For almost four quarters, the Nets hardly missed Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
But the new-look Nets collapsed down the stretch in a 101-98 loss to the 76ers that ended with Spencer Dinwiddie’s 3-point shot, which would have sent the game into overtime, coming just after the buzzer sounded.
Joel Embiid gave the Sixers the lead with a pair of free throws with five seconds left in regulation. Then, with a chance to put the Nets back up, Mikal Bridges — the key piece to the Durant trade and terrific for much of the night — missed a shot.
James Harden, booed by the sellout crowd at Barclays Center for much of the game, hit another two free throws with under a second left. That gave Philadelphia (36-19) a three-point lead, and the Nets (33-23) couldn’t get it to overtime.
Embiid was fouled by Dinwiddie with 5.2 seconds left and hit both free throws to give the Sixers a 98-97 lead.
The day started with optimism at Barclays, with newcomers Bridges and Cam Johnson touting the team’s new lineup.
“It gives us a lot of versatility on both ends of the floor,’’ Vaughn said.
“The picture is gonna be painted a little differently. It’s up to me to put it in the right frame.”
That includes a different style of play, having lost significant shot creation opportunities with the absence of Irving and Durant.
“Without a doubt,’’ Vaughn said.
“It’s something we’ll address with the group. … Guys will cover for each other. Guys are gonna wear the other team down til the end. It might not look ordinary. We might trap [on defence], we might press, [or go to a] zone. We’re gonna find a way to get it done.”
They’ve got some time to figure it out and try to maintain their spot in the playoff race and that pursuit began in earnest on Saturday.
After falling behind early in the first quarter thanks to strong interior play by Embiid, the Nets used a 12-0 run to take a 16-6 lead before Harden ended the run it with a 3-pointer.
The Sixers got to within 20-18 before Joe Harris answered with a pair of three-pointers of his own.
KD not required for Nets win | 00:58
The hot-shooting Harris had 12 points by halftime, all on 3-pointers.
Bridges had a team-high 14 at the break, as the Nets stayed ahead for much of the first half, but Philadephia tied the game midway through the second quarter.
The Nets, though, rattled off another 10-2 run, sparked by Bridges and Johnson, who had 10 points at the break, and took an eight-point lead into halftime.
The tandem of Embiid and Harden kept the 76ers in the game with 17 points apiece at the half, with Embiid adding eight rebounds.
The Nets started the second half well, with Bridges scoring their first four points, eliciting chants of “Brooklyn Bridges” from the crowd.
Nic Claxton followed with a solid sequence, scoring on a drive, blocking an Embiid shot and following it up with an alley-oop dunk from Dinwiddie that led to a timeout by the 76ers.
After Philadelphia cut the lead to 82-79 early in the fourth, Harris followed a Thomas driving layup with a pair of 3-pointers, matching his season-high of six on the night.
This article first appeared on The New York Postand was reproduced with permission.
