PHILADELPHIA -- One thing the Brooklyn Nets have not struggled to do this season is put up big offensive numbers against the Philadelphia 76ers. They arrived in Philadelphia averaging 123.5 points in two games against the Sixers with a 121.1 offensive rating and 51.8 field goal percentage -- both their highest against any opponent this season.
Another big scoring night lifted Brooklyn to its third straight win, 127-124 behind a career-high 39 points from Spencer Dinwiddie. The 127 points were a season high for the Nets.
The Nets shot 51.4 percent overall (38-74) and 50 percent from 3-point range (14-28).
The Sixers took advantage on the offensive boards early, but the Nets eventually evened out the rebounding battle and matched the Sixers with 37 rebounds each. And after Joel Embiid piled up 23 first-half points, the Nets held him to just three in the third quarter while building a 10-point lead going into the fourth. Embiid finished with just 10 points in the second half.
After the Sixers closed within 94-89, Rodions Kurucs knocked down a 3-pointer to begin a 13-5 run that he capped with a drive and dunk for a 107-95 lead with 7:15 to go in the game.
The Sixers were back within 111-105 closing in on three minutes to go, but Ed Davis made two free throws and Dinwiddie drove on Embiid for a 115-105 lead with two minutes to go.
Dinwiddie shot 11-for-18 overall and 4-for-6 from 3-point range while getting to the line for 14 free throws, making 13, and adding five assists.
Allen Crabbe added 20 points while shooting 4-for-8 from 3-point range and Kurucs had a career-high 13 points while making a big second-half impact. Joe Harris had 14 points and D'Angelo Russell had 12 points with seven assists.
The Nets got a late-first-quarter boost from the second unit and eventually went up by eight in the second quarter before going into halftime with a 57-56 lead.
Trailing 25-16 midway through the first quarter, Brooklyn's 13-2 run was launched by a Crabbe 3-pointer. Kurucs' three-point play got the Nets even at 27, and they took their first lead of the half moments later as Kurucs cut baseline to collect a Russell pass and finish for a 29-27 lead.
The Nets shot 5-for-9 over the final five minutes of the first quarter to close it on a 15-4 run and with a 31-29 lead.
Tied at 39 five minutes into the second quarter, the Nets pulled out to an eight-point lead with 3-pointers from Jared Dudley and Crabbe and two inside finishes by Harris, the second putting them up 51-43 with four minutes to go before halftime.
Dinwiddie's 3-pointer made it 57-51, Brooklyn with 1:24 to go in the half before Embiid scored the next five points to give himself 23 for the half and bring the Sixers within one at the break.
The Sixers opened up the second half with 9-2 run to go up 65-59. Two Harris 3-pointers got the Nets within 69-68, and after a Wilson Chandler 3-pointer for the Sixers, Brooklyn leapt ahead with a 19-3 run
Harris attacked the rim and slipped past Embiid to scoop in a reverse and give him eight straight Brooklyn points. Dinwiddie then scored 12 of the next 17 -- Crabbe had the other five -- with his second 3-pointer in 90 seconds capping the burst and making it 87-75 Brooklyn.
Another Dinwiddie 3-pointer made the Nets 7-for-11 from deep for the quarter and sent him into the fourth quarter with 15 in the period, 27 overall and the Nets leading 94-84.
UP NEXT
Starting Friday, the Nets launch another home-heavy stretch of the schedule that will take them past Christmas, with six of seven games at Barclays Center through December 26. They'll host the Wizards on Friday, the Hawks on Sunday and the Lakers on Tuesday.