Nets eye several adjustments as they look to even series with 76ers

The name of the game was adjustments on Sunday as the Nets practiced at Temple University. 

Adjusting how to defend Joel Embiid, adjusting their game so that they’re shooting more and successfully, and adjusting when the Philadelphia 76ers put the pressure on Mikal Bridges. Those were the biggest points of emphasis the day after the Nets dropped Game 1 of their first-round series with the Sixers and found themselves trailing 0-1. 

Game 1 was a bit of a feeling-out game for the Nets and they received a swift reminder of why Philly is one of the toughest teams to go up against in the East. 

“I would say the reason for optimism are the adjustments are kind of in our control,” Dinwiddie told reporters in Philadelphia. “A lot of the rebounds that we missed were just kind of hustle effort type things. You clean that up and then obviously the turnovers you clean that up, and you know, we’re right there in striking distance most of the game.”

It wasn’t until the fourth quarter when the Sixers ballooned toward the 20-point disparity it was by the final buzzer. The Sixers took advantage of a strong shooting night from three-point range and a Nets team that seemed to struggle once Embiid passed the ball. 

Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn is likely to stick with the plan to double up on the MVP candidate through the rest of the series and Nic Claxton, who was primarily assigned to try and defend Embiid, said that it would be on everyone to make it tough for Philly. 

“I think we just need to guard up a little bit more. The double teams are good but at the end of the day, you’ve gotta be able to man up and get stops – or make it difficult,” Claxton said.

One of the most glaring discrepancies, aside from the offensive rebounds, had been the three-point attempts. The Nets attempted 29 while the 76ers made 43 attempts from beyond the arc. 

Brooklyn has always been a team that prioritized its three-point shooting and part of that has been creating those…