At the Buzzer | Grit, Toughness Defining Again as Sixers End Trip With Win

1 Philadelphia

Philadelphia News & Search

1 News - 1 eMovies - 1 eMusic - 1 eBooks - 1 Search

Recap:
PHILADELPHIA, PA – In a divisional rivalry scrap between two young squads seeking late-season respect and momentum, Tuesday’s match-up at Barclays Center played out in fitting form.

From start to finish, the game was evenly-contested, its margin growing no greater than 10 points for either side. The affair was at times both chippy and physical, as each team put its respective hunger on full display.

The 76ers, however, a bit farther along their developmental path if measuring by wins, made enough key plays to fend off the feisty Brooklyn Nets, 106-101. The victory allowed the Sixers to cap a season-long five-game, nine-day trip on a positive note, and gave the club three straight triumphs over the Nets for the first time in six years.

Dario Saric bounced back in a big way, topping the Sixers with 23 points. Robert Covington continued to provide meaningful two-way contributions, finishing with 21 points and 13 rebounds for a team-high 12th double-double of the season.

It was Covington, who with 90 seconds remaining in regulation, put the Sixers in front for good with a driving lay-up. T.J. McConnell and Richaun Holmes added free throws down the stretch for insurance, as the Sixers held Brooklyn scoreless for the final 2 minutes, 30 seconds of Tuesday’s game.

The Nets went ahead by one point three times in the last five minutes of play, but in each instance, the resilient Sixers had an answer.

Minus Jahlil Okafor (right knee soreness), Gerald Henderson (left hip soreness), and Sergio Rodriguez (left hamstring tightness), the Sixers were only able to use nine players Tuesday evening. Tiago Splitter was one of them, tallying two points and three rebounds in his Sixers debut.

The veteran big man hadn’t played in a regular season game since January 31st, 2016, and logged all seven minutes in the first half.

Check back later for a complete game recap.

Key Performers:
• T.J McConnell, the only true point guard available on the Sixers’ roster Tuesday, posted eight points and 10 assists in 35 minutes. The double-digit dime performance was his 11th of the season.

• Brook Lopez, Brooklyn’s veteran leader, paced all players with 26 points, while adding nine rebounds and six assists.

Sixers Social:
The author of this article needed some assistance cracking the code of the tweet featured here, but once solved, the text puzzle proved to be a perfect complement to the sequence shown below. Justin Anderson’s reverse jam early in the third quarter added to the collection of high-energy dunks the Sixers delivered throughout Tuesday’s game.

N O S R E D N A N I T S U J pic.twitter.com/kS80tvnR51

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 29, 2017

Up Next:
The Sixers have a home game! The Sixers have a home game! It’s been some time – 10 days, essentially – since the club last competed on the hardwood at The Center. They’ll be back in town Wednesday evening taking on the slumping Atlanta Hawks, which entered play Tuesday having dropped seven in a row. As a result of the skid, Atlanta has slipped to sixth-place in the Eastern Conference standings. Don’t get used seeing the Sixers in South Philadelphia, though, at least for another week. Following Wednesday’s contest, the Sixers will head to Cleveland and Toronto for a weekend road trip.