PHILADELPHIA — The Nets’ season went better than even they could have hoped. Their postseason ended worse than anybody could have imagined.
Brooklyn’s ൩playoffs dreams died Tuesday, killed off by Joel Embiid👍 and buried by the Sixers in a 122-100 Game 5 rout before 20,595 at Wells Fargo Center.
It wasn’t just a loss — it was a humbling, led by Embiid (23 points, 13 rebounds) and a s𝕴mothering defense.
“They got out in transition and it was good night Irene,” Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said. “It’s the only game in the season where I felt like we never made a push back. I guess it’s a growth experience. Down 3-1, I’m surprised we didn’t come out with mo𒀰re gri♚t, more fight.”
Maybe the Sixers knocked it out of them in Game 4, bec﷽ause of🎐 the Nets’ four straight losses after taking the first-round series opener, this was the worst.
“We have a 🍰long way to go,” Atkinson said. “We understand where we are. Yes, we’re pleased with improving and being a better team from last year and making the playoffs. But we understand the level where the Sixers are — that🌳’s a long ways away.
“But it’s also going to drive us. When you come out of a series like this, you’re taken a♍back. But we understand what’s in front of us.”
The Sixers were kind enough to show them. The Nets went the first 5:54 withoꦗut a point, 9:07 without aꦆ jumper and fell behind 25-3.
It didn’t get any less humiliating the rest of the way, as Brooklyn trailed 6ꦐ0-31 at the break.
Still, there were les𒁃sons to be learn༺ed in this series.
“We’ve just got to be locked in for the full 48 minutes, can’t🐽 take any plays off. We’ve got to do the little things,” said Caris LeVert, one of precious few Nets bright spots with 18 points. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson had 19 of his team-high 21 in a garbage-time fourth.
Lefty D’Angelo Russell got forced🧸 to his right hand and smothered by Be🐟n Simmons, shooting 3-of-16 and finishing a minus-31.
Jarrett Allen had eight points and nine boards, but got bullied by Embiid most of the s﷽eries and has to get bigger and meaner.
And Joe Harris — the NBA’s top 3-point shooter this season — couldn’t beat top-locks from JJ Redick. He was 1-of-5 from deep on Tuesday, and 1-of-17 in the Nets’ four str🅰aight defeats.
“It’s a great building block to💜 see what we need to improve on, see what playoff basketball is, because they take away your strengths and make you use your weakneses,” J💖ared Dudley said.
“They forced D’Lo with h🦂is right, they didn’t let Joe catch-and-shoot, [Allen] they tried to get physical with him. This 🦩is what it’s about, and this is where people improve a lot.”
The Nets fell behind right out of the gate when Harris’ bad pasܫs gave Jimmy Butler a dunk and the Sixers an 8-0 lead.
Their offense completely disoriented and they were 0-for-8 with four turnovers by the time Allen finally dunked wi෴th 6:08 left in the first quarter.
By that point, Embiid already had 10 points an🔜d Brooklyn already was in a 14-0 hoꦅle.
The Nets missed 14 of their first 15 shots and did𓂃n’t hit a jumper until LeVert’s 3 with 2:𝔍53 left in the first quarter.
Brooklyn trailed by 💙22 at that point, and the deficit kept growing. Long Islander Tobias Harris — a likely Nets target in free agency — hit a 3 to put Philadelphia up 73-34 with 8:48 remaining in the third quarter.
“Offensively they got what they wanted,” R🍌ussell sa♍id. “Defensively they forced us where they wanted.”
A testy series, with Game 4 ejections of Butler and Dudley, featured four more in Game 5, when Rodions Kurucs (14 points), Dzanan Musa and Sixers Jonah Bolden and Greg Monroe all got toss🎉ed with 1:50 left.
“People picked us [for] 32 wins, 30 wins,” Atkinson said. “To come up with 42 and the sixth seed, I’m v🥀ery proud of what we accomplished.”