Rewind | Richardson Rises Up

seventy five. The Fanatic A tough one on multiple levels for the seventy Sixers and a one twenty four one twenty one loss to the Portland Trailblazers Tonight. I'm Brian Seltzer. Sixers lost Joel Embiid early on, midway through the first quarter, and man, it seemed like things were headed from a not great direction to an even worse direction based on how this game began to track. But the Sixers, to

their credit, were resilient. They were persist instant. They had a great third quarter and put themselves in position with their fight to win this game tonight. They found themselves ahead one fourteen one o eight in the closing minutes, but then some of the main stays for the Portland Trailblazers began to take over in terms of bringing them back. Whether it was a guy like Damian Lillard with one three pointer another that resulted in a four point play,

a driving finger roll layup. It was a run of twelve nothing by the Trailblazers to overcome that six point deficit with four minutes twenty three seconds to go, and Damian Lillard was right in the middle of it. It was a heroic performance for the Trailblazers. All star fifty one points, the tenth fifty point game of his career, sixteen to twenty eight from the floor, four of twelve from outside the arc. He got to the line a ridiculous amount, fifteen for sixteen from the stripe, seven assists.

He was fantastic and the Trailblazers, fighting for their lives to get into a playoff spot in the Western Conference, need every bit of him. One twenty one the final score the seventy sixers. They got a herculean effort from Josh Richardson. He played an amazing hero role tonight thirty four points, a season high six for ten from outside the arc, twenty for Alec Burke's off the bench, but not enough for the seventy sixers will join now in progress.

Brett brandhamsh will be asked about the status of Joel Embiid, who left the game early with a left ankle injury. Do you think you guys, have you guys think you need to be able to do that happen? And do you think you have the players who can do it insistently enough? I think when you when you study the most dangerous offensive players in our sport, and if you especially study the emergence of about what I'm going to say, there is zero doubt that the most difficult people to

defend the live ball guards. And tonight as an example, you know, let's go to Damian Lillard. Though they can dance, they can shoot like you go out and play them. They can go buy you and draw fouls. They're so used to the attention that they receive as they can go one hundred miles an hour and stop. And you know Matisse collides in with what Jay Rich collides in with Damian, and you know it exposes a foul and so you point about live ball guys that can score.

It is the most dangerous, the most difficult person to defend those people that you referenced. It's true as it relates to my particular team. I think that we, you know, will score in different ways, and like when you look at the box score, scoring wasn't the problem. We did it in different ways without Joel. But going back just to you, I think your basic question of are those guys the most difficult, yes, they are. And I think that scoring, although you'd like to have a lot of

those types of players scoring tonight wasn't the problem. It's got a Keith next he Brett. You talked about Joel. How how is Joel doing? He looked like he was in great spirits in the second hand, I'm gonna learn more, you know, physically, I don't know enough to comment on it, but I do, Keith agree with you, Like when every time I look behind the bench like he's into it. I thought, guys, I thought, I guys fought. I really

thought the spirit of the group was fantastic. I think that we called upon you know, many different players um that I think played with a spirit of passion that you're proud of Joel was fully engaged, you know, as a teammate. As it relates to what his injury is or what it actually means, I can't comment. I don't know, but it was it was great just to see him being a part of the group. Now, Brett, what this um with the injury and every thing like that? Is

it one of these things these last three games? Are you going to limit his minute, shut them down? Whatever? I know you need to get a rhythm out there, but you also want to make sure that you know, you guys aren't limping into the playoffs like worst than you are. Yeah, I think Keith, it's true kind of for everybody where you want to an honest sort of

medical assessment of anything that equals a potential problem. You just want to avoid and landing the plane and entering the playoffs from this sort of vision line of a bubble and time off and you know, tiptoeing on pins and needles where you don't want people to get injured and still find a rhythm like that's a slippery slope. And so you know, you mentioned Joe, I think it extends the question for sure extends to people like alt Off.

It as an example, you know, making sure Tobias is in a place that we can manage his minutes going forward and still find that balance of trying to compete and find a rhythm. Seventy Sixers head coach Brett Brown saying he expects to learn more moving forward about the status of Joel Embiid, who played just five minutes forty two seconds in tonight's game before leaving in the first quarter with a left ankle injury. He finished with two

points four rebounds on the day. Seventy Sixers got a terrific showing from Josh Richardson, who finished with thirty four points, twenty for Alec Burks, who goes back to back twenty point games for the first time in his career since November two thousand and seventeen. Tobias Harris a little bit off night in terms of shooting the basketball, seven of nineteen from the field, sixteen points for him, Al Horford ending the evening with fifteen points, six rebounds, five assists.

But the Sixers they like, Brett Brown said, they did show some quality spirit and that's not gonna necessarily buy you a win. It did not tonight, but under the circumstances, already without an all star in Ben Simmons, and then early on in the game having to cycle agually deal with the potential loss for who knows how long of another championship pillar to your title hopes in Joel Embiid. The Sixers managed to recover. They for as much as they could, tried to withstand the bridge of points from

such a dangerous guard like Damian Lillard. In the end, they end up three points short, one twenty four to one twenty one. The Sixers led by six with about four minutes twenty seconds to go, Then Lillard lit the fuse for a twelve nothing Portland Trailblazers run that turned the game around. The seventy Sixers fall behind a little bit farther in a tight race for the fourth spot in the East. The Sixers now full game behind the Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat, which are both ahead

of them, respectively in the four and five slots. Tom mcguinnis had the call of this one from the center. Tom a really competitive game. It was entertaining down the stretch. We saw one of the top scorers in the world at his most brilliant in Damian Lillard. Brett Brown was

talking about this. Live ball guards are difficult, and I think you probably had another later that when you've got an effective pick and roll threat, especially with that live guard, as the Portland Trailblazers do, it's a really difficult thing to stop. In the seventy six ers in the end

could not absolutely. And so you're speaking of Nurkics, and that's you know, Coach Brown's talked about this many times over the years, and that is that one five their point guard, the one and Nurkics their center of the five middle pick and roll, and they were coming way out out setting that screen like at the three point line. So when Lillard wood coming was coming off, even if he decides to pull up, he's still outside the arc shooting of three. But he was brilliant down the stretch,

including the four point play. And let's be honest, the guy shot sixteen free throws. He got a lot of calls, including on that four point play that was questionable. I don't know that Richardson even got anywhere near him. If anything, Lillard initiated the contact. But besides that, Lillard was attacking and brilliant from the opening tap in the opening quarter of play, and I likened it to a quarterback, you know, looking over the defense, surmising what's there and where he's

going to go. But in this case, and I think what coaches talking about with a live ball and a live guard or whatever. He's looking and probing as he's dribbling, and so he's processing all this and then he's getting to the rim, so he's you know, he's calculating, and you know, getting back to the pick and roll aspect. And Nurkis is certainly, you know, a great roller, but he's also a guy who can pop and get it for a shot. But then, oh, by the way, Lillard's

got CJ. McCollum hanging out on the wing, and one pass away from that is Carmelo Anthony. So it's very difficult to stop. And at times early on, the Sixers would leave Nurkis ready to load toward Lillard, and Nurkis was getting too much space and getting the limp. Now part of it was becausin Bead wasn't in the game, but the Sixers had to take a time out and work on that. So he puts so much pressure on your defense, and again fifty one points. He's had five

of those games this year, ten on his career. He's brilliant, he's a fun player to watch and in totality again a great and an entertaining game. But it hurt for the Sixers to borrow Coach Brown's phrase a gut punch, because they battled and they were in it. Great game by Richardson. You had a lot of individual performances that put the Sixers in position, as you say, up six late, but couldn't hold on and could not stop that brilliant

duo and particularly the tremendous, incredible play of Lillard. Seventy Sixers followed the Trailblazers one twenty four to one twenty one. We will ultimately get back to talking about Josh Richardson, But what do you think, Tom, with what the Sixers were able to find with Mike Scott playing at the five, as you alluded to, dwell Embiid went out early in this one with the ankle in during the first quarter. They tried in the first half some looks with norvl Pal.

They also brought in Kylo Quinn, but in the second half it was a lot of Mike Scott of the five and we saw earlier in the season before the suspension that at times, situationally, that was something where the Sixers they were able to have some success with. Well, yeah, success might be a reach, it's it's doable. He holds off Nurkics, but in the end if he gets it on the block, there's no stop at him. Like I said, in those scenarios, So Mike's playing behind him, he's giving

up so much height. He's what he did. He did this a couple of times. He got called for it. He reaches, he gambles, and that's not you know, that's not a winning formula. But look Mike Scott and to your point, Glenn Robinson the third got in there, and forget post defense for a split second. Those guys are hungry. They haven't been able to play in this bubble. They played a little bit in the scrimmages, not Robinson really, and Mike had the sore knee, so they were really

anxious to get out there. Think about it, They've been working out for a month in Florida and for the entire pandemic, the portion where the season had been on hiatus, and they showed and even Alec Burke stepped up and had another big quarter and really delivered for the Sixers with twenty points as he did in the Orlando game.

So I thought those guys and Matisse was trying to hold his own and again difficult, cute, difficult assignment in guarding Lillard and for Thible when he wasn't guarding Lillard, he had a guard McCollum. And he's still a rookie and he's still getting these calls against him. And I thought he was really good Horford in and out of file. Difficult difficulty didn't help. The only thing I'll say about Matisse, and again sometimes he's too unselfish. In other words, he

had that steel late. You got to take that ball all the way until they cut you off and then maybe play it off to Horford because it was two bunched together. It ended up in a jump ball that they won. And he had an earlier sequence where he got to shoot that ball and you know, like just let it fly. And I think he's gonna be a really good outside shooter. He's just you know, he's maybe

not playing with the confidence. When he has attacked. He's dunked at Fible, So I mean he had he had a decent game, but as you say, Richardson was really good. We talked earlier, Brian, you know, give or take about six twenty tonight, about how the Sixers totally needed somebody to step up in the absence of Simmons. Well, who knew in the end it would be in the absence of both Simmons and it'd be right, and it was

Josh Richardson. And who knows if he's going to score thirty four points, which was the season high with the Sixers tonight, you know, on a game in game at basis, probably not, But just that the overall balance that Richardson scored with tonight. He did an inside, he did an outside, he distributed the ball when he attracted more defensive attention. I just thought he'd a really balanced offensive game. Absolutely, and if I'm not mistaken, he made six threes on

ten tries. Here's the deal the Sixers with Harris, you know, being a top score getting twenty game and be being basically unstoppable at times for the Sixers. Ben Simmons is incredible. I mean, I know he's not in there right now, Josh Richard and Brett Brown has said this, and you gotta get Horford his touches, and he's a good ball. He's ball friendly or a ball movery Horford Josh Richardson, he very rarely gets plays called him. Tonight was different.

He had the hot hand. They were doing dho's with him. He was being aggressive and you know, he knew that he had to kind of take on the score load and he hot had to have hot hand. But as you say, like some nights four points, some nights six, some nights thirty four. But I think it's also a product of he's not a focal point of the offense,

and understandably so. But I think there are times now where you got to carve out a little niche for him, a little opportunity, give him the ball, because clearly he's shown that he's you know, he's capable, and he almost propelled the Sixers to a victory tonight in a hard fought game with Portland. Already time, Thank you very much for the thoughts. We will speak again on Tuesday. All right, good night. Seventy Sixers drop a close one to the

Portland Trailblazers one twenty four to one twenty one. The headline from this one that will not be the close competitive nature of the game is. It's going to be what is the status of Joel and Bead moving forward, and that is something that we'll likely find out in the day's ahead and Bead left the game in the first quarter with a left ankle injury. Josh Richardson went for thirty four. Dame Lillard he went for fifty one.

A huge performance in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter was enough to get the Trailblazers past the seventy Sixers by three sixers and the Trailblazers Trailblazers a lot to play for trying to sneak into the eighth seed. The seventy Sixers end of the evening trying to maintain and build upon their momentum having won three in a row. For the Sixers, the news was not great at the outset. They lost Joel Embiid about five and a half minutes

into the game to a left ankle injury. He would not return, and from there the Trailblazers seized control and Hazonia with a ball Hazonia rights and a three is good. Well beyond the yard, he realized Cortboss wasn't coming out and so he nails a thirty two footer Lillard with the dime. He's got three assists at Portland back in front by fourteen thirty one seventeen. At that juncture, it

felt like Portland could do no wrong. They laid thirty three nineteen after a first quarter in which Damian Lillard and CJ. McCollum combined for twenty one of those thirty three points. The Sixers rolling down by six when Joel Embiid went out, and Portland really sees the reins from there, the seventy sixers credit. They did not back down throughout the night. And the person who really helped spark the comeback charge was this guy, Josh Richardson. Milton office screen.

Milton into the lane on Nurkics throws it all the way back out into the corner. Now, Josh Richardson three, ball is good. Mike Scott caught that long pass by shake. They moved into the corner. Jay rich for three. He had to bias of a goodbye for twenty one of the sixers forty two. That's half. Sixers are down forty nine forty two. At that point they trailed at the break sixty seven to fifty eight, Richardson scoring fourteen points in the second quarter. He was great from there on out.

In the third quarter more from Josh Richardson, especially in the closing seconds, this punctuating a real big comeback surge by the seventy Sixers. Only fitting that it was Richardson in the hero role. Sixers would tend to shoot Josh Richardson a way out right near the sideline, dribbling with Lillard guarding him. The office switch. Collins has a four to shoot Josh behind the back step back, fifteen quarter

higher archer. It's up and good. He's got twenty eight points and the Sixers have their first lead of the night four seconds ago. It was amazing because it felt like when the Sixers trailed by seventeen, they were down by thirty four. But there they were through three quarters,

leading the Trailblazers ninety two to ninety one. Fast forwarding to the home stretch of the fourth quarter, Josh Richardson appeared to put the seventy Sixers in prime position to take this one in bolt ball with the four and the o' clock goes out the richards for three and it's good. Are you kidding me, Josh Richardson will be

on the arc over the outstretched garment. C. J. McCollum and Richardson now with six threes at thirty four points, and that would be it for the scoring for Richardson, giving the Sixers on one fourteen, one o eight lead. It would not be it for the scoring of Damian Lillard. He was fantastic in the final moments and this was the play that really turned things around. Nurkid screens leader comes off, he goes to the mind, tried to draw

the follow and he does and he makes it. Josh Richardson was doing his level best everything possible to avert any contact, and he still got called for the foul and Lillard made it. And Lillard also made the ensuing the free throw of four point play that vaulted the Trailblazers had one seventeen to one fourteen. It was part of a string of seven straight points from Damian Lillard, and even bigger was the Trailblazers run of twelve nothing that turned to six point deficit into a lead that

they would not relinquish the rest of the way. Seventy Sixers did get within a point at one twenty two one twenty one with twelve point two seconds to go on an al hore for three, but they could not get over the top as the Trailblazers were able to get themselves across the finish line safely. Six or shot forty eight and a half percent for the game, the

Blazers forty seven and a half percent. Six Ers fourteen to thirty from the three point line, while the Trailblazers were eleven of thirty five from the stripe the Sixers thirteen for seventeen. Trailblazers behind Damian Lillard won twenty seven for twenty nine from the free throw line. That was a huge reason why they were able to clear the hurdle that the seventy sixers presented. Sixers were plus seven

on the glass. They were great on the offensive boards, as they were able to outscore the Trailblazers twenty four to seven on second chance points. Fifteen turnovers a bit too much for the Sixers only ten for the Trailblazers. Damian Lillard was a virtuoso tonight, scoring the basketball fifty one points sixteen to twenty eight from the field, four of twelve from three fifteen of sixteen from the line. He also had seven assists. C J McCollum held relatively

in check. He was seven of seventeen from the field for sixteen points. Carmelo Anthony twenty points, seven rebounds, big night four the veteran The Sixers got thirty four That was a season high from Josh Richardson, thirteen of twenty from the field, six of ten from three point territory, five boards, and six assists, twenty points for Alec Burks off the bench, he was eight of fourteen from the field. He had a big fourth quarter, first time since November

of twenty seventeen. He scored twenty points in back to back game sixteen for Tobias Harris to go with seven rebounds and three assists. Al Horford with fifteen points, six boards and five dimes. Seventy six Ers three game winning streak comes to an end. They're now forty two and twenty eight overall on the season, three and two in Orlando, while the Trailblazers improved to thirty three and thirty nine

on the year. Trying to cling to an outside chance of getting in to the eighth seed in the Western Conference, You've been listening to Rewind. Look out for fresh episodes of the Day after every seventy six Ers game this season.