PHILADELPHIA — The Nets played great defense on Joel Embiid, and were even better against James Harden.
And it still wasn’t enough.
Brooklyn got dominated in the paint, destroyed on the offensive glass, and when it was over had taken a 96-84 first-round Game 2 loss to Philadelphia before a raucous sellout crowd of 20,958 at Wells Fargo Center.
The Nets went to small-ball to harass and harangue Embiid, and it largely worked.
But despite holding the presumptive MVP favorite to just 20 points — far under his league-leading 33.1 for the regular-season — they couldn’t overcome a mauling on the boards that left them in a 2-0 series hole coming home for Thursday’s Game 3.
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Brooklyn got outscored 46-to-22 in the paint, and shockingly blanked 18-0 in second-chance points.
The Nets hit early and hard against Harden, using Mikal Bridges to hold the former MVP to just eight points and seven assists on 3-of-13 shooting.
But Tyrese Maxey had a game-high 33 for the Sixers who fought up an upset bid.
Cam Johnson had a playoff career-high 25 points to spot Brooklyn to a 10-point lead it couldn’t hold.
Bridges, who expended energy on Harden and was doubled and blitzed, had 21 points, seven assists and five boards.
