Sixers-Nets observations: Another dominant outing by Joel Embiid, Brooklyn’s poor decisions

The 76ers defeated the Brooklyn Nets, 122-100, in a clinching Game 5 of their first-round playoff series Tuesday night at the Wells Fargo Center.

Here are some observations and best and worst awards:

- Joel Embiid would not be denied. On this night, he made folks forget about the tendinitis in his left knee, as the Sixers’ two-time All-Star dominated the Nets.

- Brooklyn crumbled under pressure. The Nets kept making poor decisions, which led them to shoot poorly and commit turnovers.

- The Sixers have improved since the regular season. They are playing as a team, and roles have been defined. And in this series, their height was a huge advantage over the Nets.

- Best performance: Embiid had to get this for the second consecutive game. He had 23 points and 13 rebounds in just 20 minutes, 22 seconds of action.

- Worst performance: This goes to Jared Dudley. The Nets forward failed to score, missed all three of his shots, and grabbed only one rebound in 17:48 of action.

- Best defensive performance: Jimmy Butler gets this one with three steals and one block.

- Worst statistic: This goes to the Nets’ shooting 6-for-23 in each of the first two quarters.

- Best statistic: This goes to the Sixers’ outrebounding the Nets, 56-41.