LOS ANGELES -- Tyrese Maxey scored 33 points as the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Brooklyn Nets 96-84 to take a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference playoff series on Monday.
With Brooklyn double-teaming Sixers star Joel Embiid throughout, it was left to Maxey to do the damage for Philadelphia with a shooting clinic that leaves Doc Rivers' team two wins away from a series victory.
Maxey's 33-point haul from 13-of-23 shooting included six from three-point range as Brooklyn finally succumbed after making a bright start that saw them lead by 10 points in the second quarter.
But Brooklyn were left ruing their inability to make the most of their first-half dominance against a sluggish-looking Sixers, who nevertheless restricted the Nets to just a five-point advantage as the teams went in for half-time at Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Center.
Philadelphia's adjustments paid dividends in the third and fourth quarters, with the Sixers outscoring Brooklyn 24-14 in the third before wrapping up victory in the fourth.
"They did a few different things defensively tonight, but we were prepared," said Maxey, paying tribute to Embiid's decisive contribution despite being closely marked throughout by Brooklyn.
"At half-time we figured out what we were going to do. But hats off to Joel -– to be so dominant when you're trapped every single play, and you still make the right basketball play –- that's big-time."
Embiid finished with 20 points and 19 rebounds while laying on seven assists as Maxey and Tobias Harris (20 points) shouldered the offensive responsibilities.
"He trusts in me, and he trusts in Tobias to make the big shots tonight and that's what we did," Maxey said of Embiid's selfless performance.
Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers meanwhile admitted his team had been lucky to face only a five point deficit heading into half-time.
"I thought we wasted the whole first half," Rivers said. "We were fortunate. At half-time they could have been up more, with the way we played. We're a better team than the way we played in the first half.
"But this is what the playoffs are all about -- it's gonna test your trust. This was an early test for us, and we came through it."
Cameron Johnson led the Brooklyn scoring with 28 points while Mikal Bridges finished with 21 and Spencer Dinwiddie 12.
Game three in the series takes place in Brooklyn on Thursday.
Agence France-Presse
