Getty Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers.
It’s not going to be easy but the Brooklyn Nets have a plan for Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers in their first-round playoff matchup.
“You guys will see on Saturday. We’re just going to try and be together, play for each other, do whatever it takes and do whatever the scout[ing report] is,” said Mikal Bridges, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “Just team defense, play together. … This year, I think he should win MVP. It just takes a team. I don’t think anybody can guard him one-on-one in the world. So, just team defense and you’ve got to play for each other.”
Embiid – the MVP favorite – led the league in scoring for the second year in a row, averaging over 33 points per game this year for the third-seeded 76ers who also roster former Net James Harden, a potential All-NBA choice in his own right this year.
Philly has other weapons – Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey – but slowing Embiid is paramount.
The Sixers went 30-14 (.681) when he scored over 30 points this season. And, while they were still 13-9 (.590) when he failed to do so, that’s a sizeable difference in winning percentage. Of course, the 7-foot phenom averaged 31.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists against Brooklyn during the regular season.
Brooklyn is not being given much of a chance in this series despite losing the two games in which the Sixers had their top four players available by a combined seven points.
Correct Series Result odds for Nets-76ers 🏀
“I think they’re a good team,” Sixers center Paul Reed said per Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire on April 10. “But in the times we played them previously, we’ve been able to handle them pretty well. I think we got the better team, to be honest, and we should be able to come out and get the win.”
If the Nets are going to pull off the upset, it will take a Herculean effort from their new star.
Mikal Bridges Ready For Top Billing
“It’s going to be tough for sure,” Bridges told Lewis. “I know how it is: I know how game-planning for top players is. I know being the defender guarding the guy, so I know how the scout can be. … It’s a challenge. And it’s great, man. It’s great for all of us. All it’s going to do is make us better.”
Bridges dropped 23 points and sunk 4-of-5 triples in his lone game against Philly as the top option for Brooklyn. He scored 15 points in his lone meeting against them as a Phoenix Sun but missed the Nets’ regular-season finale against them too. That doesn’t mean he’s going under the radar on Philly’s scouting report.
Incredible NBA stat: Mikal Bridges has taken more pull-up jumpers than anyone in the league since the All-Star break, and has the best FG% of anyone in the top 10 in attempts
“They say you have to have stars to win a championship,” Sixers head coach Doc Rivers told Erik Slater of Clutch Points. “They don’t say you have to have stars to win a series. There’s a big difference. … You have to be ready. The playoffs is what makes you a star. There’s probably three or four guys when this whole season is over who are gonna be stars that we don’t even know yet.
“Let’s hope we don’t create them.”
Rivers went on to name Bridges as well as Cam Johnson noting that they are playing freer in their new roles and that he thought the Nets outplayed the Sixers in their last healthy meeting.
Full Circle for Mikal Bridges
“Yeah, I was a huge Sixers fan. I mean, everybody knows that,” Bridges said, per Lewis. “Just grew up in Philly and grew up going all the games in the world…Definitely big [Allen Iverson] big, big [Andre Iguodala] guy, a lot of guys. So I know pretty much everybody when I was growing up.”
Bridges has done plenty of growing up over the latter stages of the season.
He ended up outscoring former Nets star Kevin Durant by 0.1 point for the season while being far more durable becoming the first player to appear in 83 games during the regular season since Josh Smith in 2014-15 the season.
Maxey said that Bridges’ breakout didn’t surprise him since had a specific role with the Suns.
“He’s always had game and now he just has to shoot more, has more volume, more confidence, more plays run for him, the offense kind of flowing through him. So hats off to him.”
Brooklyn also ended up with the same record as Phoenix while their new star has assumed a leadership role very becoming of his recent performance.
“Everybody’s got to be locked in,” Bridges said. “It’s not the time to hold back.”