The Sixers Absolutely NEED To Sweep The Brooklyn Nets

The Philadelphia 76ers started their 1^st round playoff matchup with the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday, and the game went just about as expected. The Sixers throttled the Nets 121-101, a very comfortable victory that saw Philly’s starters even get some time off in the 4^th quarter to rest up for game 2. It was just about a perfect afternoon for Joel Embiid and company, and it opens the door for an interesting conversation to be had. Of course, the Sixers are favored over the Nets in the series, but, to me, that’s not enough of a goal at this point for this team. If the Sixers do not sweep the Nets in the 1^st round, they’re making their potential playoff path that much more difficult. It HAS TO happen. Here’s why.

The primary reason is that the Sixers are absolutely capable of sweeping the Nets. That’s what creates this whole situation in the first place. Joel Embiid had a pedestrian game by his standards, and the Sixers still beat the Nets easily. Outside of Mikal Bridges, there is no one on Brooklyn’s roster capable of keeping them in a series with Philly. On top of that, though, the Sixers still have to keep pace with the other top competition in the Eastern Conference. The Boston Celtics are currently taking on the Atlanta Hawks, and just dominated them in their game 1. The Hawks are clearly no match for the Celtics, and Boston is playing like they know it. With a 2^nd round matchup vs. Boston looming, the Sixers may not be able to afford a misstep. If Boston sweeps and goes into the series fresher than Philly thanks to the Nets forcing a game 5 or 6, that certainly puts the Sixers at a disadvantage. A sweep by both teams is probably the most likely way this matchup can stay as even as possible from Philly’s perspective.

Oh, but wait, there’s more. The Milwaukee Bucks, who hold the 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, lost their 1^st game against the 8^th seeded Miami Heat this weekend. The assumed path for the Sixers for what feels like months now has been a 2^nd round matchup with Boston and an Eastern Conference Finals matchup with Milwaukee. While it still seems that Milwaukee will more likely than not be there waiting, they now have to play at least 5 games in the 1^st round. With a grueling matchup between Boston and Philly (most likely) coming in the 2^nd round, the more games that Milwaukee has to play the better as well. It’s hard to imagine the Sixers conserving energy in the 2^nd round, so, sweep a much lesser team in round 1 and keep those legs fresh for the matchups to come. It may be high expectations, but championship winning teams have high expectations and deliver. It’s the Sixers’ turn to deliver, and they need to do so via the sweep.

See what Andrew Salciunas found in the Audio Vault today. Every day Andrew pulls various clips and highlights relevant to the day to play in The Vault for Anthony Gargano. And today was a special edition of The Anthony Gargano Show. With the Sixers starting their playoff run on Saturday, they had their Sixers Round Table. Guesting on the show for the Vault was Tyrone Johnson. In Today's Vault, they played iconic moments from Sixers history.

Both in the playoffs and the regular season. The moments we still remember to this day. From what Dr. J was doing in the 70s and 80s. To Allen Iverson carrying the Sixers in the early 2000s. All the way to what Joel Embiid and co are doing today. There are even some process-era moments in here.

Hopefully, after the next several weeks there will be more moments to go on this list. The Sixers face the Nets in the first round starting Saturday. After that, it will likely be the Celtics awaiting them in the 2nd round. But before we see if the Sixers can create new great memories, and finally escape the second round, join Andrew, Anthony, and Tyrone as they go down memory lane with other iconic moments.

It is not often you see an opposing team root you on to go beat the next team. But that is exactly what Celtics fans did for the Sixers in 1982 once it was clear the Sixers were going to beat them to advance to the NBA Finals.

All these years later, it is still hard to explain how DR. J pulled this move off. But in the 1980 Finals, Dr. J pulled off a reverse layup where he seemingly hung in the air forever, went behind the basket, but still got the ball to go in. The Sixers lost the 1980 Finals. But Dr. Js move here is iconic regardless.

There are not many images in Sixers history more iconic than Allen Iverson stepping over Tyronn Lue. That series vs the Lakers did not go like the Sixers or their fans wanted. But we will always have this game and this moment. It is an image that has since been put on many a poster or t-shirt in Philadelphia.

Allen Iverson never got the Sixers back to the Finals. But despite that, he still put a show on for Sixers fans. And this moment in 2004  where he stole an in-bounds pass, went the full floor, and got a layup, to break the tie in OT with just seconds on the clock, is one that is hard to forget.

There were not many iconic moments from the Process Era. Hard to do great things when you are trying to lose. But while Robert Covington was not always the most beloved Sixers players, there was at least one moment where he gave the Sixers something to cheer for. Ricky Rubio had just tied the game here with a 3. Leaving just 1.6 seconds on the clock. The Sixers needed a very quick bucket. They got it from Robert Covington on an alley-oop lay up.

TJ McConnell has a special place in Sixers fans' hearts. He was never the most talented player. But his effort, energy, and tenacity on the floor made him a fan favorite even during an era where the Sixers couldn't buy a win. He stuck around for some of the good years too. And there is perhaps no TJ moment than this buzzer-beater to beat the Knicks.

Big men shouldn't be able to emulate something Kobe Bryant did. But earlier this season, Embiid summoned his inner Kobe and hit a stepback game-winning shot to beat the Blazers. Anthony Gargano always calls him the great art forger of the NBA. But instead of forging great works of art, he forges iconic moves from other NBA players.

As we were just saying, there are things Embiid does that centers should not be able to do. He had the stepback game winner vs the Blazers, but also this Fadeaway game winner vs the Jazz. As much as certain fans whine that he needs to be under the basket more, Embiid creates too many great moments from midrange for him to go away from that shot.