The Philadelphia 76ers opened their three-game road trip in dominant fashion Sunday, cruising past the Brooklyn Nets with a 129–105 victory at Barclays Center. Philadelphia outscored Brooklyn 39–27 in the fourth quarter and led by as many as 28 points, improving its record to 5–1 on the season.
While fans have grown accustomed to watching Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe fill up the scoring column this season, it was Kelly Oubre Jr. who stole the spotlight on Sunday night. The veteran swingman continued to cement his status as an early-season All-Star candidate with an incredible performance. In just 33 minutes, Oubre poured in 29 points to go along with three rebounds, a steal, and a block. Twenty-two of those points came in the first quarter alone. He shot an efficient 12-of-21 from the field (57%) and connected on three shots from beyond the arc. Oubre is playing some of the best basketball of his career, averaging 19.5 points per game on 52.6% shooting through the early stretch of the season.
It is worth noting that Oubre’s night was cut slightly short after he rolled his ankle in the third quarter. He returned to the bench soon after the incident but did not re-enter the game as a precaution. Oubre is not expected to miss any time moving forward.
Maxey added 26 points on 9-of-19 shooting, continuing his steady offensive rhythm. Off the bench, Quentin Grimes delivered one of his best performances of the season, tallying 22 points, 13 assists, and six rebounds in 32 minutes of play.
In addition to Sunday’s convincing win, one 76er achieved a meaningful milestone. Thirty-nine-year-old Villanova alumnus and six-time NBA All-Star Kyle Lowry checked into the game with 3:12 remaining, marking his first action of the season and his 20th year in the league. With that appearance, Lowry becomes just the 12th player in NBA history to reach the 20-season mark. Fittingly, he knocked down his lone shot of the night, a three-pointer with 1:19 left on the clock.
“That’s a Hall of Famer we’re talking about,” said Maxey. “Jersey’s probably getting retired in Toronto. And he’s up cheering for everybody, motivating people, talking in the locker room. I’ve got nothing but love and respect for K-Low and we appreciate having him.”
Former MVP Joel Embiid sat out Sunday’s game for rest and recovery management but still made headlines off the court. The NBA announced a $50,000 fine for Embiid after he made a lewd gesture during Friday night’s 109–108 loss to the Boston Celtics. James Jones, the league’s executive vice president and head of basketball operations, issued the fine. According to the Associated Press, it marks at least the fourth time Embiid has been fined for the same gesture.
The Sixers continue their three-game road trip this week, facing the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday before wrapping up in Cleveland on Wednesday.
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