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The Brooklyn Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers meet again on Monday night for Game 2 of their Eastern Conference first round playoff matchup at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
Taking Control of the Series
The Brooklyn Nets shocked the Philadelphia 76ers with a 111-102 win in Game 1 of their first round playoff series. D’Angelo Russell scored 14 out of his 26 points in the third quarter as the Nets shocked the third-ranked Sixers in Philadelphia with a superb all-around effort. They now look to take control of the series before the series shifts to Brooklyn for Game 3.
While Russell flashed his All-Star form, Caris LeVert also scored 23 points for the Nets while Joe Harris made three out of four three pointers for 13 points. Spencer Dinwiddie also had a big game with 18 points for Brooklyn. Ed Davis had a monster night with 12 points and 16 rebounds for the Nets while DeMarre Carroll had 11 points, 6 rebounds and three steals.
Brooklyn outshot Philadelphia by making 43.2% of their baskets from the floor and 42.3% from behind the three point arc. They made three more field goals and had 8 more three pointers. The Nets also made 24 out of 26 free throws (92.3%) and had nine steals on the night.
No Sense of Urgency
The Sixers played without any sense of urgency in Game 1 as they struggled with Joel Embiid playing hurt. Philadelphia looked like a team that was simply going through the motions and never resembled a team that wants to win a playoff series. They also struggled to shoot from the floor despite playing on their home court.
Embiid scored 22 points and grabbed 15 rebounds but it was clear that he wasn’t 100% and that he was bothered by the tendinitis that has sidelined him since the All-Star break. Jimmy Butler has a sensational game with 36 points while Ben Simmons only had 9 points on five shots. J.J. Redick managed just 5 points while Tobias Harris only scored 4 points in Game 1.
Philadelphia outrebounded Brooklyn 64-52, had more shot blocks at 11-2 and more assists at 20-15. However, as a team, the Sixers shot just 40.7 from the floor and were just 29-42 from the foul line but what really hurt them was the fact that they went 3-25 or 12% from behind the three point arc.
Who Wins?
Brooklyn is 6-4 SU in their last 10 games played. The Nets are 4-2 SU in their last six game on the road. Philadelphia is 4-6 SU in their last 10 games played. The Sixers are 2-2 SU in their last 10 games played at home. Head to head, the Nets have won two out of the last three games between these two teams.
Philadelphia was a disappointment in Game 1 while Brooklyn proved that they aren’t afraid of the moment. The Sixers looked on paper like they were going to blow the Nets out of their building. But Brooklyn played their scrappy style and made their three pointers while the Sixers played flat and lacked the sense of urgency that is needed in the playoffs.
Philadelphia shot poorly from behind the three point line while the Nets waxed hot early and that helped them control the game. With the Game 1 win, Brooklyn only gets more confident about doing the job again on Monday while the Sixers are left asking many questions.
Despite the loss in Game 1, the Sixers still have won seven out of their last nine games at home while the Nets are 5-4 SU in their last nine games on the road. I expect the Nets to play well because of the momentum. But I think the Sixers are going to play better here and do enough to even the series. I’m picking the Philadelphia 76ers to bounce back and beat the Brooklyn Nets in Game 2 of their series.
Other Bets To Make
The Nets are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games played. Brooklyn is 5-1 ATS in their last six games on the road. The Sixers are 4-6 ATS in their last 10 games played. Philadelphia is 2-2 ATS in their last four games played at home. Head to head, the Nets are 4-1 ATS in their last five meetings.
Nets
+7.5 (-110)
76ers
-7.5 (-110)
Odds from betonline.ag as of 4/14/19
The Nets are 5-1 ATS in their last six Monday games, 6-1 ATS in their last seven road games and 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games overall. The Sixers are 4-1 ATS in their last five conference quarterfinals playoff games, 1-4 ATS in their last five Monday games and 6-15 ATS in their last 21 games against the Atlantic Division. I expect the Sixers to play better despite Embiid still playing with a compromised knee. However, I don’t think Game 1 was a fluke as the Nets are a team that plays hard, plays fast and makes a lot of three pointers while the Sixers rely heavily on individual talent and iso ball. I think Philly will get the win but the Nets are too competitive to be a +7.5. Give me the free points. Prediction: Nets +7.5
The total has gone under in six out of the last 10 games played by the Nets. Brooklyn has seen the total go under in 16 out of their last 27 road games. The total has gone over in six out of the last 10 games played by the Sixers. The over is 3-1 in Philadelphia’s last four home games. Head to head, the over is 6-4 in the last 10 games between these two teams.
Nets
O 225.5 -110
76ers
U 225.5 -110
Odds from betonline.ag as of 4/14/19
The over is 4-1-1 in the last six meetings between these two teams in Philadelphia. The total has gone over in five out of the last six games played by the Sixers and the over is also 5-2 in Brooklyn’s last seven games on the road. The trend points to the over but these teams combined to score just 213 points in Game 1. The Sixers missed 22 out of 25 three pointers in Game 1 plus J.J. Redick and Tobias Harris were a combined 11-31 from the floor for a total of 18 points. As I said earlier, I expect the Sixers to play better and with a sense of urgency. Redick and Harris should shoot better as well too. Prediction: Over 225.5
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