Brooklyn Nets: 3 takeaways from Game 2 vs. 76ers

The Brooklyn Nets were beaten handily by the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 2 of their first round playoff series, but they have to use that loss to their advantage moving forward.

After a surprise upset in Game 1, the Brooklyn Nets were beaten handily by the Philadelphia 76ers on the road in Game 2 of their first round series in the 2019 NBA Playoffs.

Thanks to some hot shooting, they were able to go into halftime down just one point. Things didn’t transpire as well for them in the second half though, specifically in a third quarter when they were manhandled by the 3-seeded Sixers. The Nets were outscored 51-23 in the period, which meant the game was essentially over before the fourth quarter ever got started.

Spencer Dinwiddie led the way with 19 points off the bench, while D’Angelo Russell struggled to the tune of 16 points on 16 shots. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson added 15 off the bench while Ben Simmons set the tone for Philly with an 18-point, 12-assist, 10-rebound triple-double.

As the underdog in the series, the Nets needed to win at least one game on the road to take away home-court advantage in this series. They did that in Game 1. The problem is their defensive setup isn’t going to work moving forward. The 76ers aren’t going to shoot 56.1 percent every single night, but they were getting multiple open looks that are going to be there if the Nets don’t make some adjustments moving forward.

Game 3 could be the ultimate decision-maker in this series. The Nets can maintain their hold on home-court advantage with a win, or they could get rolled over like an underdog if they don’t. The Sixers showed why they are one of the top three teams in the Eastern Conference, but the Nets beat them anyway in Game 1. They can do it again, but they have to get back to what made them so successful to start the series. Bearing that in mind, here are three takeaways from Game 2.