VIDEO RECAP – FINAL: #Sixers 102 – #Nets 108

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The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Philadelphia Sixers by a score of 108-102  in Brooklyn.

The Nets started out with Deron Williams going 3-for-3 from the field and the Nets jumped out to a 16-2 lead midway through first.  The Nets had as many steals as the Sixers had field goals made (6).  Brooklyn held the Sixers to 16 points in the first quarter, matching the fewest points the Nets have allowed in a first quarter this season and led 24-16 after one.

The second quarter was the complete opposite for Brooklyn as they missed easy shots and turned the ball over at an alarming rate to go down 44-37 with four minutes to play.  The Nets responded and ended half on 15-4 run with Paul Pierce leading the way with 15 points at half.  Nets up 54-49 at intermission.

Brooklyn had 10 steals at half and Shaun Livingston had five steals himself to go with his nine points in the first half alone.

The Nets came out with some emotion and put on a 13-5 run to separate themselves from Philadelphia.  The Sixers turned the ball over a ton in the third and had a total of 24 turnovers to end the third.  The Nets stretched the lead to 84-69 with a 30-20 third quarter.

The fourth began the same way as the second with the Sixers going to the rim at will and closing the gap to five points on multiple occasions.  Mirza Teletovic (20 points) hit a couple 3-pointers to help stem the Sixers run for a bit but it was dogfight until the very end with Brooklyn missing and taking way too many jumpshots.  To force 25 turnovers and have to make free throws to end the game late is totally unacceptable for a playoff team against a lottery team.  Pierce (25 points and three rebounds) hit two clutch free throws to go 14-for-14 from the line for the night and put the game out of reach in the final seconds.

Nets held on to win 108-102 at home.

Kevin Garnett is the 18th player in NBA history and the 2nd active player to record 2,000 career blocked shots with his 4th block of the night.

Mirza Teletovic had his fifth game this season with 5+ 3-pointers while the rest of the Nets have 6 games with 5+ threes.

“You know, a win is a win, but you can’t be happy with the way we closed the game,” Pierce said. “We gave up lay-ups, 3’s … we were up 19, and let them back in the game a couple times in this game.

“If we play like that come Thursday [against the Spurs at home], then we can’t expect to walk away with a win. There’s a lot you can learn from a win, and today we learned something. When you have a team on its back, put them away when you can.”