Takeaways from 76ers's win over Nets

Kelly Oubre Jr. is the Philadelphia 76ers’ X-Factor.

If the swingman can continue to play like he did Sunday, the Sixers will be tough to beat. Meanwhile, Quentin Grimes showed why coach Nick Nurse once talked about using him as a backup point guard, among other duties. And Tyrese Maxey is making a case to be one of the top five NBA players, if not an early MVP candidate.

Here are three things stood out in the Sixers’ 129-105 victory over the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center:

Mr. X-factor

Oubre has quietly been an assassin for the Sixers this season. His averages of 17.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals took a backseat to the play of the Sixers’ stellar backcourt pairing of Maxey and VJ Edgecombe during the first five games.

But his performance against the Nets (0-6) couldn’t be overlooked.

The small forward scored a season-high 29 points to go with three rebounds, one steal and one block. His 22 points on 9-for-12 shooting while playing the entire first quarter were a career high for points in the opening frame. He added a second-quarter basket to set a new career high for points in a half at 24.

But what impressed the Sixers coaching staff the most was holding Michael Porter Jr. to two first-half points. This came after the Nets forward finished Wednesday’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks with a season-high 32 points.

“So [Kelly] set the tone big-time on that,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse told reporters. “And, again, I really believe this to be true: When you start the game super focused on D, that really usually translates to the other end, too. It really does.”

But no one should be surprised that Oubre stepped up on a night the Sixers (5-1) were without two opening-night starters in Joel Embiid (rest) and Dominick Barlow (right elbow laceration).

Oubre scored 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting at home against the Charlotte Hornets during the second game of the season.

Then on Monday, he had 25 points on 9-for-16 shooting to go with 10 rebounds and season highs of four assists and two blocks in a home victory over the Orlando Magic. The next night, Oubre finished with 17 points and a season-high 11 rebounds in an overtime road victory at the Washington Wizards. And he had 17 points and nine boards in Friday’s home loss to the Boston Celtics.

So Oubre was expected to thrive against the league’s worst team.

The 6-foot-8, 203-pounder excels when the ball is moving. But he was more aggressive than usual, attempting a season-high 21 shots and making 12 of them. Oubre was unstoppable in the first quarter, scoring 16 of 19 points during one stretch.

Oubre rolled his ankle at the conclusion of the third quarter, limping to the locker room to get evaluated. He was cleared to return to the game. But with the Sixers having a comfortable lead, Oubre sat out the final quarter.

The Sixers will be a contender if he can keep playing the way he’s doing at the start of this season. And they’ll be hard to beat if he can duplicate Sunday’s performance.

Grimes the assist machine

Grimes had a behind-the-back pass to Trendon Watford with 7:32 remaining in the game. The reserve forward scored the layup while being fouled. He made the three-point play to give the Sixers a 109-93 advantage.

But for Grimes, that play gave the combo guard his 11th assist, marking a career high.

The sixth man would increase his career high to 13 assists, and he would finish with 22 points and seven rebounds for his first double-double of the season.

“It was really good by him tonight,” Nurse told the media. “I think the biggest thing is those guys executed the game plan offensively of what we are trying to do. That’s really important.

“It was a create space game, move the basketball game, and then attack some of that space, and then you got to make the play that’s in front of you.”

While the sharpshooter made 8 of 14 shots, his most significant contribution on this night came on stellar passes. Playing unselfishly, Grimes kept setting up teammates for scoring opportunities. Seven of his assists came in the first half.

His passing element will definitely help the Sixers, who have only one true point guard in Kyle Lowry, a seldom-used player.

Maxey among elite company

Maxey was the talk of the NBA through the five games. And with just cause.

The 2024 All-Star headed into Sunday’s game as the league leader in scoring (35.2 points per game), fourth in assists (9.4) and tied for third in 3-pointers made (22).

So it was no surprise that the sixth-year veteran produced with a relaxed 26 points to go with seven assists and six rebounds.

He could have scored more points. But on this night, he enjoyed taking a backseat to Oubre and Grimes.

Maxey’s ability to get whatever shot he wanted and make an impact when needed was undeniable.

If he keeps this up, Maxey could be the biggest challenger to Denver center Nikola Jokić, who is averaging a triple-double, to win MVP. Jokić is averaging 20.4 points, a league-leading 10.8 assists and a second-best 14.4 rebounds.

The big question is: Will Maxey continue to be in attack mode when Embiid plays more minutes and Paul George returns from left knee surgery recovery?

But Maxey is playing the best basketball of his career. He has a broader range of his shot. He’s not just shooting it from the 3-point line. He’s shooting it a couple of feet beyond the mark. His floaters have been exceptional. And the speedster is quick to the basket.

His hard-to-match work ethic has enabled him to elevate to one of the early-season faces of the league. Maxey is also taking advantage of the situation. The 6-2, 200-pounder knows that he has to carry the team with Embiid on a minutes restriction and George sidelined. And he’s exceeded expectations, thus far.

He scored the first point of Friday’s game with a side-step, 26-foot 3-pointer 15 seconds into the contest.