March 14, 2026
Bill Streicher/Imagn Images
VJ Edgecombe did not have to do a whole lot to lead the Sixers past the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday.
PHILADELPHIA – The guess here: there will not be any remnants of Saturday afternoon's game between the Sixers and Brooklyn Nets on display at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
Looking to bounce back after being thrashed by the Detroit Pistons on Thursday, the Sixers returned to their home floor to begin a back-to-back. They did so without Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, Kelly Oubre Jr., Andre Drummond and Johni Broome.
Meanwhile, the Nets fielded a truly pitiful collection of NBA players as their tanking efforts continue. The Sixers submitted what was a wholly unremarkable performance, yet cruised for about 30 minutes. Then they blew an entire 28-point lead before finally escaping with a win that included far too much stress. It was among the least inspiring wins imaginable, with a late-game punch from leading scorer Quentin Grimes saving them from the ultimate embarrassment of a loss.
Takeaways from a 104-97 Sixers victory in a game that did not reflect well on anybody:
Not that it is much of an accomplishment given the players available for the Nets, but the Sixers suffocated Brooklyn's offense for nearly the entire game. The Nets shot a combined 6-for-20 from the floor in the first quarter, totaling 16 points while turning the ball over eight times. VJ Edgecombe, Cam Payne and Justin Edwards all had two early steals; it is not like the Nets were just handing the Sixers the ball. The Sixers' connectivity level was pretty high on the defensive end, though they probably did not need it to be to handle this game.
Brooklyn had a 10-man regular rotation on Saturday, and it is only clear that three of them are NBA-caliber players. Ziaire Williams is a lower-end rotation wing, Noah Clowney is an interesting young forward and Terance Mann has extensive NBA experience. Elsewhere, Nets head coach Jordi Fernández used unproven rookies like Nolan Traoré and Ben Saraf or very recent contract signees without NBA experience like Chaney Johnson and Malachi Smith.
Michael Porter Jr., who had a credible All-Star case for Brooklyn this year, was downgraded from doubtful to out on Saturday morning due to an ankle issue. Starting center Nic Claxton was ruled out with a designation of "rest." There was no true play creator or play finisher available for Brooklyn, and so all the Sixers needed to do was keep completely inexplicable blown coverages to a minimum. For whatever it's worth, they were able to do that.
By halftime, the Nets had only 31 points on 26.8 percent shooting from the field and a 3-for-20 three-point shooting line. They had three more turnovers (14) than made field goals (11). All it took for the Sixers to carry a 22-point lead into intermission was a measly 53-point half in which their only double-figures scorer was Edgecombe, who scored 10 points on 10 shots across 16 minutes. It was the second-lowest scoring first half by any NBA team all season.
Then came trouble. The Sixers completely imploded, and Brooklyn's 25 points in the third quarter felt like a masterclass after their complete offensive futility in the first half. Their run in the fourth quarter was embarrassing for the Sixers, who blew a chance to notch a rare stress-free win. Saturday's game became the ultimate stressor, and even in a win that is brutal.
Some additional notes:
• Sixers head coach Nick Nurse provided the team's latest Embiid update pregame, and it was not much of an update. While Nurse said Embiid had progressed to on-court work and had done an individual session on Friday, he could only say that Embiid "must have" been reevaluated on Friday, after telling reporters in Detroit on Thursday that he would be reevaluated the following day.
Nurse did not provide any sort of timeline for Embiid's return, but indicated it was at least possible Embiid would play at some point during the team's road trip in the week ahead.
• For the first time all season, Jabari Walker was ruled out for a game due to an ailment of some kind. Not even two hours before tip-off, the Sixers suddenly ruled Walker out with an illness. Walker was inactive for a four-game stretch in between running out of available days on his two-way contract and signing a standard deal, but this was the first time in 67 games that he was not healthy.
• Justin Edwards has looked far more comfortable and confident of late – perhaps the product of more consistent run – and his minutes were once again very good on Saturday. It is easy to forget, given the up-and-down nature of his sophomore season, just how impressive Edwards' rise from undrafted two-way signee to standard contract was as a rookie. Nurse remains a steadfast believer in Edwards, from his feel to his potential as a spot-up shooter. Nurse reaffirmed that faith on Saturday morning.
Justin Edwards joins VJ Edgecombe in double digit scoring with this lay-in 🔥 pic.twitter.com/4ILMf65iWj
— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) March 14, 2026
• If there are any genuine benefits to the Sixers' enormous collection of injuries, one might be that Edgecombe will get all of the chances in the world to play on the ball. Edgecombe has fit into a supporting role wonderfully for a rookie, and these next few weeks will almost certainly harm his season-long efficiency marks, but perhaps it is for the best for his long-term development to see more time as an offensive engine.
Edgecombe had his best game since Maxey went down on Saturday, setting a great tone early with downhill aggression and notching a few impressive assists. Edgecombe continues to aim for a thunderous poster dunk, and missed on his one of his most ambitious attempts yet in the first quarter, prompting disapproval from Maxey:
VJ Edgecombe missed the poster dunk attempt
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) March 14, 2026
Tyrese Maxey gave him the thumbs down from the bench 😭
(h/t @eringrugan)pic.twitter.com/dPGtFJ9r6Y
Up next: The Sixers will be back in action on Sunday evening when they play host to the Portland Trail Blazers.
