The Philadelphia 76ers trailed for most of Game 4, but they came up big when it mattered most to take a 3-1 lead in their first-round series with the Brooklyn Nets.
Joel Embiid led the way for the 76ers with a game-high 31 points. He got some help from Tobias Harris, who was Philadelphia's second-leading scorer with 24 points, and Ben Simmons, who came close to another triple-double with 15 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
For more on the game, here are five takeaways...
Jared Dudley's impact
Jared Dudley only played 19 minutes in Game 4, but they were a loud 19 minutes.
Not only did Dudley score eight points on 3-for-4 shooting during his time on the court, he dished out five assists while committing only one turnover.
The Fro does fearsome things.@_bigjayy_ | #WeGoHard pic.twitter.com/Q1LOWFZcCK
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) April 20, 2019
Dudley also engaged in some trash talk with Ben Simmons in the first half and then got thrown out of the game in the third quarter for starting a scuffle with Joel Embiid after the All-Star big man was called for a foul on Jarrett Allen that was eventually ruled a Flagrant 1.
Dudley wasn't the only one who was ejected — Jimmy Butler was tossed for his involvement as well.
In the end, the Nets outscored the 76ers by 12 points when Dudley was on the court, giving him the best +/- on the team.
If he's available for Game 5, it wouldn't be a surprise if Nets coach Kenny Atkinson decides to start him again because of the impact he was able to make in Game 4.
However...
Jared Dudley called Mike Scott's game-winner
Sort of, anyway.
Getting Mike Scott also I’m this trade for Philly was huge.. Playoff exp and another stretch 4 who can shoot ..Embid and Simmons need spacing https://t.co/knBWDLkRxs
— Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) February 6, 2019
Joel Embiid's return
While he put up big numbers, Joel Embiid didn't look like himself in Games 1 and 2 of this series due to a knee injury that has been bothering him since All-Star Weekend.
Embiid sat out Game 3 due to knee soreness but felt good enough to return to the lineup for Game 4.
Embiid ended up playing 31 minutes and dominated every facet of the game to the tune of 31 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists, six blocks and two steals. He was a force down the stretch, with 12 points, six rebounds and three assists alone in the fourth quarter.
One of those assists created an open 3-pointer for Mike Scott that put the 76ers ahead, 110-108, with 19 seconds left to play.
“You have no idea how high I can fly."
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) April 20, 2019
@mikescott #PhilaUnite | #HereTheyCome pic.twitter.com/TBXyDSTVR3
Led by Embiid, the 76ers outscored the Nets 27-17 in the period to turn a six-point deficit into a four-point victory.
Caris LeVert stepping up
After big losses in Games 2 and 3, Nets coach Kenny Atkinson needed to make an adjustment before things got out of hand.
The solution? Inserting Caris LeVert into the starting lineup.
It was the logical choice, too. LeVert was coming off of a 26-point (on 10-for-17 shooting) performance in Game 3, tying a team-high. The third-year guard wasted no time making his impact felt in Game 4, scoring 11 points in the opening frame as Brooklyn got out to a nine-point lead.
LeVert finished the night with 25 points on 9-18 shooting from the field to go along with six assists and five rebounds.
Brooklyn should be very encouraged by LeVert's play in the series, as he is showing a true return to form after suffering a gruesome ankle injury in the first month of the season. Leading up to his injury on Nov. 12, the third-year guard averaged 18.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game on 47.5 percent shooting from the field.
He would not return to action until Feb. 8.
There were many ups and downs in the 26 regular season games following his return, where LeVert averaged 11.2 points, 4.0 assists and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 39.4 percent from the field and 31.2 percent from beyond the arc.
His recent play on the big stage bodes well for the Nets' chances to compete in this series as well as in the future, as he is one of the franchise's most talented young players.
Turnover woes
The Sixers averaged 14.9 turnovers per game in the regular season – third-worst among playoff teams, the Nets and Jazz being the only two teams to have averaged more.
In Philadelphia's Game 4 win, it committed 20 turnovers that led to 25 Brooklyn points.
The only criticism of Joel Embiid's big night was his game-high five turnovers, including a bad pass with under a minute remaining that could have proved to be costly. After Embiid, both Ben Simmons and JJ Redick committed four turnovers, with the latter setting multiple illegal screens.
Despite it being an ongoing issue, Philadelphia has found a way to win despite its giveaways all season. The team managed to go 8-7 in games in which it committed 19 or more turnovers, including a win over Golden State in late January.
However, with 20 or more, the team was 2-6 in the regular season.
For the series, the Sixers are averaging 12.5 turnovers per game and had it not been for a few big plays down the stretch, could have very well lost Game 4 as a result of their inability to take care of the ball.
As Philly is now one game away from advancing to the second round, things will get no easier. With the winner of the Raptors-Magic series on deck, the Sixers cannot afford to be careless with the ball or limit offensive possession with fouls on that end of the floor.
If they are unable to find a solution, it could very well be their demise.