NEW YORK _ The Nets' progress is nowhere near as far along as the 76ers' so-called "Process," especially in terms of talent acquisition without the kind of high draft picks Philadelphia had. But the Nets' collection of second-chance lottery picks acquired in trades and former G Leaguers outplayed the Sixers down the stretch for a 116-108 victory that snapped a four-game losing streak Wednesday night at Barclays Center.
Spencer Dinwiddie, who might be the centerpiece of the Nets' development project, scored nine of his 27 points in the fourth quarter as they held the lead for the final 8:50. D'Angelo Russell, in just his fifth game back from knee surgery played a key role with 22 points, and rookie center Jarrett Allen, making only his second NBA start, scored 16 points and had 12 rebounds while going against All-Star Joel Embiid, who topped the 76ers with 29 points and 14 rebounds.
The 76ers (24-24) also got 24 points from Ben Simmons and 20 from JJ Redick. But the Nets (19-33) shot 50.6 percent from the field, including 40.6 percent from 3-point range (13 of 32).
After missing their first five shots of the fourth quarter, the Nets mounted a 14-2 run that included six points from Dinwiddie, and former 76ers Jahlil Okafor and Nik Stauskas each scored in that stretch to help their new team to a 105-94 lead with 6:31 to play. Eight straight Philadelphia points from Embiid cut the Nets' lead to 111-107 with 2:11 left, but they got no closer.
The first meeting between the teams since the Nets acquired Okafor and Stauskas from Philadelphia for Trevor Booker in a Dec. 7 trade naturally was viewed by many as an early referendum on who got the best of the deal. After a prolonged indoctrination period, Okafor and Stauskas just recently started to gain more playing time, though a contributing factor certainly included injuries to Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (groin strain) and Caris LeVert (groin strain).
"I think they both started to earn their minutes, and they fit into our system," Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said of the two. "They've grasped what we're trying to do. We're happy with their progress.
"I think we have to have long-term thinking in the sense that it takes time to get to know these guys. It's just that simple. That's why it's great they're getting playing time now."
In a sense, Russell has been in a similar situation of having to earn more playing time while working his way back from arthroscopic knee surgery. The 76ers game was just his fifth after missing nearly 10 weeks of action.
"He's a 22-year-old player that's still learning the league, learning the game. I think it's a natural progression," Atkinson said. "You know, D'Angelo will take some risks, and I think he tried some things last night, which I understand. Sometimes, it doesn't look perfect, but we have understand this will take time and we'll have our ups and downs. But the best way is that he's got to play to get through this."
One night after having a poor outing in a blowout loss to the Knicks, Russell entered the game with the Nets trailing by four points, and they fell behind at 30-21. But Russell suddenly kicked into gear and found his rhythm, scoring 15 of the Nets' next 24 points and dishing for a couple other baskets as they gained a 45-41 lead before he sat down.
The Nets eventually pushed their lead to seven points in the second quarter, but the Sixers put together a 14-6 run, including six points from Redick, to take a 65-64 halftime lead. In the third quarter, the teams traded the lead seven times before Russell scored five points in 9-4 that helped the Nets take a 91-88 lead to the fourth quarter.
