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CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers opened up the exhibition slate with a less-than-stellar 124-113 loss to a Boston Celtics team that didn’t bring their starting lineup. Still, there were some positives to take away from this one.

Peyton Watson was the bright spot of this game.

Preseason basketball can be fool’s gold. You don’t have to look further than some of the takes I had about De’Andre Hunter and Lonzo Ball after their first few exhibition games last season as evidence of that. Those disclaimers aside, Watson looked exactly like the player the Cavs have long needed at the wing in this game.

Watson has the toolset to be the most complete small forward the Cavs have had since LeBron James left nearly a decade ago. That well-rounded skill set was on display as he showed his “creative chops,” in the words of Kenny Atkinson, as a secondary creator, spaced the floor as a shooter, and was disruptive defensively.

Previous playoff runs have been derailed due to a lack of multifaceted players — particularly on the wing. One preseason performance doesn’t mean that he’s the solution to this problem, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction.

Speaking of promising wings, Jaylon Tyson looked impressive in his season debut. Nearly everything that I said about Watson could also be applied to Tyson. On this night, he looked like a complete all-around wing.

As good as he played, Tyson’s energy remains the best part of his game. The way he attacks in transition and hustles to rotate out to shooters on the perimeter is infectious — or at least it would be in theory if this were a game where the score mattered.

Atkinson has talked about preseason games being important for finding lineup groupings that work well together. Based on what we saw, the Watson and Tyson duo showed promise.

“I love it,” Atkinson said about that pairing before the game. “They complement each other well. Obviously, the size and then defensive chops, too. So if you pair them with one of Donovan [Mitchell] and James [Harden] or even both, that’s really interesting. Because I think you look at Jaylon and Peyton, they’re really kind of two, three, four. They can play any of those positions. We’ll see, but it seems like it could be a really good match for us.”

The lineup possibilities are a huge advantage for that particular grouping. Both being able to play the two through four means that they can go smaller with them on the court or go with a jumbo lineup featuring two bigs and a guard. Having multiple athletic wings in the same lineup isn’t a luxury the Cavs have had in quite some time.

On top of that, they seem to feed off each other’s energy. We saw that here as they rotated and recovered out to shooters on the perimeter and were dynamic in the open court.

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Sticking with things that went well, Meleek Thomas looked good in his minutes. He played with energy, was disruptive defensively, and showed some solid touch as a passer. In short, the things he did well in Summer League were evident in preseason, which is encouraging considering how much better the talent was here than in Vegas.

Thomas was the eighth man in the rotation, but the backup point guard spot is hardly decided based on Atkinson’s comments postgame. Especially after Craig Porter Jr. had a solid showing with 10 assists.

If Thomas does break into the rotation, it’ll have to be because he improves defensively. He grabbed a couple of steals — which is exactly what you want to see — but there’s still a learning curve for rookie guards on that end of the floor. And, considering some of the defensive issues Cleveland showed here, they may not be able to afford someone who’s still trying to figure out how NBA defenses work.

“Offense is going to come with the team and power that we got, but if I could be a real presence on defense, then I know I could make a huge impact,” Thomas said afterward.

As of now, it’s difficult to see Thomas as a day-one member of the rotation Atkinson would prefer to cap at 10. That’s okay. Most rookie second-round picks aren’t instant impact players.

Still, this was a strong outing for Thomas. The tight handle that allowed him to get where he wanted on the court in Vegas carried over here.

With that out of the way, let’s look at some of the concerning parts of this game, starting with the lackluster defense.

The Cavs spent the lead-up to this game talking about how they want to reestablish their defensive identity. If this performance was any indication of things, there’s still plenty of work to be done on that end.

The Celtics reserves were able to break down Cleveland’s perimeter defense and get to the basket at will. On top of that, neither Mobley nor Allen had an answer for opposing center Luka Garza, who registered 16 points on 6-of-13 shooting and seven rebounds in the first half.

You don’t want to be too critical of defensive effort in a preseason game. But there wasn’t much from this performance that would make you believe that this could once again become a strong point for this team.

Rebounding was also an issue. Atkinson pointed out afterward that this was a “concern coming into the season.” It proved to be in their first game as Boston grabbed 46.9% of their missed shots (98th percentile).

You can’t have an elite defense if you can’t end possessions.

Mario Hezonja also struggled mightily in his debut.

The Cavs have continually gone out of their way to praise what they’ve seen from Hezonja throughout training camp and off-season workouts. The things that he was praised for didn’t carry over to this outing.

It’s foolish to overreact to preseason basketball, both good and bad. Yet, it is concerning when the game looks too fast for a certain player.

Hezonja struggled with the speed of the game. His drives to the basket were walled off by multiple defenders, he didn’t hold up guarding his man on the perimeter, and overall just looked slow. It’s easy to excuse away missed shots. It’s difficult to justify looking this out of place.

Atkinson said Hezonja is still getting “his feet wet” being back in the NBA. “It’s going to be easier when we reduce the rotation and define a role for him a little bit more.”

The Cavs don’t have much financially invested in Hezonja. His contract is unguaranteed, and he’s only making the minimum. That said, the forward depth chart looks pretty thin if Hezonja ends up being unplayable. There really aren’t many ideal options at the four and five outside of Watson, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen.

It’s way too early to write off Hezonja. One preseason game doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things. That said, this wasn’t what the Cavs wanted to see. We’ll see if that improves in the final two preseason games.

Lakers star guard Austin Reaves made his preseason debut during Thursday’s matchup against the Kings at Crypto.com Arena. 

Reaves sat out of the Lakers’ first two preseason games earlier in the week after hurting his ankle in practice. 

The star guard, who re-signed with the Lakers on a four-year, $180 million contract, was in the starting lineup alongside Luka Doncic, Quentin Grimes, Adou Thiero and Kevon Looney. 

Walker Kessler, Ziaire Williams, Collin Sexton, Dalton Knecht, Cameron Carr and two-way forward Arthur Kaluma weren’t available against the Kings.

Coach JJ Redick said Williams was experiencing soreness, but it isn’t a concern of the team’s.

Kessler, the 7-foot-2 center the Lakers acquired from the Jazz as part of a four-year, $130 million sign-and-trade, hasn’t played in the preseason yet after jamming his finger during a practice.

Redick said the team will examine Kessler’s finger on Friday, before adding that the ailment isn’t concerning and that Kessler will play during the preseason. 

The Lakers have two more preseason games after Thursday: Tuesday vs. the Warriors in Las Vegas and Oct. 16 vs. the Nuggets in Los Angeles.

Halfway through Egor Dëmin’s rookie season, the Nets slid him off the ball. A year later, with Mikel Brown Jr. out, they’ve moved him back to lead guard. 

So, is Dëmin a point guard? A shooting guard? 

Neither, Dëmin says. He’s a player, and he’s a winner. 

And early preseason returns say the Russian might be right. 

“I think back to last year in summer league — and even before that on the predraft when I was in the workout with Brooklyn — I’ve been saying at all times to Jordi [Fernández] and the other coaches that I’m seeing myself as a very versatile player in the future and that I want to be anywhere I can benefit the team,” Dëmin said. “I’m a winner, so I want to win as much as I can. 

“If that means for me to have 25 assists and five points, or whatever that means for me, I want to win first. Working on certain things helps to be even more versatile, whether I’m off or on the ball. And that’s the goal, for sure, is being everywhere and being able to be everywhere. You look at LeBron [James], he can play from 1-through-5.” 

Dëmin started a second preseason game Thursday at point guard and sparked a second Nets win, this one 114-108 over James’ 76ers at Barclays Center. 

With Brown unavailable, Dëmin had 13 points, a game high-tying five assists and finished a game-high plus-13 in 21:36. It was another auspicious outing. 

“Very composed, five assists, one turnover, got to the paint multiple times,” Fernández said. “You just can see how much he’s improved already from last year. I probably wanted him to be a little bit more aggressive shooting 3s, but his willingness to get everybody involved is showing. He played the right way, defended. … He was a good leader handling the ball, communicating with everybody. His voice is growing, so it’s very important.” 

Using his voice is vital for the 20-year-old sophomore, who is rapidly growing into a leadership role on this young, rebuilding Nets team. 

“He’s not afraid to lead,” Julius Randle said. “We know what he does on the court, talent-wise how he is, but he’s not afraid to lead and use his voice. And I try to encourage him to do that even more. You’re not too young to be a leader. So, he’s very vocal. 

“You can tell he’s comfortable in his own skin, with who he is as a player, and really understands the game. So he’s never trying to prove anything out there; he’s just playing the game and making the right plays. But he’s not afraid to use his voice. You can tell he has a point guard background. So he knows how to lead a team and get us organized. He has a bright future.” 

Dëmin started last season as a point guard but too often got turned at the point of attack and couldn’t drive. An offseason spent bulking up and working on his downhill game has paid dividends. 

“Last year, it looked like he touched the paint, he had no plan for it,” Fernández said. “He worked, and he put his mind to it and handling pressure. He’s just like a new player.” 

This new player gives Fernández options if he and Brown can play on or off the ball once the latter returns. 

Dëmin repeatedly touched the paint during the win at Charlotte on Tuesday. On Thursday, he crossed up James and went over Joel Embiid for what likely was the best drive of his life. 

“I’m really trying to be a leader of this group in the most selfless way,” Dëmin said. “I want to win and I want to do whatever it takes to win. I want to make sure that I understand every single person and that’s my way to lead. 

“Obviously, putting as much work as I can to lead as an example of what I’m doing from a development standpoint and being vocal is what Julius talked about is going to be a big part of who I am.”

What does the preseason actually determine? Do the wins and losses matter? The answer to the second question is quite literally, no. The answer to the first is general improvements from individual players, and some idea of what the rotations could look like come the regular season.

The San Antonio Spurs saw a little bit of both in their 123-116 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

Before the game, head coach Mitch Johnson announced that De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell and Victor Wembanyama would start the game. The three-guard lineup that many had speculated about would get plenty of time together, joined by their best movement shooter and last year’s defensive player of the year. But right before tip-off, the Spurs announced that Fox would miss the game with soreness from Thursday morning’s practice, putting Julian Champagnie into the starting five.

San Antonio got off to a great 39-20 first-quarter lead without Fox, led mostly by Harper. The second-year guard had 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists in his 16 first-half minutes. Harper looked to be in mid-season form, dominating with his size and strength in the paint. The newer development was Harper’s three-point shooting, particularly off the bounce. Harper knocked down three of his five three-pointers, two of them off the dribble, and another on a catch-and-shoot attempt in the corner.

Harper’s three-point shooting is a development to watch. He will be one of the toughest covers in the NBA if he can combine three-point shooting, particularly off the dribble, with his elite downhill driving ability.

Speaking of downhill driving ability, Carter Bryant looked much more comfortable in his second career preseason. The sophomore was composed (except for a silly turnover in the second quarter when he passed to a teammate who wasn’t looking at him), made quick decisions, and played with more confidence than he showed last season. Bryant finished the game with 11 points, including two three-pointers, and 5 rebounds in 23 minutes.

The rest of the Spurs showed just about what you would expect from them. Wembanyama’s jumper was falling; he was a lob threat in the pick-and-roll, and he created a no-go zone around the rim. Castle was a force getting to the rim and hit his sole catch-and-shoot three-point attempt. Champagnie hit a pair of catch-and-shoot threes and flashed his ability to attack a closeout. Keldon Johnson brought energy off the bench, and Vassell continued to look like one of the best shooters on the team.

Another less positive familiar trend reared its nasty head in San Antonio’s first preseason game. After jumping out to a 23-point lead in the first half, the Spurs let the Hawks chip away at the lead until it was just a 7-point game going into halftime. San Antonio lost the game for good in the second half, albeit with the starters resting and the depth players logging all of the minutes. Preseason losses don’t mean anything, but it’s unfortunate to see the Spurs blow a lead after what just happened in last year’s NBA Finals.

David Jones-Garcia and Ja’Kobi Gillespie led the way for San Antonio in the second half. The guard duo had the ball in their hands frequently and made the most of it. Jones-Garcia had 14 points on 4-for-9 shooting, while Gillespie scored 8 points on 3-for-6 shooting, including a deep three in the fourth quarter. Rookie Tarris Reed Jr. looked like a monster on the glass, grabbing 6 rebounds, 2 of them offensive.

Remember, last preseason the Spurs were playing double-big lineups and players who didn’t make the regular-season rotation. There were hints of what San Antonio will look like come October 20th, but the final product, as they look to make another Finals run, is still a work in progress.

Preseason Bell Ringer rankings:

Jaylen Brown – 1

It was the first game the starting five of LeBron James, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, VJ Edgecombe and Joel Embiid all played together, and there is a ton to be excited about.

Jaylen Brown continued his strong preseason against the Nets, tallying 18 points on 5-of-9 shooting. He made up for a slow start with a full house spreading the basketball around by taking over in the early moments of the second half.

Considering he earned Bell Ringer honors in the first game, it felt most sensible to showcase the stars we saw for the first time.

LeBron James:10 points, 18 minutes, 1-of-1 FG, 8-of-8 FT, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 steal

James looked in control for all of his 18 minutes, finding open Sixers in transition on what seemed like every possession for the first six minutes.

Although his only field goal came in the form of an early post-up finish over Drake Powell and Mo Wagner, most of James’ points came at the free throw line. He was a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe, converting drives into points.

His court vision has the chance to really elevate the games of Maxey, Edgecombe and Brown. It will be a focal point if Embiid can look more comfortable before the regular season begins. He finished with eight turnovers.

Tyrese Maxey: 14 points, 5-of-8 FG, 2-of-4 3PT, 2 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal

Maxey looks incredibly fast and showcased his speed on a nasty baseline dunk over Egor Demin.

He made two threes and appeared to be in a rhythm early. First three was off a James assist while the second three was running in transition and receiving the return pass from VJ Edgecombe.

He was playing very comfortable off-ball, playing a cutoff-man role to help pace out the offense or push the pace in transition.

LeBron James made his first on-court appearance since signing with the 76ers.

James, 41, made his preseason debut with Philadelphia on Thursday, playing 30 minutes during the 114-108 loss to the Nets on Thursday.

Scoring was not on the agenda for James, who scored 10 points while going 1-for-1 from the field and 8-for-8 from the free throw line.

James, who took a playmaking role for the majority of the game, also put up four rebounds, five assists and a steal.

Thursday’s game was James’ first appearance in a Sixers uniform since signing a two-year, $7.95 million veteran-minimum contract with the franchise in July.

When speaking to reporters in September, James expressed full confidence in bringing a championship to Philadelphia, saying that he hopes to bring his previous winning experience to the team.

“I hope that I can, you know, bring that experience, bring that knowledge, bring the blueprint to the guys that’s trying to accomplish some things that they haven’t done in their career,” James said. “I’ve seen everything that this league has to offer on the floor and off the floor, so I hope that every single day with my approach to the game, approach to the work, that it can translate to every single guy.”

Drama has already started in Philadelphia, however, with reports saying that James let Joel Embiid “hear it” after the Sixers star big man was “a couple of minutes late” to a practice.

During Monday’s preseason game between Philadelphia and the Knicks, Mike Breen relayed the story that someone told him about the two.

“I had somebody tell me before the game that they were out ready to practice, and Joel Embiid walked out onto the court a couple of minutes late, and LeBron let him hear it,” Breen said on the MSG broadcast.

James vehemently denied Breen’s comments through a post on his Instagram story.

“He ain’t been late so stop the lies,” James wrote. 

Following James’ comeback, Breen apologized for the initial report, saying that the story was taken out of context.

“I’m so disappointed how the story was interpreted,” Breen told ESPN.

“The whole intent was praising LeBron for already having an impact on the team’s professionalism and accountability, even something so benign as a player getting on the court for practice a minute or two late.” 

The Cleveland Cavaliers opened their first of three preseason games with a loss to the Boston Celtics.

We’re trying a new format for player grades this year. The goal is to separate players into categories and trim some fat from each game. We’ll be focusing more on the standouts (for better or worse) instead of grading every individual player.

Let us know in the comments if this template is enjoyable.

As always, grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

Player of the game

Jaylon Tyson

14 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists

No one played enough minutes tonight to really earn this title. And it’s hard for me to give it to a player who didn’t even play in the second half. But Tyson looked like he was taking the next step in his natural progression, scoring 14 points in 16 minutes by being everywhere offensively.

Tyson hit a three-pointer, cut to the basket for a handful of layups, and ran the two-man game with Evan Mobley with efficiency. He has the tools to be a fantastic role player off the bench, and this was a sign that Tyson is ready for that leap.

Grade: B+

Gold Stars

Craig Porter Jr.

5 points, 10 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals

Porter has been challenged to be more of a leader off the bench. Dishing out 10 assists feels like a good start. The fourth-year guard navigated the floor and ran the offense like someone who has experience under his belt. That could be the difference-maker in his race to be Cleveland’s backup point guard this season.

Grade: B+

Meleek Thomas

11 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals

After a quiet first half, Thomas opened the second with a string of successful plays. A drive to the basket, followed by a catch-and-shoot triple, capped off by a steal and coast-to-coast finish. Moments later, he’d add to the run with another steal and an outlet pass to Craig Porter Jr. for an assist.

In the fourth quarter, Thomas was given the opportunity to dribble the ball more frequently. This led to some slippery moments where he broke down his defender and got into the middle of the floor for a bucket. His shifty handle will be an X-factor in his development.

Grade: B

Passed the Class

Peyton Watson

7 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists

Cavs fans got their first look at Watson in a Cleveland jersey tonight. It was brief, but it was mostly sweet. Watson dished out 4 assists as he pushed the ball in transition and fit in nicely with the rest of the starters. He also buried a corner three-pointer, though he shot just 1-of-4 from downtown.

Watson also defended Mike Conley to start the game. A sign that Cleveland plans on using Watson to shore up their point-of-attack defense. We won’t know how impactful this can be until the real games start. But Watson’s mobility on the perimeter looked strong, even if the defensive effort around him was lacking tonight.

Grade: B-

Donovan Mitchell

There isn’t much for Mitchell to accomplish in preseason other than get his feet under him. He did so tonight, spinning his way around the court for 11 points and doing just enough before bowing out at halftime.

Grade: B-

Sam Merrill

8 points, 0 rebounds, 0 assists

We know what Merrill does on a basketball court. He didn’t record a single stat other than scoring, but seeing him drill a 30-foot bomb is always going to get me excited.

Merrill shot 3-for-4 from the floor and scored 8 points before resting the remainder of the game.

Grade: B–

Evan Mobley

8 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist

I thought Mobley would have had more assists tonight given the way he was moving the ball. His handle and vision looked as strong as ever, with Mobley walking the ball up the court and plowing into the lane for his most impressive bucket of the night.

He wasn’t much of a factor on defense, however. We know it’s preseason, but someone still has to grab a rebound.

Grade: C+

Missed the mark

Merio Hezonja

5 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists

Hezonja just played his first NBA (preseason) game in roughly six years. So, we won’t judge him too harshly for having cold feet.

That said, Hezonja looked clumsy in his first few minutes. An ugly turnover and a very hectic sequence dribbling the ball had us all wondering if his return to the league would be more choppy than we thought. He shot 2-for-7 from the field and has much to prove moving forward.

His presence on the glass and multiple assists could be something he hangs his hat on in the future. He’ll just need to get more comfortable on the floor before all of that clicks into place.

Grade: D+

‘Tis the preseason. The Brooklyn Nets began theirs on Tuesday night in Charlotte, putting on quite the performance, particularly at the offensive end, as they aerosol sprayed the “Hornets” en route to a 124-90 victory. Hornets is in parenthesis because Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller, and Coby White all sat out.

Thursday, it was the Philadelphia 76ers’ turn to be the showmen. Remember Brooklyn’s “Big 3”? Well, Philly now has a “Big 5” and they all suited up on the floor for the first time this evening as LeBron James and Jaylen Brown joined Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe.

The Nets started Egor Dëmin, Keon Ellis, Noah Clowney, Julius Randle, and Mo Wagner. Michael Porter Jr. and Day’Ron Sharpe sat out. Mikel Brown Jr. remains on the shelf with a rolled ankle.

Hydrogen bomb vs coughing baby? It sure sounded that way going into the game. Few teams, if any, can field a five that matches Philly’s in terms of point blank talent. The Nets certainly can’t on paper.

However, this was a basketball game, not a comic book, even if the Philly’s starting group looked like The Avengers. The Nets had as impressive of a win as the preseason will allow. Here are a few takeaways from the upset.

6:37, 1Q – Brooklyn Nets 15, Philadelphia 76ers 15

• There were already going to be questions about Brooklyn interior defense going into this season with Day’Ron Sharpe stepping in as the lead rim protector. So, with Sharpe sitting out tonight, the bow inside expectedly broke early. The 76ers scored an abundance of their first quarter buckets with baseline cuts. When the regular season starts, the Nets will want to make sure their back court communicates better with the front court. More importantly, they’ll want to make sure Day’Ron Sharpe plays.

• The Sixers weren’t the only ones trying to attack the rim early. Dëmin, who spoke all summer about expanding his shot diet, had quite the two-point take early in the first. He beat LeBron James off the dribble and went through Joel Embiid to score at the rim. I know that sounds like Nets fan fiction, but trust me, it happened. It’s as clear a sign of his growth as you’ll see.

5:52, 1Q – Brooklyn Nets 19, Philadelphia 76ers 15

• Nolan Traoré, Drake Powell, Chaney Johnson, Danny Wolf, and Josh Minott replaced the starters at this point in the first. Perhaps that’s meaningless with absences from Porter Jr. and Sharpe already disrupting the rotation, but it might also be a sign of what Jordi Fernández’s regular season bench will look like.

• This five also played a bit of 2-3 zone. Still attacking the baseline, Philly had little trouble scoring against it.

0:31, 1Q – Brooklyn Nets 31, Philadelphia 76ers 31

• Chaney Johnson took and made a three less than 10 seconds into the shot clock near the end of the first. We know Chaney can shoot, and we know Jordi Fernández has never been brash about encouraging his guys to let it fly. However, Mo Wagner also pulled a semi-contested corner one earlier in the game, which is a bit more eyebrow-raising. So, while the personnel has changed, Jordi’s philosophy on shooting seems to be the same.

10:01, 2Q – Brooklyn Nets 36, Philadelphia 76ers 32

• Once the starters and reserves started to mix, one thing became clear: the Nets are going to stick with the switch. I saw Drake Powell on LeBron James at least twice at the top of the key. Brooklyn largely did that in their first preseason game as well.
• NBA defenses often live and die based on how they defend screens. And, in the second, Brooklyn lived by it, forcing four turnovers in the period’s first four minutes. They were especially physical in their pursuit of these extra possessions, often along the elbow and in the low post. Wagner had James visibly frustrated on more than one occasion.

4:24, 2Q – Brooklyn Nets 44, Philadelphia 76ers 45

• As the Nets look to establish themselves as that gritty team nobody wants to play, wreaking havoc in the backcourt appears to be on the agenda. Traoré poking away this possession from Jaylen Brown to set up Danny with an alley-oop as just one bit of evidence supporting that claim. The Nets ended up turning the 76ers over 22 times by the end of the game.

1:12, 2Q – Brooklyn Nets 52, Philadelphia 76ers 56

• At the other end, however, Traoré might need to work on his chemistry with Randle. He had a few misplaced dump-offs as the two ran pick-and-roll down the stretch of the second. Those turnovers helped Philly retake the lead entering the break.

HALF – Brooklyn Nets 56, Philadelphia 76ers 58

• Egor was willing and able to probe inside consistently against a legitimate NBA defense, with several takes to the basket outside of that aforementioned one over Embiid. That means it’s real now. He’s not just attacking G-League players or rookies in Las Vegas. He’s doing it against All-NBA defenders. Dëmin’s touch around the rim still needs work, but you’ll surely take the improvement for what it is. It’s also rare to see an athlete identify such a clear weakness in his game and work so deliberately to address it. He’s lived up to everything we’ve heard about his work ethic, and this may be the clearest evidence of that yet.
• This team has the potential to be the gritty, pain-in-the-butt matchup for contenders many of us want them to be. Wagner had King James shouting at the officials like a spoiled monarch on more than on occasion. As Philly’s turnovers were mounting, Drake Powell also drew a foul on an Embiid screen in the backcourt. Embiid got in Ed Malloy’s face, and got a tech. Needless to say, the Nets got the 76ers pissed, and they did it in a game that doesn’t even matter. That’s telling.

9:47, 3Q – Brooklyn Nets 60, Philadelphia 76ers 64

• You don’t often see multi-year All-Stars on the other side of 30 playing in the second half of a preseason game. You see them diving on the court for loose balls even less. Julius Randle did both here. I think Nets fans are going to like him more than they realize.
• Randle’s on-ball gravity at the other end is still a factor as well. He initiated much of Brooklyn’s offense early in the third just by getting in and getting the ball back out to shooters. Having that to fall back on during broken plays or wayward possessions will be huge, and it’s something Brooklyn’s hasn’t had in a long time.

5:02, 3Q – Brooklyn Nets 82, Philadelphia 76ers 75

• Noah Clowney and Danny Wolf can still do that thing where they makes a handful of threes in a flash after having little-to-no points all game. If the Nets are able to make good on their intentions to stay in more games this year, that’ll make those sequences more fun to watch as well.

1:34, 3Q – Brooklyn Nets 90, Philadelphia 76ers 79

• The Nets established their largest lead of the game at this point via an 8-0 run. The 76ers also pulled all their main rotation players off the floor a few minutes before this. Sorry, I feel like I have to mention that.

11:51, 4Q – Brooklyn Nets 90, Philadelphia 76ers 79

• Ben Saraf and Terance Mann both played their first minutes of the night here. Just incase it ends up meaning anything, it’s worth noting. Saraf did connect on his first triple of the game from the right wing, but struggled to run the offense after that.

4:45, 4Q – Brooklyn Nets 107, Philadelphia 76ers 97

• It’s never too late, even in the preseason, to make hustle plays. Grant Nelson had several in the final five minutes of this one, particularly on the offensive glass. As Brooklyn’s offense began to falter down the stretch, he kept them afloat, mining for extra possessions. It was the least flashy “closer” performance I’ve seen in some time, but worked nonetheless, and that’s what matters.

END OF GAME

• I know, it’s only the preseason, but the 76ers started a lineup tonight that’ll at worst be an all-time NBA 2K team. The Nets went toe-to-toe with them, and minus Porter Jr., Brown Jr., and Sharpe. In my opinion, a lot of factors have to align for a preseason game to warrant true optimism from fans, but this one had them all. Don’t got crazy, but you’re allowed to like what you saw.
• Again, Egor’s development, specifically where it’s happening, is beyond encouraging.
• On the contrary, it’s not looking good for Ben Saraf. Not that it would’ve mattered much, but Brooklyn almost let this one slip after giving him the keys to the offense. It’s hard to get around that when you consider the defenders he was facing at that point.

Next Up

Brooklyn’s tour of new look teams in the preseason rolls on with a visit to the nation’s capital on Monday. The Nets will face off against the Washington Wizards at 7:00 p.m. EST.

• Boxscore: Brooklyn Nets 114, Philadelphia 76ers 108 – NBA.com
• Game Highlights: Brooklyn Nets 114, Philadelphia 76ers (Video) – NBA.com
• Sixers’ LeBron James praised by Nets big men Julius Randle, Moe Wagner – Ky Carlin – USA TODAY