Joe Harris scored a team high 28 points as the Brooklyn Nets shook off the absence of two stars to snap the Philadelphia 76ers’ five-game winning streak with a 122-109 victory on Thursday.
Caris LeVert scored 22 points and had 10 assists as the Nets cooled off the NBA’s hottest team despite missing their two top players Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
“We are a totally different team when those guys are out here,” guard LeVert said. “But I think we’ve done a great job of having a next-man-up mentality, guys stepping into those roles and fulfilling what we need as a team.”
Durant sat out due to Covid-19 protocols and Irving missed the game due to “personal reasons”.
Nets coach Steve Nash said before the contest that Irving’s absence came as a surprise to him and he remained unsure of the exact issue.
“I sent him a message in the last half-hour and haven’t heard back yet,” Nash said. “But obviously thinking about him and hope that all is well. It’s a private matter.”