76ers Highlights: Sixers Take Commanding 2-0 Lead on Nets Despite Sluggish 1st Half

The Sixers looked dysfunctional for the first 24 minutes on Monday night but used a third-quarter surge to put down the feisty Nets to take a commanding 2-0 lead in their first-round series. The Nets threw everything but the kitchen sink at Joel Embiid, who embraced a role as facilitator in the face of constant double teams while still scoring 20 points and grabbing 19 rebounds.

The Sixers overcame one of the worst playoff performances of James Harden Sixers’ career as the Beard struggled once again to make anything from inside the arc. Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers charge with 33 points while Tobias Harris posted his second consecutive 20-point performance. The Sixers and Nets series heads to Brooklyn on Thursday night for game 3.