Dancing Sixers Sweep Weekend Back-to-Back

your opportunity to send us your questions, your comments. I see a lot of regulars in the chat this morning, so I'm calling on you regulars to challenge yourselves to ask a new question. Click on my icon Matt and devonor here you can click on their icons. Send a DM telling us what you liked most about the Sixers win over the Calves, about the Sixers clinching a playoff appearance,

about the road ahead. The regular season is nearly complete, just four games left and then the playoffs will begin and the Sixers will be there for the fifth consecutive year. So send us your questions, Send us your thoughts, as always, will run through the box Score, will take questions. I can't wait to hear what Davon and Matt thought of last nights when, but please send us questions. We're a little bit behind on questions this morning, and like I

said yesterday, I totally get it. Eighty two games is a lot of games, and we have had quite a few Twitter spaces, if I'm not wrong, We've had at least forty eight of them as of this morning, so I know there's not that many questions left to be asked. But I think when Joel Embide plays the way that he did last night, when the team plays the way that it did during their day game on Saturday, there's

a lot to discuss. So even if it's just sending your favorite thing that you've seen, something you're interested in, concerned about, excited about, please send us those thoughts because that way we can spend the next forty five minutes or so talking about whatever you the like to talk about. So I'm seeing some questions in I really appreciate it. If you're thinking about sending one and you haven't yet, now is the time to dive in and do so.

Matt Devon, good morning, how are we? Hey? Good morning, Good morning, Lauren, Good morning Devon? Or should I say what's up? Miss Rosen? To keep it for consistency's sake. Channeling my honor, Tyrese Maxie again, I got to keep that going. So what's up, miss Rosen, what's up? Devon? Back on sixer spaces after a win, goodwin on the second night of a back to back Divon. They came out with some energy, especially in the second half, to

close out a roadwin, got the job done. I was really impressed with just the effort on the glass and we can get into all of this, but they got They got it done in Cleveland against the team that's going to be in the playoff mix. So kept things rolling and we're back. Good morning, guys. Yeah, it was. It was a really good win last night, a tough

road win, a playoff atmosphere, it seemed like. And speaking to Tom Againnis and Lauren you were there, he said, it was really really the crowd was really into it and to see them I have an opportunity to pull that one out the way that they did, it was really good to see that. Knowing that again, this is a type of type of performance that you're going to have to win that way sometimes in the postseason, so

good to see them get that one done. Two game winning street start this three game road trip off the right way, no doubt about it. This, of course, the last road trip in the regular season for the seventy sixers. They're on they've won their first that was in Cleveland

last night. The team now in beautiful Indianapolis to play again tomorrow night against the Indiana Pacers, the penultimate matchup between the Pacers, who we'll visit the Sixers this weekend and then travel to Toronto for the final road game of the regular season. So the Sixers will look to

keep a good thing going. But this back to back perhaps dare say their best basketball yet as a unit, and of course I'm talking about the post James Harden six and the group that has expressed how badly they want to figure out how to play together efficiently, effectively, dominantly.

But in a short period of time, I think that between last nights of victory over the Calves, which by the way, was they come from behind victory, and that dominant second half against the Charlotte Hornets, this is the best that this group has looked and there cannot be a better time to figure stuff out. And of course there's still things to work on. The guys have expressed a few areas of focus postgame after both wins, but it does feel like they're at their best right now.

Matt devon any thoughts before we dive into the box score, Well, I wanted to get more from Cleveland on site in Cleveland, Lauren, what was the talk postgame? What were the themes? And as we've already kind of discussed the playoff atmosphere and if you want to throw anything in about that, but how about the postgame atmosphere too? Yeah. Sure, shout out to that Cleveland crowd. They know their basketball, they love their basketball. It was packed in there. It was loud

in there. Not quite as loud as a Sixers game, there's no such thing. But it was cool to be in that sort of playoff environment, a crowd that was really engaged in everything that was happening, and a team obviously that was really engaged to cover that twelve point deficit and come back for the victory. And postgame, Matt, I gotta be honest, it was all about Joel Embid. Joel, of course, last night, finished with forty four points, seventeen rebounds,

three assists, and five blocks. More on that and on the company that he keeps with that stat line in a little bit but his teammates talking about Joel's MVP case, Joel talking about his own MVP case, and we should add the caveat there that Joel feels, if it happens, it happens. His priority is finding ways to win games with this team, as has been the case all season long. He knows he doesn't have control over whether or not

he wins the MVP award. He does have control over how well this team is able to do and how far they're able to go. But that being said, DeAndre Jordan, George Niang, James Harden, Doc Rivers all sort of made the case for why Joel has got to be the MVP this season post game, and I think that that was nice and well deserved and unprompted in a lot of cases. He was just so dominant that fourth quarter. I don't know if I've seen a better Joel Embiid than he looked on those back to back to back

to back possessions. And then of course to see him emote, to see him really excited and invested in getting this victory, in being a fourth quarter closer, for me, Joel had to be the top story, and he clearly was. For his teammates as well. Yeah, and I also like the defensive play that he had with the five blocks and no doctor. Rivers alluded to it last night after the game, but they were getting to the painted area, you know

quite a bit, Dearis Garland is fantastic at that. He sets up his players nicely and gets guys some good looks and close they just have to make them if they can get him by Joel and bad and he made sure that he denied them those few times and

emphatically a couple of those blocks there. So not only offensively, where of course that stands out, and you're right, Lauren, in the offensive end, those three straight possessions where he was fantastic and working that pick and roll, like we all discussed on Sunday before the game last night, he and James Harden have that pick and roll down less efforts that he has, well, less energy that he has to use because of course of what James Harden does

to set him up. But then he can use that energy again on the defensive end to help of course keep those guys from scoring the opposition and to put up those numbers offensively and then come back defensively and also help out and then show that emotion. I love when he shows that emotion because he doesn't do it often. When he does it, he does it at the time where there's a big run at some point in the game, or when there's a close out for the end of the game, and I do love to see that. I

love that type of performance from him. I hear you, Divon, I'm with you. I love what you said about his showing emotion because he doesn't just do it. There's sort of a Joel embiade to George Niang spectrum of showing emotion. George Niang will show emotion for anything, and it's why people love him, it's why his teammates love him, and it's part of what makes him such an effective basketball player. But Joel Embid is on the opposite end of the spectrum.

Joel can drop fifty with a stone face, and so to see him emote, to see him care and play with that amount of heart in a regular season game against a team that, by the way, they had already won three against in a come from behind situation on the second night of a back to back, it was really good to see. It was a reminder of how much Joel does care or even if he doesn't emote in the way that George Niang does, but really cool to see him rewarded for what he was able to do.

I want to go ahead and jump into the box score. I'm seeing a lot of questions dive in. I'm seeing a lot of questions come in. So we are going to dive into those questions because to share them with Matt, with Devon. But let's do the box score first. As always, if anything stands out as I go through this box score, I know Joel will. But if there's anybody else that you want to talk about, please send us a DM or comment on the Sixers space thread to let us

know where you'd like the conversation to head. So, without further ado, Joel Embi led the way forty four points, seventeen rebounds, three assists, one steel, five blocks. Joel started slow from the field, but finished shooting twelve for twenty six, three for six from three, and seventeen four twenty from the line. More on that, of course, in a little bit.

James Harden not just his second triple double as a seventy six or twenty one points, ten rebounds, ten assists, He also had a more difficult shooting night from the field four for thirteen, but again found ways to get it done in other places, which is what great players do when they're not super duper feeling it from the floor. He was also eleven for twelve from the free throw line. Tyrese Maxie and Tobias Harris at eleven points apiece. Tobias

also had five rebounds, three assists, and a block. Tyrese had three assists and a steal. Matisse thyble. Again, stat line doesn't always tell the whole story with Matisse, who finished with four points, two rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks. But perhaps one of the most, if not the most important plays of the game, Let's go one of the most Let's go one of the most

important plays of the game. Stealing the inbounds. See a couple or right off the inbound, seeing a couple questions about that, we will get there. George Yang a bench high eight points. He finished at a team high tied with Joel Embiid plus sixteen plus five rebounds. DeAndre Jordan finished with six points and four rebounds. Let's see Shake Milton four points, Stanny Green three points, everybody contributed in this one, and again the seventy six ers had a

great third quarter. That's two in as many games. A thirty two twenty five swing in that third quarter that ultimately was enough to sort of tip the scales, and then that dominant fourth quarter perform by Joel Embiid sealed the deal. So, Matt Davon, what stands out before we we dive into these questions, I'm gonna repeat myself about rebounding and effort on the glass. It's a quick point here,

but they win the rebounding battle. Both teams were on the second night of a back to back, but I thought in the second half the offensive rebound and the offensive rebounding and the second chance points. So they finished with twelve offensive rebounds and sixteen second chance points. I know Kate Scott said it on the telecast, and she and Allah pointed it out in the game. So I'm gonna go with that, not an individual statistic because Embiid has most of those covered, but a team statistic. What

about you, Devon what stands out from the stats? Yeah,

I'm going to more team as well. When we talk about the discrepancy and free throws again, and it was something that the Sixers desperately needed because it did seem early that Cleveland had that energy, and we saw that as a result of just paying attention to how the game was playing out, but as the game played along, knowing that in beating Harden both get to the foul line the way that the game ultimately ended up, they needed every bit of those foul shots and to know

that you can have your two stars as they do with em beating hard and shoot over eighty percent and close to ninety for James Harden. It's a weapon that they have that they can use and look, the league may not like it. That may be others who fans or executives and coaches and players who may not like it. Well, my things always stopped fattling them and they would love those calls if they were on their end, and it

is a weapon that they are able to use. They continue to make those free throws and it is a big, big reason as to why they win a lot of those games, and that showed in yesterday's game against the Cavs as well. I saw what you guys saw. Thank you as always for diving a little bit deeper into the box. Score. I want to go ahead and go into some questions and get to as many of them as we possibly can. And I thought that, let's see,

here's where I wanted to start. I thought that Emily had an interesting point about DeAndre Jordan, and I know that Sixers Twitter is having quite the discourse about backup center minutes for the seventy sixers, But Emily says, DeAndre Jordan has looked over the last few games much better. What's the most important thing for he and the bench to focus on come playoff time? And I think that now is an appropriate opportunity to talk about what he

was able to do last night. DeAndre Jordan, of course, a veteran in this league, knows where to be, knows what to do. Finishes with six points and four rebounds, and it's very comfortable in that supporting role. He played

just ten minutes. He was three for three from the field, and after the game he talked about the fact that he knew his job was always going to be to play somewhere between ten and fifteen minutes to back up the big fella, Joel Embiid, an MVP candidate, and make sure that he does everything he can do to protect

the work that Joel has done. So, in my opinion, that's all you can ask from someone again, perfect from the field, crashing the boards, being big, doing what he needs to do, and then keeping the proper mindset so when you ask what does he need to do headed into the playoffs, to me, it's just keep that mindset and keep that productivity, don't make don't make mistakes when you can avoid them. And Joel, of course, then proceeded

to credit DeAndre for what he's been able to do. So, Matt Devon, what did you see out of him over the last couple of games. He's looking a little bit more comfortable out there. He and Tobias Harris have some really cool lob chemistry, and I think it's been cool to see the way that he's come in so late to this team and figure out a way to make his mark and be, in my opinion, very effective over

the last few games. Well, Lauren, your MBA hotel WiFi was at least giving me some issues there a little bit, but we made out most of what you were saying. But as you travel around the NBA circuit, sometimes I don't know the WiFi. Let me, let me do some fancy footwork while you while you respond to what you did, hear of what I said, and I'll be right back. No,

I know we were. We were talking about DeAndre Jordan and the minutes that he's giving the Sixers and the lab, the lab threat, the alley oop, reverse all oops against the Hornets, Harris on the ability to lob the ball to DeAndre, all notable things from the past two games,

the weekend games Charlotte and then at Cleveland. And it's something that we talked about with Devon yesterday, and Devon, for anyone who wasn't here yesterday, I thought you made a really good point about Tobias Harris as a passer in these situations. I think it would be worth just reminding people of that point you made in the in

the last spaces. Sure, so we saw it a few times against the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday afternoon, but we had seen it prior to that and a few of the other games, and we had an opportunity once again last night to see that connection, whatever it is. My main point was James Harden shake Milton, in my opinion,

were the two best lab throwers on the team. And you need those at times, you always, of course want to have some athletic people who can finish those pleas and Tobias Harris has surprised me with his passing in the chemistry the connection that he and DeAndre Jordan have

put together in a short time here. But let's not to forget the fact that they did play with one another in la when they were both part of the Clippers while Tobias Harris was there, So it's something that may have been there before that we didn't pay much attention to in the year's past because we didn't see

the Clippers as much with Tobias Harris. But now that they are back together, just getting refamiliarizing themselves with one another on that end and being able to connect that way, it is as a key play in the game because DeAndre Jordan, as we know throughout his career, a lot of his work offensively comes off the offensive rebounds, offensive glass and his teammates setting him up, and that was a lob city back then for a reason, not just with Blake Griffin, but also with DeAndre Jordan, and he

still has some bounced to him. It may not be the Jordan that we saw as an all NBA player as a Defensive Player of the Year type of candidate in the All Star This is a new version of DeAndre Jordan and for Lauren to lay out everything that he understands. He's a veteran, he's been around a long time, so he knows what he needs to do in order to make some positive plays and be successful with his team.

And Tobias Harris and he have a really good connection on that in Shake Milton as well, as I mentioned, So it's good to see that as part of something because there will be some times where Tobias is going to be on the floor with James Harden, and there are going to be sometimes where he's got going to be out there with Maxie or Shake Milton, and James Harden's going to be on the bench and he's gonna handle and run the initiate the offense and that action

and if they commit, he knows that he can put that ball up anywhere towards the rim and DeAndre Jordan will still have the necessary capabilities to go up there and get it. And we saw that the last two games.

I would imagine that's something that they keep tucked away in the event that they have to pull that one out once again as they move forward and devon to go back to when Lauren was speaking, she said, she brought up the clinching the playoffs again, and I just wanted to go come back to that for a second with you, because you've had these conversations with people on the radio for many years, podcasts, whatever setting you want to say. Five straight years in the playoffs for this organization,

it can't be overlooked. It's an impressive feat. No one was worried about them clinching. It was just a matter of when they would do it. But it's that time of year when everybody gets excited for a Sixers postseason run, and as the regular season winds down, I just wanted to make sure that we remind people how special it is to, you know, follow this team into the playoffs for the fifth straight year. It is a special thing.

Once they made it the first time around the seventeen eighteen season, and you could see that they had something brewing with the team, with the two young players as the foundational pieces and then these elect veterans that they had added it around them. And now we are in year number five where they make it once again and we all knew they would get there. We all knew that they would get to close to fifty wins once again.

On the season, it was always when you speak and just speaking fairly and clearly about what the listeners talk about. It's about how far now they don't want it to be. And I'm sure everyone, the organization, the team, everyone wants to make it a step further than they did last season, and possibly those two steps further and getting to the ultimate.

So yeah, it's really good to see again they are one of those teams that are good and maybe they just overlooked because you expect it like we do here, expect those high forties, low fifties regular seasons through an eighty two game run and last season seventy two games with forty nine wins, but just playing some good basketball overall,

understanding how great Joel Embi it is. There's a lot of talk about good and great, and I'm not one to throw around great often, but I think it's very clear that Joel and beat is a great player in the NBA, one of those top five level players. And to have him anchoring everything that you do have with the team that has now gotten there five consecutive years

for a postseason run. It is something that is that is really really special, but it's always it's always, you know, left a little bit of a damp, damp feeling about how things end up, just because there's only one champion and you want to see your team get there. So let's hope that they can have an extended run. That's great to see them once again get that forty eight and knock themselves right into the playoffs. Let's see now how far things go. Guys, how's my audio sounding at

this point? What do we think? Fantastic? I love to hear it now, techno. I want to shout out a couple questions and shoutouts for young Matisse thyble, Annie says Mathief Steel Bowl. That might be a little bit too far. I've got to be honest, but I appreciate the creativity at another great game. He keeps leading to great plays.

I think we should talk about the games sealing. Let's say stolen inbounds from from Matisse bible and then the heads first of all, the heads up play to be able to do that and then pass it up ahead to Tobias Harris, who also was paying close attention and get that dunk then ended up sealing the deal for the seventy six ers to put them up one to eleven to one oh six with seven seconds left. And that, Matt Murphy, is why matisse bible is so important and

will continue to be for this team. Even those little plays, sometimes they end up changing the game entirely. And so I see your shout outs to Matise. I think we can give him his flowers now. Matt Devon, what have you thought of his play over the last few games that you said that was one of the plays of the game that was probably don't Can we say it was the play of the game, the steal to seal

the deal. I just don't want to discredit what Joel and Bid did in the in the prior six or seven minutes, but I think I think it was the cherry on top. And yes, if you want to call it the play of the game, Joel I think had the performance of the game, and it wasn't very close. But the play of the game, yeah, might have been that stolen inbounds on the road at the end of the game. At the end of a back to back, these guys are tired at this point and managed to

get it done. So credit to Matisse, Tible and Tobias Harris were being able to get that done when it mattered it. It was a very Matisse play. I feel like the whole weekend Matisse was falling out of bounds and throwing the ball back in and like that's a lot of his career. And Maxie had a steal earlier in the game that was sort of in a similar fashion,

but big play. I love the reaction from Joel running down floor and throwing his arms up, realizing like the lead that it gave them and the chance that it gave them to hold on for the road win. Big

time play from Matisse. I'm looking back through some of the at Sixers tweets Lauren and with you on the ground in Cleveland, Matisse is kind of in the background here, but the Dancing Sixers video when Tobias Harris had the goggles out, I just wanted to I have a question for you in between all of the questions from the listeners, who had the pregame dunk because they were all dancing, But I don't see the dunk here. So for the

Cleveland game, who threw down the pregame dunk in layup lines. Yes, so I'll be honest, it was a little bit of like a longer pregame dunk than usual, which is why you only got the pre pregame dunk celebrations. But it was Isaiah Joe who was stretching on the sideline. There's there's a group of sixers that actively avoid being chosen

for the pregame dug Isaiah among those. And so right after that dance that you guys saw that, Matt, I don't know if you could pop that in the chat, Tobias went and made Isaiah stop stretching, gave him the ball, got him to come over, and then the rest was history. He did make the pregame dunk in fact, but I thought that the dancing was especially pronounced yesterday from the likes of Danny Green, of Tobias Harris, of Tyres Maxie,

of Matistible, even George Yang. And so I think it's always worth sharing and noting that this is and continues to be a group that really enjoys one another and finds ways to make games even in the dog days of the season. For it, if you're doing it for the seventy seventh time, still exciting and fun, and they've enjoyed each other from the jump this season, and that sort of has been a pleasure to watch as a

secondary plotline among everything else that's gone on on the court. Yeah, dancing sixers is in the chat or it's in the space here at the top. I saw in Detroit. I saw Tobias actually get selected as the pregame dunker. He was looking around and I don't know who determined it. I guess it was Danny Green. They ended up deciding that Tobias would do that. But that was my question for you. I'm sure other people have maybe better questions,

so we can move on. No, No, Lauren, can any of them really dance or did they just bop around and just do stuff? Well? They definitely bop around and do stuff, that's for sure, And I think that sometimes they prioritize, they prioritize they'll they'll choose to bop around and do stuff. In the words of Devon Gibbons over dancing, Like I think they could dance if they wanted to.

I'll get I'll give Tyrese Maxie some credit. I think he might be the best answer on this team in in my opinion, but yeah, this is this is a group of guys that understands how to get down. But I think they also try to have fun at the same time. Fair enough, fair I think James hard we can dance. We've seen stuff over the years. Yeah he can do that. I give all right, Okay, okay. As far as the Natista will steal, just showing his defensive instincts, why as a reserve players season ago he was made

a second team All NBA player. That's what he does. I mean, he'll he'll get in foul trouble. He's still I guess as far as the officials go, they're still trying to figure out certain things of how to call because he does do a lot of his work in the trail position, whether it's the block or to steal, the poke away or the behind the back block there

for the player. But more often than that, we see a lot of really good defensive plays from Nati style will from him and that that play there, Yes, the more memorable and the more impactful game was Joel Emdeed, but that play, you know, it's a team game. I think generally Matisse's cutting is something else that's been talked about, and last night in particular, maybe even the whole weekend kind of sliding underneath and Joel finding Matisse on the

offensive end. So just Matisse's movement on both ends of the floor was really notable in the last couple of games. But of course we can talk about his steels and blocks, but I think the cutting is something that a lot of people have been talking about since the Hardened trade, but Joel was the one finding him in a lot of these situations on offense in the past couple wins too.

I think something that we could turn to next is a question from Tim who says, in terms of playoff preparations, hashtag clinched, what's something aside from wins that we really need to see from the team down the home stretch. And I think it sort of ties everything that we've talked it talked about together Tim's question, and does Matisse Thyble of course moved into the starting lineup about halfway through this season, just before the acquisition of James Harden,

who also moved into the starting lineup. So worth noting that as Joel and Matise developed their chemistry, like you mentioned, Matt, as James develops chemistry with Joel, with tyrese with matise with Tobias. That to me is the thing that you need to see from the team down the home stretch in this final week of regular season play. And I'm

taking a page out of their own books. They've talked about it for the last few weeks, that chemistry, chemistry, chemistry, learning to play together, learning each other's spots, adjusting to this learning curve is the top priority because the talent is there. Now it's about moving as a unit, and

we've talked about it in little examples. But my answer to Tim's question is continuing to just refine that chemistry make the most of the four sets of forty eight minutes that these guys have before it starts to matter a whole lot more. And it might be a little bit of a cob bout answer, because chemistry, of course is always important, But when you think about the way that this team has been constructed and the way that it's changed throughout the course of the season, that's my answer.

But hey, it's Joe Conklin joined me for Conklin's comedy. United Parks Casino, the number one casino with Pennsylvania and the official local casino partner. If you are Philadelphia seventy Sixers, Tune into seventy Sixers games for special Parks Casino offers for fans, watch all the action on the big screens in the Liberty Belt, Gastro Pop or the Beer Garden and come see me live with comedians from all across the country in three sixty and Parks Casino. Visit Parks

Casino dot com for tickets. Must be belad on to owain to comic. You know, of course, get the ws, but just make sure they continue to play together. Defense, rebounding, and turnovers. Those are the other three factors for me. Defensively, you have to try to keep that those numbers down and not have to have to score one hundred and twenty points to win a game just because the other team has one hundred nineteen rebounding, because we know what

it does. Those second chance opportunities have hurt the Sixers throughout the season. And also the turnovers. We've seen too many times where the turnovers have come into play Layton games throughout the game, and it's just something that I want to make sure that they clean up before they get to the postseason. So things that Lauren, as you mentioned, We've talked about all season long, and it's just simply not a negative. It's just a part of the game that we look at that we want to see improve

as things move forward. We talked about DeAndre Jordan a little bit earlier. Lauren brings up chemistry heading into the playoffs. Devon, you talk about health and other things and turnovers, but I think other players on the bench is where I'm looking at the end of the regular season and seeing what kind of form they head into the playoffs with, be it George Niang or Shake, Milton Shake played fifteen minutes in the Cleveland game, Danny Green as well, So

these types of guys. Danny played seventeen, George played twenty two, made two of his four three is both of his free throws, with the eight points in five rebounds, Seeing what kind of form they're shooting, particularly their three point shooting is in heading into the first round of the playoffs is probably where I'm looking in the last week of the regular season, Matt Devon, I am looking forward to this next slate, And of course, the strength of

schedule is something that we've talked about a little bit. Not the most strength of schedule in the NBA over the next four but still some opportunities to maybe right some wrongs, to see some teams that they've seen quite a few times already this season. Tomorrow the team plays Indiana, then they visit Toronto. They play Indiana again on Saturday

at home, and Detroit again on Sunday at home. So Toronto, of course the only among that group that the Sixers could end up seeing down the stretch into the playoffs. But all good opportunities to continue doing everything that you guys have discussed. I think I am mostly ready to start looking ahead. But do you guys want to empty any of your dns, any questions that you saw that you want to get to before we turn the page. I'm good to look ahead to the coming games, alrighty,

Well what are you looking forward to? What are you looking ahead to when you think of the last four And then of course we're going to get to watch another play in tournament, which is very exciting. I loved it last season, and then it's off to the races for this team. Well, we do have the game times now for next week or this weekend coming up, and correct me if I'm wrong. One o'clock Saturday, seven o'clock Sunday. Yes, indeed it appears. That appears to be true. We love

to see it one pm, seven pm. It's sort of similar to what this team did on it's back to back this past weekend. You get a little bit more separation between your two games, except for this time they're not going to have to travel in between. So I like that closer for the seventy six ers. So the Toronto game is important because of Lauren. As you mentioned, what could happen in the postseason of possible first round matchup, second round, however far it goes. So that's important because

Toronto is well coached. They have the championship pedigree with Fred van Blee, ogn and Nobi and Pascal Siako, and they pose some threats with the lent that they have the young Scottie, having Chris Bouche come off the bench and he can rebound the ball as well slight of frame, but he just knows he isn't knack for the basketball, so he's one that will all pay attention to in

that game on Thursday. So for me, that's it. And also everything that we mentioned about the rebounding, the defense and the turnovers protecting the basketball after the season, after that seven o'clock game on Sunday, having that week off, the preparation and not having to play for a week and staying sharp and not losing the focus. Of course, the focus will be there with the playoffs starting, but we've seen where you come out in game number one,

and it's a tough game for the home team. So I just want to I want to make sure that they do those things, and I know Doc Rivers and the staff will have them prepared and ready to go. It's just one thing that you know you've seen over the years, of course, is just watching the basketball as long as as long as I have, as long as you have, you've seen those slip ups a bit, but having the rest number one for their bodies, and then just being ready to go right out of the gate

in that game one against the postseason, postseason opponent. I know we'll get there when it's time for round one, but that just as you asked the question, that just popped in my head and I wanted to get that one off my chest. I agree about the Raptors game for sure, and just to add to the week off before the playoffs, pregame in Detroit a few days ago. Doc Rivers said that that's could be considered like another

training camp, So that's going to be an exciting time. Yes, the players will get some rest, but some opportunities to game plan and get in the gym, and they're in there anyway a lot of the time, but you know, formally maybe on certain occasions with that time period between the end of the regular season and the playoffs. And Doc said, that's going to be like a training camp when the regular season raps. So I think everyone's looking forward to that for a number of reasons. I look

forward to it as well. I look forward to doing more of these with you guys as we move along. The seventy six Ers hold the number four spot in the Eastern Conference right now, but tide record wise with the number three Bucks at forty eight and thirty, both of those teams just half a game behind the number two Boston Celtics at forty nine and thirty, and then

the Celtics two games back. The Sixers and Bucks two and a half games back of the number one Miami Heat, who are fifty one and twenty eight, so a very crowded field at the top of the Eastern Conference as it stands today this morning on Monday, the Bulls hold the five, the Raptors at six, the Calves at seven, the Hawks at eight, the Hornets at nine, and the Nets at ten. So that's the playoff picture as of this morning for the Eastern Conference, but that is going

to change as the days move along. Sometimes the last couple weeks of this season feel a little bit for not but in this situation, I think the Eastern Conference and the next let's say five six days are shaping up to be one to remember. So looking forward to watching those, looking forward to doing more of these with you guys. I wanted to shout out Mike's question real

quick before we wrap up. Mike said, Sixers fans are being fed this week with two back to back wins with Spaces and a new episode of The Big Niang Theory. Thank you, Matt, Devon and Lauren for all of your hard work. Look, if the team is getting it done, we get to get it done. So this is exciting all around. We appreciate you Mike for always being a

listener and a question asker. We shout out when Nona as well for her questions her support all morning If you haven't listened yet, Mike mentioned the new episode of The Big Niang Theory. It features Shake Milton. Now would be a great time to do so as we start to wrap up Twitter spaces. If you're new here, The Big Niang Theories George Niang's podcast. He hosts different teammates throughout this season and gets to know them on a

deeper level. And I really enjoyed my conversation or the conversation that we got to have with Shake Milton to get to know him a little bit better. He's not always as forthcoming as some of his teammates are, and it was really cool to dive a little deeper get to know him a little better. And I can guarantee if you listen to the Shake Milton episode, you're going to feel a little more connected to him and you're gonna be a bigger Shake Milton fan than you are

right now. So please follow The Big Nang Theory wherever you get your podcasts, follow the seventy six Ers Insiders podcast feed wherever you get your podcast. Thank you Matt, Thank you Devon. We will hope to be back with you guys following tomorrow's Pacers game. So that would be Wednesday morning. We do these after every Sixers win. We'll try to do some in the weekend between the play

in tournament. The play in tournament week that comes next week, and then we'll be back, of course again during the playoffs. The seventy six Ers clinch their fifth consecutive playoffs. Joel Embiad absolutely phenomenal last night. He's officially played more NBA games this season than he has in any other season. That also worth celebrating. When you think about Joel Embiad's story, it's a lot of good going on right now in Sixers Land, and we love sharing it with you. Guys.

Matt Davon, thank you so much, and we will talk to you all next time. Blue Coats playoff game Tuesday at eight ESPN two. Check him out against the Long Island Nets. Great call, gotta do it, thanks guys. See yeah, thank you so