Sixers rally to overtake Brooklyn Nets in second half, seize 96-84 win and 2-0 series lead

Doc Rivers called a timeout 61 seconds into Monday’s third quarter, after a Spencer Dinwiddie bucket put the Brooklyn Nets up by seven points in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series against the 76ers. The coach let some expletives fly, star guard James Harden said, after his team failed to run the play drawn up to begin the half.

But then, the Sixers’ five-minute avalanche began.

Three-pointers by Tyrese Maxey (twice), Tobias Harris, and Harden. A game-tying driving finish by Joel Embiid. Two dunks and a putback by Harris. And one timeout by the Nets, with the Sixers egging on a crowd suddenly roaring in celebration after their team seized an eight-point advantage.

That game-altering stretch gave the Sixers the lead they never relinquished in a 96-84 victory Monday night at the Wells Fargo Center to go up 2-0 in the best-of-seven series.

“I thought we needed to talk about it,” Rivers said after the game of that timeout. “And give them credit. From that point on, I thought our execution was unbelievable. We got guys to the right space, Joel was patient. James was patient. We moved the ball, we got every shot we wanted.”

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The series will next shift to Brooklyn for Thursday’s Game 3 and Saturday’s Game 4, where the Sixers will have the opportunity to finish off their first playoff-series sweep since a 1991 first-round win against the Milwaukee Bucks back when opening series were only a best-of-five.

The Nets initially remained within striking distance even after the Sixers’ 20-5 outburst. But after an old-fashioned three-point play by Spencer Dinwiddie cut the Sixers’ lead to 69-68 just 1 minute, 6 seconds into the final quarter, the Nets came up empty on five consecutive possessions to allow the Sixers to regain an eight-point cushion on a Harris bucket with 7:30 remaining.

Brooklyn never got closer than five points after that, on a night they shot 37.5% from the floor while the Sixers dominated the boards, 56-33, and had an 18-0 edge in second-chance points.

“They didn’t change their strategy from what didn’t work in the first game,” Embiid said of the Nets’ game plan. ... “I hope they keep doing it, and we’re going to keep making the right plays and knock down those shots.”

The Sixers trailed by as many as 10 points in what Rivers described as a “wasted” first half, when they committed 12 turnovers, which the Nets converted into 13 points, and made just four of their 16 three-point tries while lacking spacing on the floor.

Maxey finished with 33 points on 13-of-23 shooting (6-of-13 from three-point range) to bounce back from a Game 1 when he went just 3-of-8 from the field. Harris added 20 points and 12 rebounds (five offensive) to continue his strong playoff start. That scoring production was needed on a night stars Embiid and Harden went a combined 9-of-24 from the floor.

Embiid (20 points) split two defenders as he barreled down the lane for a two-handed jam, then hit a turnaround jumper to put the Sixers up 89-78 with 2:39 left in the fourth.

Those were two exclamation points on the Sixers’ win. Before that, the MVP frontrunner had a quiet scoring night by his standards. But Rivers called him “dominant” in other facets of the game, with 19 rebounds (tying his season high), seven assists, and three blocked shots on a night he dealt with constant traps and triple-teams.

“I was really proud of Jo,” Rivers said. “ ... He just let the game come to him.”

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Embiid attempted only five first-half shots, but pulled down 15 rebounds and dished out five assists before the break. He then helped unlock the Sixers’ offense during the third quarter, consistently finding the open teammate during a period when they made four of their 10 three-point attempts. He then scored eight fourth-quarter points on 2-of-2 from the floor and 4-of-4 from the foul line to help seal the win.

“It’s fun playing that way,” Embiid said. “Everybody’s happy. It doesn’t matter if I have four points. As long as we score and guys are doing their job and making shots, that makes me happy.”

The one blemish Embiid vowed to correct: his eight turnovers.

Harden, meanwhile, struggled from the floor (3-of-13 for eight points) but was commended for the way he orchestrated the offense on a night he finished with seven assists and five rebounds.

“Didn’t score the ball well tonight, but trying to find other ways to impact the game,” Harden said. “Honestly, that’s what the playoffs are about. Obviously, you want to make every shot and score every time. But when you’re a good enough player and you can impact the game in multiple ways and your team still wins, that’s all that matters.”

After Mikal Bridges torched the Sixers with 23 first-half points Saturday, the other player who joined the Nets in the Kevin Durant blockbuster trade deal caught fire in Monday’s initial 24 minutes.

Johnson exploded for 22 first-half points, already surpassing his playoff career high before the break. He went 4-of-7 from long range and threw down two monster dunks, including posterizing Embiid in the half’s final minute.

And like Game 1, as they did to Bridges, the Sixers did a much better job limiting Johnson in the second half (six points). He attempted three shots — all three-pointers from the right corner — with one make in the third period. And Embiid paid Johnson back with a monster dunk on a driving attempt with 3:11 to play. Rivers said a switch to a zone defense to begin the third quarter helped knock the Nets out of some of their go-to actions, which had previously freed up Johnson.

Bridges, meanwhile, finished Monday with 21 points on 6-of-15 shooting from the floor and 7-of-9 from the free-throw line. The Philly native and former Villanova star added six assists and four rebounds.