The Nets kicked off the 2019 NBA playoffs with a stunning road upset over the 76ers. Joel Embiid didn’t look quite right and Ed Davis played superb defense on him, keeping him mostly behind the 3-point arc in the first half. The Nets aggressively sagged off Ben Simmons, taking away his driving and passing lanes and daring him to shoot. The end result was a poor performance and his own fans briefly booing him in the second half. Jimmy Butler poured in 36 but Philadelphia looked surprisingly overmatched.

The Nets, on the other hand, had everything working. Davis, Caris LeVert and Spencer Dinwiddie were superb off the bench, combining for 53 points, 23 rebounds and 5 assists. They helped carry the load in the first half when D’Angelo Russell was struggling and then the Nets’ star came out like gangbusters in the second half to close it down.