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Brooklyn Nets: 3 takeaways from Game 5 elimination vs. 76ers

By Daniel Lubofsky

PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 23: Caris LeVert #22 and D'Angelo Russell #1 of the Brooklyn Nets look on from the scorers table prior to the start of the fourth quarter of Game Five of Round One of the 2019 NBA Playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on April 23, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Nets 122-100. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 23: Caris LeVert #22 and D'Angelo Russell #1 of the Brooklyn Nets look on from the scorers table prior to the start of the fourth quarter of Game Five of Round One of the 2019 NBA Playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on April 23, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Nets 122-100. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) /

3. The slowest of starts doomed Brooklyn

On the verge of elimination, one would assume the Nets would come out swinging in Game 5 with energy and effort that would make a statement early on. Instead, they did the opposite, falling behind 30-6 at one in the first frame, a deficit they simply couldn’t recover from.

All the way on the other coast, the Oklahoma City Thunder were faced with a similar scenario in their Game 5 battle against the Portland Trail Blazers. OKC would outscore the Blazers 37-29. While it ultimately didn’t help the Thunder steal a win up in Portland, it laid the foundation for a down-to-the-wire battle.

Comebacks are difficult to pull off in the NBA. They present even more of a challenge once the postseason rolls around. To fall behind by such a large margin so early in an elimination game is nearly a death sentence for most teams, and forces them to play with an unhealthy level of desperation and panic.

We’ve seen the Nets battle back from insurmountable deficits in the past, but the playoffs are an entirely different animal and the Sixers were a tough opponent. Brooklyn wasn’t favored to emerge victorious from this game, but to get off to such a horrid start put it to bed before the game really ever started.

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