By Roy Ward
The Philadelphia 76ers missed All-Star centre Joel Embiid as they fell to a locked-in Brooklyn Nets side at the Barclays Centre on Monday (AEDT).
Ben Simmons had 20 points and five rebounds to lead the Sixers, but defensively the visitors were overrun in the key and at the same time faced one of the Nets best defensive efforts this season in a 109-89 loss that ended a five-game winning streak for Philadelphia.
Tobias Harris drives against Wilson Chandler in the 76ers' loss to the Nets.Credit: AP
The Sixers (20-8) sit third in the eastern conference, while the Nets (14-12) are in seventh place in a season without superstar signing Kevin Durant. Durant is continuing his recovery from a ruptured Achilles tendon sustained during last season's NBA finals, while fellow superstar Kyrie Irving also out injured.
While Nets coach Kenny Atkinson called his club's defensive effort one of the best during his tenure, Simmons was unhappy with the pace of his side's play and their interior defence without Embiid's towering presence inside as he was held out due to an upper respiratory illness.
The Nets scored 64 points in the key, far more than the Sixers usually give up with their All-Star centre in the side.
"The pace was too slow," Simmons told media in Brooklyn.
Ben Simmons couldn't get the 76ers over the line.Credit: AP
"There were a lot of lapses defensively – off ball, especially with [Nets shooter Joe] Harris on ball.
"They just had a lot of those actions where it's tough to guard, but we have to get back and watch the film."
Simmons posted a career-high 34 points when Embiid sat out against the Cavaliers on December 8 as his side sped up and down the floor, but the Nets were far better defensively and had enough success on offence to stop Simmons and others running out for baskets in transition.
Sixers coach Brett Brown knows his side has to play fast whenever Embiid is injured or on the bench, but the Nets stopped them from doing that as they only scored eight fast-break points.
"We ended up having 16 turnovers, probably having two too many," Brown said.
"I feel like the speed notion that we wanted to play, we felt like that was still the right formula. It's just that the defensive side of things let us down.
"I think the statistical facts of what we shot from three and what we shot from the free-throw line shows our starting group had a rough night putting the ball in the hole and the accumulation of a few things equal a long night."
The Sixers face former teammate Jimmy Butler and his surging Miami Heat in Philadelphia on Thursday (AEDT).
The Nets' bench outscored Philadelphia's 40-23.
Not looking the least bit tired after a whirlwind weekend, LeBron James scored 32 points as the Lakers extended their winning streak to seven with a 101-96 victory over Atlanta Hawks.
The Lakers pulled even with Milwaukee for the NBA's best record at 24-3.
After scoring 28 points in a win at Miami on Friday night, local time, James flew to Columbus, Ohio, to watch son Bronny play a high school game the following night.
Then, James travelled on to Atlanta to face the struggling Hawks.
Elsewhere, Orlando beat New Orleans 130-119 to hand the Pelicans their franchise-record 12th-straight loss while the Indiana Pacers defeated Charlotte 107-85.
with AP