The combination of point guard D’Angelo Russell and reserve guard Caris LeVert contributed 49 points to the Brooklyn Nets who beat the Philadelphia Sixers on Saturday 102-111 in the first game of the opening round of the Conference playoffs. East.
Russell, who made his playoff debut as a professional, shone with 26 points, including 19 in the second half, four assists and three rebounds, which made him the undisputed leader of the Nets, who lead 0-1 in the series that they dispute to the best of seven.
The second game will be played next Monday on the same stage at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia and the Nets will arrive with the field advantage in their favor, which at the beginning of the series was for the Sixers after finishing in third place in the qualifying during the regular season.
LeVert also confirmed his great moment of form and being the sixth star player for the Nets by scoring 23 points, including the three 3-pointers he made, and 4-4 from the personnel line, in addition to capturing four rebounds and giving two assists.
Another short man, reserve point guard Spencer Dinwiddie, was also a winning factor after scoring 18 points and being the third highest scorer on a list of six Nets players who had double-digit numbers.
The Sixers, who were always behind on the scoreboard and could never beat the Nets defense, had their best player with 36 points in guard Jimmy Butler, who kept the loss from being more humiliating for the Philadelphia team.
The Cameroonian All-Star center Joel Embiid, despite contributing a double-double of 22 points, 15 rebounds, four assists and five blocks, could not be a winning factor as he was limited by the pain he suffers in his left knee.
While the Australian point guard Ben Simmons, who faced his former schoolmate in the playoffs for the first time, had just nine points, seven rebounds and three assists.
The Nets, who were 16 points ahead in the fourth quarter, secured the victory with a 12-0 streak that left the Sixers unresponsive with the exception of Butler, who avoided further humiliation of the Sixers against the 20,000 spectators who came to witness the match and who left with the frustration of the unexpected defeat. EFE