NEW YORK -- The Philadelphia 76ers were able to come up with a 115-103 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday to finish the NBA Cup with a road win. The Sixers will not advance in the Cup so they will have to wait to see which two games will fill in on the schedule in December when the knockout rounds are occurring, but getting back in the win column is important.
Tyrese Maxey had 22 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists while Quentin Grimes added 19 and nine assists, Jared McCain added 20 points off the bench and, Adem Bona had 13 points in his return from injury. Paul George made his return with 14 points in 21 minutes while Dominick Barlow added 10 points and 10 rebounds.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHere are the three biggest takeaways following the win over the Nets:
The center rotation now
Nov 28, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Day'Ron Sharpe (20) plays the ball against Philadelphia 76ers center Adem Bona (30) during the first quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn ImagesWith Andre Drummond likely set to miss time due to this right knee sprain, and with Joel Embiid continuing to be day-to-day, the Sixers will have to move forward with Bona, Barlow, Jabari Walker, and rookie Johni Broome to fill the center minutes until the Sixers can get healthy again. It's yet another challenge for coach Nick Nurse to fill those minutes as he had to piece it together in the entire second half against the Nets. It was tough because Walker, Broome, Barlow, and Bona all got into foul trouble, but the Sixers were able to get through and that's something that has to be figured out now moving forward.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNurse stated on the center rotation:
We were just piecing it together, man. We were just putting the next guy in. That guy would get in foul trouble. The next guy would go in, and we were just kind of keeping an eye a little bit on who they had in. They went to four perimeter guys some so then we just left one of them in, and going from there. Tonight was a little bit—they were really taking the ball out of Tyrese’s hands. So, those guys are going to be put into situations to make plays. They're getting hit at the free-throw line a lot, and for the most part, I think we did a really excellent job. There was a couple of down the lane, throw-it-out-of-bounds plays, but there was a lot of dunks, and there was a lot of driving layups. There was a couple kick outs. So, for the most part, those guys handled things really well, and I would imagine we'll see a good chunk of that. I mean, I think people—these guys are fairly new to the league, and they're going to put the ball in their hands and see what they can do, do with it, time and time again, so just make sure we're ready for that.
The return of George
Nov 28, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) drives to the basket against Brooklyn Nets guard Terance Mann (14) and forward Noah Clowney (21) during the first quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn ImagesThis is now four games for George out of a possible 18 and he had some good moments. Of course, he is continuing to work his way through a minutes restriction, but he played well in his 21 minutes. He shot 6-for-10 from the floor, 2-for-5 from deep, and continues to work his way back into things. He scored all 14 in the first half and shot 6-for-8 in the first half. He continues to take steps forward and that's something the Sixers can hang their hats on moving forward.
"Good. Very good," Nurse said of George. "I think, obviously, he got us again going early in the game. He gave us a really steadying moment, I think, in the second. Obviously, playing a lot of different guys tonight, and he kind of carried us through with kind of a safe place to go with the ball there for a five-minute stretch, but all those stretches are important. So, I thought those were some big moments for him, and he did a really good job defensively. (Noah) Clowney has been really playing well, and he stepped up and guarded him in some of those matchups."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMcCain coming up big in the fourth
Nov 28, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain (20) celebrates his three point shot against the Brooklyn Nets during the second quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn ImagesOverall, McCain finished with 20 off the bench and shot 7-for-16 while knocking down four triples on 10 attempts. There was a moment in the fourth when the Nets cut the lead to single digits on a triple by rookie Egor Demin, but McCain would answer back with a 3-pointer of his own and the Sixers were able to walk away with the win. Overall, McCain finished with 10 points in the fourth and knocked down two big 3-pointers to put Brooklyn away for good. It was the most comfortable he has looked in the 2025-26 season as he continues to work his way back into things.
"For sure," McCain stated. "I mean, those shots are something I've worked on my whole life. So, them doubling Reese, someone's gonna be open. So, me hitting that corner shot. Those corner 3s, that's what I love."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThis article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: 3 biggest takeaways for Sixers following NBA Cup road win over Nets
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