76ers Survive Nets’ Fourth-Quarter Push, Improve to 36-31
The Philadelphia 76ers came away with a 104-97 home win over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday afternoon at Xfinity Mobile Arena, taking control of the game early before holding off a determined Nets fourth-quarter run in front of an attendance of 18,418. Quentin Grimes delivered a game-high 28 points to pace Philadelphia, while Brooklyn’s Danny Wolf posted a double-double in a losing effort. The victory moves the 76ers to 36-31 on the season, keeping them in solid playoff contention heading into the final stretch of the regular season.
Quarter-by-Quarter Breakdown
First Quarter: Philadelphia Takes Command Early
The 76ers set the tone from the opening tip, outscoring Brooklyn 29-16 in the first quarter. Philadelphia’s offense moved with efficiency and purpose, building a 13-point lead before the first period was even complete. The Nets struggled to find consistent looks on the offensive end, shooting at a low clip as Philly’s defense held them well below their typical scoring pace.
Second Quarter: Sixers Extend the Advantage
Philadelphia continued to build on their early lead in the second quarter, outscoring Brooklyn 24-15 to push the halftime margin to 22 points (53-31). The 76ers’ ball movement was a key factor, generating open looks and keeping Brooklyn’s defense scrambling. The Nets went into the locker room at halftime in a significant deficit, needing a major adjustment to stay in the contest.
Third Quarter: Brooklyn Finds its Footing
The Nets responded after halftime with their best stretch of the game, outscoring Philadelphia 25-24 in the third quarter. Brooklyn tightened their defense and found more rhythm offensively, trimming the deficit somewhat. However, the 76ers maintained enough consistency to keep a comfortable lead heading into the final period.
Fourth Quarter: Nets Stage a Rally, But Fall Short
Brooklyn put together a remarkable fourth-quarter performance, outscoring Philadelphia 41-27 in the final period. The Nets closed the gap significantly as Philadelphia’s offense stalled and their three-point shooting remained cold. Brooklyn attempted 43 three-pointers on the night and connected on 15 of them (34.9%), with many coming late in regulation. Ultimately, the 22-point cushion Philadelphia had built proved too large for the Nets to overcome entirely, and the 76ers held on for the seven-point win.
Key Performers
Quentin Grimes — Philadelphia 76ers
Grimes was the standout performer on the afternoon, leading all scorers with 28 points and adding 8 rebounds. His ability to create offense and maintain composure was critical in keeping Philadelphia’s lead intact, earning him the game’s top ESPN rating at 43.85. Grimes was the engine that kept Philly’s offense productive, particularly in the first half when the 76ers built their commanding lead.
VJ Edgecombe — Philadelphia 76ers
The young guard was Philadelphia’s facilitator on the day, leading both teams in assists with 7 dimes. Edgecombe’s playmaking helped keep the 76ers’ offense flowing, contributing to the team’s total of 22 assists on the evening.
Adem Bona — Philadelphia 76ers
Bona was a force on the glass, pulling down a team-high 10 rebounds to anchor Philadelphia’s interior presence. His activity helped the 76ers finish with 47 total rebounds, compared to 42 for Brooklyn.
Danny Wolf — Brooklyn Nets
Wolf led Brooklyn in both scoring and rebounding, posting a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double. The forward was Brooklyn’s most well-rounded contributor on a night when the Nets needed much more from their overall roster to close the gap.
Ben Saraf — Brooklyn Nets
Saraf paced Brooklyn’s ball distribution with a team-high 5 assists, doing his best to facilitate the Nets’ offense as they attempted to mount their late comeback.
Game Analysis
Saturday’s contest was ultimately a tale of two halves. Philadelphia came out with tremendous energy and execution, posting 53 points in the first half and building a lead that put the outcome largely beyond doubt at intermission. The 76ers’ field goal shooting was efficient at 46.3%, and their free throw opportunities (31 attempts) helped supplement their scoring total throughout the game.
The notable concern for Philadelphia was their three-point shooting, which was poor at just 12.0% (3-of-25). It is a testament to their interior game and free throw volume that they still managed 104 points despite that significant shooting cold spell from beyond the arc. Brooklyn, by contrast, leaned heavily on the three-pointer — attempting a high-volume 43 triples and connecting on 15 — but their overall field goal percentage of just 36.0% on 89 attempts tells the story of a team that could not find consistent scoring across all areas of the floor for most of the game.
Brooklyn’s fourth quarter (41 points) was a noteworthy performance in isolation, and it put a brief scare into the Philadelphia crowd. However, coming into the final period down by more than 20 points meant the arithmetic was always going to be a challenge. The 76ers managed the game well enough in the clutch to preserve the win, even if the final margin was closer than the flow of the game suggested it would be.
Standings and Context
With the win, the Philadelphia 76ers improve to 36-31 on the season (19-16 at home, 17-15 on the road), maintaining their position in the playoff race with several weeks remaining in the regular season. Every win matters as the Eastern Conference standings continue to tighten in the seeding race.
For the Brooklyn Nets, the loss drops them to 17-50 on the year (8-27 on the road). Brooklyn has had a difficult season, and while the fourth-quarter effort on Saturday showed some competitive spirit, the overall picture for the Nets remains challenging as the 2025-26 campaign winds down. Philadelphia will look to carry this momentum forward as they navigate the final weeks of the regular season with playoff seeding on the line.
