PHILADELPHIA — The Nets nonetheless really feel Philadelphia middle Joel Embiid was touring in Saturday’s playoff opener.
However they know they’re not going to get assist from the officers, so that they should gradual the MVP favourite themselves.
“He’s solely acquired one pivot foot, I’ll simply say that,” coach Jacque Vaughn mentioned.
The Brooklyn coach had steered that Embiid — who had 26 factors within the Nets’ 121-101 Sport 1 loss on Saturday — ought to’ve been known as for touring and three seconds.
Nonetheless, Nic Claxton — who began towards Embiid on Saturday and presumably will once more in Monday’s Sport 2 — is aware of higher than to count on a whistle.
“They’re not going to name that,” Claxton laughed after a pregnant pause. “It’s not going to be known as. You’ve simply acquired to protect him. I don’t see that being known as. I simply don’t see it.”
Claxton had 10 rebounds and three blocks on Saturday.
However he had simply 5 factors in a quiet 2-for-4 outing, misconnecting on a number of lobs that contributed to Spencer Dinwiddie’s 4 turnovers.
“I feel defensively, I used to be fairly strong. However offensively I can choose my spots higher. Me and Spence, there have been just a few performs the place we didn’t join, in order that occurs and Sport 2 shall be higher,” Claxton mentioned.
“On the lobs entrance, clearly we’ve simply acquired to attach on that, particularly me because the passer,” added Dinwiddie.
Dorian Finney-Smith has performed the fifth-most minutes on the Nets since becoming a member of the group in February, and went 2-for-2 from deep in Sport 1 however logged simply 17:38 with Brooklyn utilizing 6-foot-9, 255-pounder Day’Ron Sharpe to fight Embiid.
“I feel he solely performed 17, 18 minutes and that was us enjoying huge and in order that was only a by-product of that,” Vaughn mentioned. “In the event you’re going to play Day’Ron these minutes, play Nic his minutes there’s solely a specific amount of dudes who will be on the market. I assumed his skill to choose up [James] Harden early was good and anytime he’s making 3s for us is a plus for positive.”
Sharpe had six factors, six rebounds and 4 assists in 17:24 — the second-year middle’s longest stint since March 21, aside from the reserve-heavy regular-season finale when Vaughn sat his starters and used the bench.
“For his first playoff sport I assumed he did some good issues,” Vaughn mentioned. “It’s a studying curve. So that you keep down on an Embiid pump-fake, that’s a studying curve. Whether or not you go block [Harden’s] shot on the rim, that’s nice effort and that’s a studying curve. So that you give him credit score for being able to play and giving us some good minutes.”
4 NBA seasonal awards shall be introduced this week on TNT at 7 p.m. from Monday by Thursday.
The Defensive Participant of the 12 months is Monday, adopted by Clutch Participant on Tuesday, Coach of the 12 months Wednesday and Sixth Man on Thursday.
