just two points,” he stated. “Like I said, I just thought I saw an opportunity and took it. There’s not really much more to it. I’m more concerned about wins than dunks.”
CALLING ON DINWIDDIE
Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn stated he’s on the lookout for any individual — “anybody” — to step up and help Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson within the scoring division. Starting level guard Spencer Dinwiddie has not performed properly by the primary two video games of the first-round sequence.
Dinwiddie shot simply 5-of-14 from the sphere and one-of-three from downtown in Game 2′s loss to the Sixers. In the 20-point blowout loss in Game 1, he shot 5-of-12 from the sphere and missed 4 of his 5 makes an attempt from downtown.
Vaughn stated he’ll proceed to belief Dinwiddie’s offense. He averaged a double-double within the remaining leg of the common season however hasn’t fairly discovered his stride in opposition to the Sixers.
“I think overall, his ability to get downhill we want more from him,” the coach stated postgame. “He understands that; he’s got to continue to push the pace for us. He’s huge for us, and he knows it. We love him. We depend on him. He’s going to have the basketball back in his hands when we get back home and he’ll continue to play and lead us.”
REBOUND MARGIN
The Nets solely misplaced by three within the rebounding margin in Game 1 – however they misplaced by 20. In Game 2, they misplaced the rebound margin, 56-33. They had been shut-out on second-chance factors, 18-0, after dropping by the identical margin in Game 1, 21-3.
Part of it’s schematic: The Nets went small with Royce O’Neale at heart and 5 shooters on the ground. It allowed the Sixers to crash the glass — however the Nets couldn’t capitalize on open pictures. They hit simply 13 on 42 makes an attempt.
“I don’t think that’s an area where we can just lay down and accept the fact that they’ll outrebound us,” stated Johnson, who grabbed 4 rebounds on the night time. Sixers starter Tobias Harris doubled his season common with 12 rebounds in Game 2. Five of them got here on the offensive glass. “I mean, Tobias is sneaking in there. I think we just gotta continue to do a better job putting bodies on them. They’re not small guys by any stretch of the imagination. They’re big and they can get in there and rebound, so we just gotta turn the game as physical as we can, we kinda gotta embrace that griminess to it and continue to fight.”
EMBIID HEARD
Sixers star Joel Embiid stated Vaughn’s complaining in regards to the officiating after Game 1 labored in Brooklyn’s favor in Game 2.
Vaughn stated the officers missed touring calls and three seconds violations on Embiid in Game 1. The famous person heart turned the ball over eight occasions in Game 2.
“I saw after the game last time, [Vaughn] kinda took a page out of [Raptors head coach] Nick Nurse’s book and started begging for free throws and calling out the referees,” Embiid stated. “They got a lot of calls, which I guess is good for them.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com