Playoff Pod: Episode 21 - Round 2 Game 6 Rewind

from the team's most recent postseason game. This version of the Philadelphia seventy Sixers that we saw in a winner, go home Game six in the second round tonight, this is the version of the seventy Sixers that inspires, makes you dream that much more and believe everything was clicking and they dominated the Toronto Raptors one twelve to one to one to force a decisive winner take all Games seven on Sunday night back at Scotia Bank Arena in Toronto.

What's going on on, Brian Seltz from down here at the center, What a night, the crowd phenomenal from before the game even started. What an inspired pregame bell ringing from the inspirers of the underdog movement Philadelphia Eagles, Chris Long and Lane Johnson that got everyone going. And the seventy Sixers, after missing their first three shots in the night, they went on full fledged attack Downhill four s Mode

thirteen to five. They opened the game. They weathered at tend nothing run by the Raptors to regain control going into the second quarter, leading by eight, Toronto made another run to the tune of twelfth straight, but the seventy Sixers, led by Jimmy Butler what have finished the first half by Butler scoring seven row capping the second quarter with that dramatic steal of Kawhi Leonard zooming down the floor is scoring on the lamp to put the seventy six

Ers of fifteen going into the break. You could just feel it this was going to be the seventy Sixers night. Raptors got back within eight points middle of the third quarter. What happened from there? Sixers clamped down defensively, capitalized in a series of Raptors misses, and scored in a variety of ways. There was pace all over the place, full court, half court. Ben Simmons was fantastic, helping key that type

of action all game long. Six Er scored twenty two of the next twenty eight points in the game to essentially put this one away. By the end of three quarters, Sixers led by as many as twenty four points and defeat the Raptors one twelve to one. Oh one. Man, so much to like from this one. How about we start with you gotta start with Joel Embiad, right, he's the one that everyone focuses on. He's the one who

had the tough games four and five. Well, listen, he was five or fourteen from the floor, but who cares? He was plus forty in thirty five minutes. There are times, and for me this is just the way I look at things. There are times when I feel you can

only make so much of plus minus numbers. But if you watch tonight's game, if you were down here, if you listen, if you folt on TV, you could see by Joel Embiid simply planning himself in the lane and doing his job defensively, how much he deterred, altered and dissuaded the Toronto rafts made life uncomfortable for them, and everything on the offensive end was unlocked as well. Plus forty for Joel Embiid in thirty five minutes, he had

seventeen points, twelve rebounds, two block shots. He was huge in the third quarter. I thought he got better and better and better as tonight's game went along, so that as you go into a game seven on Sunday, something you hope to build upon. Oh, by the way, with the next two days worth of rest and the seventy Sixers are likely headed to Toronto tomorrow, though on the full day, just to get settled there. Practice likely on Saturday, then play the game on Sunday. So there's Joel embiid

listen plus forty. You just cannot dispute the impact he had in the game. Ben Simmons twenty one points, nine of thirteen from the field, eight rebounds, six assists, all in the first half. Listen. There has been so much clamoring and talk, understandably so for Ben Simmons dialing in to attack mode and again from the outset of the game. Ben Simmons was so involved in leading that effort for

the seventy Sixers tonight. What a tremendous bounce back effort by Ben Simmons, arguably the best he's been given the stakes in the postseason, maybe the best we've seen him since the Brooklyn Nets series when he went for the

big number in Game two. Great stuff from Ben Simmons, Mike Scott off the bench four for five, three for four from three eleven points in the game, and the spark he gave the Sixers coming with big shots, playing the five man at times he was vital plus twenty nine from Mike Scott in twenty minutes played sixteen points, four Tobias Harris six of seventeen, shooting nine rebounds, five assists, eleven for JJ Reddick four of eleven, three of ten. But the seventy sixers all in all, they were able

to get that attack mode going early. I thought that then, you know, usually hear about defense leading offense. I thought tonight sixers were fueling right off the start. Their defense quickly got locked in after that, and they held to Rontoto forty three percent overall, nine of thirty six from three and I believe we have Brett bound right now. Courtesy of NBC Sports Philadelphia, if we can go to that right now. I think a little bit of excuse me,

I think a little bit of both. When you when you're trying to if you think you're gonna go just beat up on and being pounded into, you know, somebody that's being defended by a defensive player of the Year as marcasoul Is. That's a hard way to score always, and so you know, whether you ducked him in, whether you pick and rolled him into sort of that honey spot, that foule line area, or you went a direct post.

You know, you can pick different ways that he would get his touches, But to suggest like he didn't get the ball with his back to the basket on Marc gasoul A lot, this is true. And some of it was him, you know, reading the game. Some of it as me not wanting to put him always in that situation. And I thought he was just brilliant, kind of all over the place, although it doesn't sort of look at

on an offensive statue a bad Jason Levin's filly front office. Um. So, going back to Joel's defense and impact on his team, but really does he have an impact on opposing teams as well as a sort of deterrence a presence back there? Does he change the way people attack or their confidence level? It just seemed like tonight he was a plus forty. Is really his first maybe thirty minutes? Um? There seems to be an evan flow when he's in the game and when he's not in the game. What is the

impact that he's really got? Is it purely tactical? Um? Where do I begin? So your question kind of surprises me because it's clear the impact he has on the game, Like he is we get what he does at the rim. It's significant, you know when he goes out lots of times, look what happens. And so of course, like you know,

he's got an incredible defensive impact on a game. If you're looking at sort of people behind you, if you pick him, quiet, Kyle, whatever, if you see him, you're probably gonna think a little bit more about what you want to do, what's your plan? And his importance to our team is obvious. Tonight you saw a healthier Joel Embiid. And for that sort of example, for that sort of situation of him and his health, he comes out and has a plus forty. It's a huge number. It's a

huge plus minus number in a playoff game. His significance has felt all over the place. That is seventy six Ers head coach Brett Brown talking about Joel Embid plus forty and thirty five minutes one twelve, one oh one. Well, Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, whether they heard some of the talk, read some of the writing, or whatever it was, guess what they responded tonight in resounding fashion, been such a huge part of setting the aggressive tone for the seventy

six ers. Tonight, seventy Sixers stave off elimination. They've fought for forty eight minutes. They've earned themselves another forty eight minutes coming up on Sunday, Game seven against the Toronto Raptors at Scotia Bank Arena. Twenty one eight and six for Ben Simmons, seventeen twelve two blocks plus forty for Joel Embiid twenty five six and eight plus two steals for Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard nine for twenty oh for four from three. He's now oh for eight from the

perimeter his last two games. He finished with twenty nine points, twelve rebounds, twenty one for Pascal Siakam, thirteen for Kyle Lowry as Toronto shoots under twenty six percent from three nine to thirty six in the game, as the Sixers get the job done at the center. Tonight, Tom McGinnis is standing by. We speak with him next. As we watched the suburban garden home carefully, carefully without disturbing it, he noticed that it moves like not at all. It's

inanimate and utterly without brain function. But despite when it goden know me heres about how Geico not only saves people money but also gives them access to license s agents twenty four seven online and over the phone. It's clear to them you should switch, because, yes, switching to Geico is a no brainer. But on second thoughts, maybe

don't watch Goden Nomes two carefully. People might talk seventy Sixers do what needed to be done at the center tonight knocking off the Raptors one twelve one on one Game seven coming up on Sunday seven o'clock right here in the Sixers Rating Network, as the Sixer would look to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since two thousand and one. They have earned that

right after a great performance tonight. I'm Brian Selter. Tom McGinnis had the call of this one Tom start to finish the atmosphere and here was electric the seventy Sixers, after misfiring on a few shots to start the game, get that driving downhill dunk from Tobias Harrison between Jimmy Butler and Simmons. They were off to the races from there, no doubt about it. And one common thread in these games is that Mark Gassoul has picked up a foul

in the first couple of minutes or so. And the reason I bring it up is because that occurred on a loose ball right off the bat, and then that's why Harris was propelled and thought about going in the way he did against Kasaul. First of all, you have to bring it because he's such a big guy, and secondly, they knew he wasn't gonna be able to defend, and you're right. That got the Sixers into a position where

eventually they led thirteen to five. They had three eight point leads in the first quarter, and the second one was built up after Toronto scored ten in a row. So after it was thirteen to five, Nurse calls time out for the Raptors. They scored ten straight take the lead for the first time, and then the Sixers rallied back and eventually they led by eight after one. And then I thought Jimmy Butler was just brilliant in the late second. He has Lowry on him a lot and

he makes them pay for that. He was just brilliant in the game. Seventy six Ers ride twenty five points from Jimmy Butler, six rebounds, eight assists from him as well. They get twenty one, eight and six from Ben Simmons and a plus forty from Joel embiad time. We talked about the importance and this is not either of us going out on a limb of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons the seventy six ers chances and a winner go home proposition, and those two they stepped up big time,

oh no doubt. And Ben was just totally aggressive and

that's what you expect from him, you know. And I thought it was neat too, how the crowd was sold behind Ben Simmons even when he went to the line and just basically urging him to make his free throws that one early on he missed the first and made the second, and they were so responsive in the most positive of ways toward him, and he was brilliant, and they were involved in a lot of plays where you know, Joel would make a play at the one end and then Ben at the other end, and they were they

were great. And Bead's impact again not shooting wise per se, but overall in the game with that plus minus, as coach noted and we talked about throughout the game, but just absolutely astounding his impact in the game. And you know, the Sixers they played with a sense of urgency that you obviously have to have. And now the big question is can they sustain that? Can they bring that into

the seventh game? The energy that was here will exist for the Raptors, as as Mike Scott noted during our postgame conversation, to put up with a noise and go in there and steal yourself off to their crowd and take the momentum away from the Raptors in the game. But for now, they set that up with a superb performance tonight. Seventy six Ers winners in Game six, best of seventh series in the second round. I'll tie to three games apiece one, twelve, one on one. Mike Scott

had himself a game tonight time, he really did. And you got to remember he missed the first two games in this series with the planner fasciitis and the bone contusion and has had some threes in the series. But you know, he's a big player for the Sixers off the bench, and I thought Ennis stepped back into the fold and played well in this game. He had only one point in the game on Tuesday in Game five.

And those two guys off the bench, you know, they bring a lot of the same qualities, the ability to guard and guard multiple positions, he'd be able to hit the shots. And Mike Scott with his four field goals, three of which were threes. That big start to the second quarter, Sixers made three straight threes, with JJ, Joel and Mike Scott all getting into the act. He ended up being a nine two run that helped advance the lead and again get the crowd ignited. But Mike was

really big, and you know, he's a great teammate. All these guys love playing with him. He brings a toughness, He's all about the group, and that's what you need. That's what you need to have a winning basketball ball club. Seventy Sixers playing Game seven on Sunday after a one,

twelve on on one win tonight of the Raptors. Tom Ollivi, Fish, You've been a part of a handful of Game seven, most recently in two thousand and twelve second round against Boston of course, two thousand and one against these Raptors, and also against the Bucks later in that playoffs. What is a Game seven like and what do you expect coming up on Sunday? Well, I mean, everything is magnified as you would expect because both teams are playing for

their playoff lives and for their seasons. And again these two teams high aspirations. Coming in eight months, it'll be the ninety ninth game for the Sixers. Think about that, and it comes down to forty eight minutes and uh, it's one of the you know, it's one of those situations where you can literally feel the tension, the apprehension, the nervous energy and the crowd and extends to the players.

I thought, you know, Toronto was tight tonight, that a lot of their shots, you know, don't don't even take my word for it. Just if you watched a bunch of their shots at the very beginning of the game. We're short, and that you're not playing with the freedom and you know, the confidence shot, and that's that's what happens,

and that's that can be evident in game seven. So you know, the thing is that they're obviously going to be at home, and you know, like they got one of the great players, one of the great finishers in our game, and that is Kawhi Leonard, and boy, you don't you don't want to see it come down to the final minute or so where you know, it's Kawhi Leonard against the Sixers because he's he's been awful, good and at times unstoppable in this series. But they are

they're they're a load of fun. I remember you speak of the last time the Sixers were in a Game seven. It was Memorial Day weekend of twenty twelve, and it was the first time I met Doris Burke. And I was with the then Sixers general manager Tony de Leio on our bench in Boston at the Garden and Doris, great basketball person, comes over. She had not met at either one of us, and she says, Game seven, Sixers Celtics, and that was the introduction, and then we all chatted.

And that's the There's just an energy. You hear it all the time on sports broadcast. Two of the best words in sports. And it's exciting and it'll be great. And the Sixers have put themselves in this position and now they've got to finish it off, you know what I mean. Like they play great, They've had their moments

in this series. They've had some times when they've struggled, but hopefully, you know, Joel gets rested and gets in there, and you got guys like Jimmy Butler, and you know you've got some finishers of your own in terms of the Sixers and their abilities to be able to make some key shots. And it should be really exciting and fun to be a part of. To be sure, seventy Sixers beat the Rafters one twelve, one on one in game six. That means game seven. It'll be Sunday at

seven o'clock. Tom, we'll speak with you before then. All right, thank you, good night. What a night at the center. Seventy Sixers rise to the occasion along with several of their young stars, Ben Simmons and Joel and beating in particular Simmons twenty one, eight and six, Joel and b plus forty and thirty five minutes to go with seventeen points, twelve rebounds and two block shots twenty five for Jimmy Butler, the man taken over the Delaware Valley. He has been

spectacular in this series. We'll get into some of the details playback, some highlights coming up on the other side. Your home is important. That's why Geico helps make it easy to save on homeowner's insurance. Because home is more than just a place. Home is where you have a cute little reading nook for those rainy days when you want to curl up with a good book but you don't even read, so you just sit in there during thunderstorms and scroll through memes on your phone and laugh

in the darkness. The Geico Insurance Agency could help protect the dark meme filled corner. You call home, call Geico and see how easy it is to switch and save on homeowner's insurance. Seventy six ers and the Toronto Raptor is game six seventy six ers end of the evening, trailing three games to two. So that meant the formula and the stakes were pretty simple. Gotta win to stay alive.

Obviously easier said than done, but nothing better than having the best home crowd in the association at full throat behind you. And the seventy sixers got rolling. They wanted to play with an attacking, downhill, forceful style, and that is exactly what Tobias Harris gave them early on in the first quarter. Here's Tobias Harrison a drive pride at a soul and he champs at two hand stuff. Seventy sixers were off and rolling. From there, they jumped out

to a thirteen to five lead. Now the Rafts would answer with ten straight points to take a thirteen a bigger pardon at fifteen to thirteen lead, that would be their only advantage of the night. The seventy Sixers closed out the first quarter strong. Sixers get it back. Simmons on Ibaka fakes it, turns, shoots it up with a hook. He good, he got a side roll. What a play by sevens. Seventy Sixers led twenty nine twenty one after twelve minutes play. Sixers kept the momentum going early on

in the second quarter. They snapped off nine in a row. Cinne corner, Scott one time, Scotty, Yeah, it's good, a three, and the Sixers lead thirty eight twenty one. Hopping excitement here at the center, and the lead would grow to nineteen on a JJ Reddick two point layup. But then the Raptors answered, scoring twelve straight to make the lead for the seventy sixers only seven. Sixers took time out, regrouped and would be Jimmy Butler who would lead them

down the stretch of the first half. Jimmy Butler for three. This would be large. It's off the front. Faler got us over rebut fob by Larry put back in. Oh man, Jimmy Butler going to the line. He tucked the head and made the buckets and now he motions part the crowd. Let me hear you. Jimmy at the main hangs on, Siaka backs it up. Jimmy Butler with a kiss off

the window. Eight seconds to go. Six is by thirteen Raptors ball Leonard with it, Leonard has it stolen by Jimmy three seconds erased a rip up layoup God, Jimmy Butler and Scart four in a row right now. It is Jimmy Butler's town and we were all just living in What a play that was for Jimmy Butler. In sequence, he had the steel layoup by defending Kawhi Leonard to send the seventy six Ers into the break with a lead of fifty eight to forty three. In the third quarter,

the Sixers would withstand a surge from the Raptors. Raptors got the deficit down to eight to seventy. Sixers roared right back from Mike Scott, once again finding himself there to punctuate a run. Harris in the lane kickoff Mike Scott baseline free ball up at head at Mike Scott parts in a three, a six or seventy eight Toronto sixty one Scott off the bench. What a love of

time out Toronto. As the game went along, Dwelling Beads seemed to be getting more and more into rhythms scoring the basketball, but defensively he was a force all night long. And this stuarts Kawai and dribbles right and rather than pet boxes shot on the runout seven, He's gonna lay it up at head and be within a block at one in a sevens like a freight trade. Get it lit, lay up. So great to see the two of those players in particular respond tonight Sixers by twenty eighty seven

sixty seven after three early on the fourth. They did not slow down Year's rrors goal low Tobias Harris with twelve. He's going right at Kassoul. Who knows Mark Kasol has three fouls and that is good And the seventy sixers made an eighty nine sixty seven on that basket by Harris. They would pretty much coast the rest of the way, winning one twelve one on one. The reserves came in to play the final few minutes and the seventy sixers,

tying this series up at three games a piece. Six Ers shot forty six percent from the field Toronto forty three percent six or ten of twenty eight from outside the arc Toronto nine of thirty six, seventy six or twenty of twenty six in the line Raptors twenty two of twenty nine six Ers fifty two thirty four, crushing Toronto in the glass, sixteen to nine offensive rebounds, eighteen

to ten second chance points Sixers. They committed eighteen turnovers, but through three quarters their numbers were pretty good in the turnover department. They definitely did a better job in that respect. Twenty five six and eight for Jimmy Butler, twenty one points, eight rebounds, six assists for Ben Simmons, seventeen and twelve for Joel mb to go with two blocks on a plus forty rating, sixteen seven I big a part in sixteen nine and five for Tobias Harris,

and eleven points for JJ Reddick. Mike Scott with a nice night off the bench, eleven points, three to four outside the arc. He was plus twenty nine and twenty minutes played. Kawhi Leonard twenty nine and twelve. He was oh for four outside the arc, nine of twenty overall, thirteen for Kyle Lowry, three of seven from three for him, twenty one for Pascal Siakam eight of sixteen from the field, but two of six from three, and just eight points for Danny Green and seven for Marcusol on three of

eight shooting. Seventy sixers have forced a game seven. They're first in the playoffs since second round against Boston two and twelve. A bid for their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since two thousand and one is on the line seven o'clock tip time on Sunday. Seventy six Ers four say Games seventy in Toronto on Sunday with a one twelve one oh one dub. See you you've been listening to a playoff edition of seventy six Ers rewind presented

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