The fourth and final matchup between division rivals, the Brooklyn Nets, and the Philadelphia 76ers was expected to be an intense and exciting game.
From the jump, history was made. Using his signature stepback move, former Brooklyn Net James Harden moved past Reggie Miller for third place on the all-time made three-pointers list.
Sitting courtside announcing the game for TNT, Miller had nothing but love for Harden.
Opposite Harden, Kevin Durant was looking like his usual self for the Nets, scoring eleven points in the quarter.
Kyrie Irving continued his stellar play from Tuesday’s historic game, as he also scored eleven in the first, including this beautiful pull-up with 0.1 seconds left on the clock.
The Nets led 40-23 at the end of the first, with Durant and Irving scoring 11 apiece while Seth Curry had nine. For the 76ers, it was Joel Embiid carrying the load, scoring a massive 16 points with 10 of them coming from the line.
For the Nets, the trio of Durant, Irving, and Curry carried the offensive load in the second quarter, combining for 49 points. Durant, however, continued to give us highlight plays, including this coast-to-coast and one.
Brooklyn built a 21 point first-half lead thanks to their perimeter trio and hard-nosed defense. The Nets held Embiid to only five points in the quarter, with Harden entering the locker room with 11 points on 3-15 shooting.
When the action restarted, it was more of the same from the first half. Nearly two minutes into the second half, Durant put Tobias Harris in a blender to knock down a three-pointer.
By the time the third quarter was over, the once boisterous Philadelphia crowd had been all but silenced with the host down by 32 points.
The fourth quarter saw the onslaught continue and by the time the final horn went off, the Nets defeated the 76ers 129-100, their second largest margin of victory this season.
For Philly, the blowout loss is just the first they’ve suffered from Harden in the lineup. The main culprit was tough shooting (32.3 percent from the field) and turnovers.
Durant posted 25 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and one block. Irving finished with 22 points. Embiid led the way for Philadelphia, finishing with 27 points and 12 rebounds.
The Nets move to 34-33 while the 76ers fall to 40-25. The Nets will host cross-town rival New York Knicks on Sunday, while the 76ers will be traveling down to Orlando to take on the Orlando Magic.
