The Brooklyn Nets (9-19) have been playing their best basketball of the season in December as they have figured out how to fix their porous defense. After beating the Toronto Raptors in convincing fashion on Sunday, Brooklyn had a tough matchup on the road at the Philadelphia 76ers (16-12), but the Nets figured out how to close the game in the fourth quarter.
The Nets beat the 76ers 114-106 after leading Philadelphia by as many as 19 points thanks to a combination of forward Michael Porter Jr.’s heroics along with the team’s defensive effort. Porter finished the game with 28 points and five rebounds while rookie Egor Demin rose to the occasion in front of a hostile crowd with 20 points and five assists of his own.
The Nets looked like they were going to drop the ball in the fourth quarter after being unable to make a field-goal for almost four minutes, but Brooklyn took advantage of the fact that 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey struggled to just 3-of-14 shooting from the field for 13 points. The Nets pulled out a huge win on the road so here are the player grades following Sunday’s win over the 76ers:
Egor Demin: A
Demin did a good job scoring the ball in this one as he had his three-point shot falling, spreading out the 76ers’ defense throughout the game because of how efficient he was. Demin did a much better game of taking care of the basketball and distributing it without turning it over, something that head coach Jordi Fernandez has been focusing on when it comes to the rookie’s development.
Terance Mann: B
Mann wasn’t particularly involved against the 76ers in terms of looking for his shot as he seemed to focus his energy on making sure that Michael Porter Jr. touched the ball whenever possible. Mann, like he has done for all of the teams that he has played for during his career, did a little bit of everything, including playing solid defense in tough matchups like Paul George, for example.
Michael Porter Jr.: A
Porter couldn’t be stopped to begin this game as he scored 25 points in the first half with a variety of three-pointers and layups at the rim that Philadelphia didn’t have much of an answer for. Porter tailed off in the second half as some of his teammates stepped up with their scoring output, but Porter set the tone to begin this game and the team followed his lead.
Noah Clowney: B-
Clowney struggled shooting the ball against the 76ers despite getting some open looks from behind the three-point line as he just didn’t have his shooting touch in this contest. While Clowney struggled to defend without fouling as he had plenty of trouble staying with the likes of Joel Embiid, he competed on the defensive end and was disruptive on plenty of possessions.
Nic Claxton: B+
Claxton had a tough matchup coming into this game as he knew that he would be facing one of the toughest covers in the league in Joel Embiid, but Claxton figured out multiple ways to impact the game to make up for Embiid getting his buckets. Claxton was efficient scoring the ball in the paint, he was constantly on the glass, and he did a good job of taking care of the basketball.
Ziaire Williams: C+
Williams struggled shooting the ball in Philadelphia despite getting some open looks off of the attention that Porter drew throughout the contest, especially after his shooting explosion in the first half. Williams did a great job of getting to the free-throw line despite his poor shooting and his tenacity on the defensive end led to him making scoring difficult for players like Tyrese Maxey and Paul George.
Danny Wolf: C-
Wolf struggled mightily shooting the ball in this one as Philadelphia’s length and athleticism in the frontcourt seemed to bother Wolf when he attempted to score at the rim. Wolf had a rough game all along as he had difficulty taking care of the ball and he had trouble defending without fouling for the majority of the game due to the 76ers playing more perimeter players mostly due to injuries.
Day’Ron Sharpe: A
Sharpe was effective for the Nets coming off the bench in this one, especially with starting center Nic Claxton getting into foul trouble in the first half from guarding Joel Embiid. Sharpe did a little bit of everything as he scored the ball well in the paint, rebounded well, made some nice passes, and had some quick hands on the defensive end to bring plenty of value to this matchup.
Tyrese Martin: B-
Martin had a solid performance coming off the bench as he didn’t make too many mistakes and he did what Fernandez is expecting from him which is to play defense and hit the occasional open shot from three-point land. Martin’s minutes have decreased recently as Fernandez is trying to see what he has in Nolan Traore as a backup point guard, but Martin is doing a good job of adapting to an ever-changing role.
Nolan Traore: C+
Traore saw some solid playing time against Philadelphia and while he looked rough in the first half, he seemed to get his confidence back in the second half as he settled into the game. Traore has some traits that can make him a contributor like his speed and agility, but he has to be willing to take the open shots that come his way, especially in the pick-and-roll.