PHILADELPHIA — The Nets’ season went better than even they could have hoped. Their postseason ended worse than anybody could have imagined.
Brooklyn’s playoffs dreams died Tuesday, killed off by Joel Embiid and buried by the Sixers in a 122-100 Game 5 rout before 20,595 at Wells Fargo Center.
It wasn’t just a loss — it was a humbling, led by Embiid (23 points, 13 rebounds) and a smothering defense.
“They got out in transition and it was good night Irene,” Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said. “It’s the only game in the season where I felt like we never made a push back. I guess it’s a growth experience. Down 3-1, I’m surprised we didn’t come out with more grit, more fight.”
Maybe the Sixers knocked it out of them in Game 4, because of the Nets’ four straight losses after taking the first-round series opener, this was the worst.
“We have a long way to go,” Atkinson said. “We understand where we are. Yes, we’re pleased with improving and being a better team from last year and making the playoffs. But we understand the level where the Sixers are — that’s a long ways away.
“But it’s also going to drive us. When you come out of a series like this, you’re taken aback. But we understand what’s in front of us.”
The Sixers were kind enough to show them. The Nets went the first 5:54 without a point, 9:07 without a jumper and fell behind 25-3.
It didn’t get any less humiliating the rest of the way, as Brooklyn trailed 60-31 at the break.
Still, there were lessons to be learned in this series.
“We’ve just got to be locked in for the full 48 minutes, can’t take any plays off. We’ve got to do the little things,” said Caris LeVert, one of precious few Nets bright spots with 18 points. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson had 19 of his team-high 21 in a garbage-time fourth.
Lefty D’Angelo Russell got forced to his right hand and smothered by Ben Simmons, shooting 3-of-16 and finishing a minus-31.
Jarrett Allen had eight points and nine boards, but got bullied by Embiid most of the series and has to get bigger and meaner.
And Joe Harris — the NBA’s top 3-point shooter this season — couldn’t beat top-locks from JJ Redick. He was 1-of-5 from deep on Tuesday, and 1-of-17 in the Nets’ four straight defeats.
“It’s a great building block to see what we need to improve on, see what playoff basketball is, because they take away your strengths and make you use your weakneses,” Jared Dudley said.
“They forced D’Lo with his right, they didn’t let Joe catch-and-shoot, [Allen] they tried to get physical with him. This is what it’s about, and this is where people improve a lot.”
The Nets fell behind right out of the gate when Harris’ bad pass gave Jimmy Butler a dunk and the Sixers an 8-0 lead.
Their offense completely disoriented and they were 0-for-8 with four turnovers by the time Allen finally dunked with 6:08 left in the first quarter.
By that point, Embiid already had 10 points and Brooklyn already was in a 14-0 hole.
The Nets missed 14 of their first 15 shots and didn’t hit a jumper until LeVert’s 3 with 2:53 left in the first quarter.
Brooklyn trailed by 22 at that point, and the deficit kept growing. Long Islander Tobias Harris — a likely Nets target in free agency — hit a 3 to put Philadelphia up 73-34 with 8:48 remaining in the third quarter.
“Offensively they got what they wanted,” Russell said. “Defensively they forced us where they wanted.”
A testy series, with Game 4 ejections of Butler and Dudley, featured four more in Game 5, when Rodions Kurucs (14 points), Dzanan Musa and Sixers Jonah Bolden and Greg Monroe all got tossed with 1:50 left.
“People picked us [for] 32 wins, 30 wins,” Atkinson said. “To come up with 42 and the sixth seed, I’m very proud of what we accomplished.”