Rewind | Season Ends With Game 4 Loss

It was a season that featured a near five month long hiatus. We got basketball back, but it was a premature end. I think a lot of seventy six Ers fans would certainly feel that way, as with the players and the team and the head coach here is Brett Brown. I guess with everything with the team up in the air right now, what do you look back on from the last seven years and you know, look fondly on and feel proud of. I mean, really, cal I have thought a lot about really the series. I hear your

question right now. My thoughts are really with the game, you know, in the series that's just gone by, and that's really where my head is up. Okay, So do you feel at least like this game, the effort, the spirit that you guys had. Do you feel good about that, considering, you know, the three oz deficit and what you guys are facing. That you guys came out and competed today. I think for the most part we did. I feel

like the game flipped went to Bias went out. You know, I think it was a two point game, three point game at that stage. I think that they went on what sixteen two run during that period, and at that moment, you know, the game changed. Up until that moment, I felt pretty good about what we were doing. Thank you, Brat, you welcome him. Serena is next. Hey, coach, you mentioned Tobias and obviously that was really tough to see him

go down. But you know what does it says to have him come back into this game and fight through that, to be with this team at the end. I mean, it's what it's what we all have known him to be. He is. He has emerged to be a very consistent leader, Like all over the place. I feel like I've shared this and apologies if it's repetitive, but it's true. He's just high character. You know, he has got way out in front of all of the racial injustice platforms that

we have discussed amongst ourselves as a team. His voice in a locker room, his voice on a bus, team meetings, team dinners, whatever him coming back, I would after he took a he took an incredibly hard fall. Uh did not surprise me when you look back on this series, coach, what is going to stick with you the most? I mean missing, missing Ben will resonate for a long time, especially given what he did to prepare himself to play in the series. Uh. The difficulty of guarding the Celtics wings. Uh,

you know, you live every time you play them. They get so much firepower and you really need to have a stable of able you know, senior veteran type mentality, defend defensive players on a bunch of really good scorers and and you know I will think of that obviously. The way our season ended, uh uh is disappointing. Um, you can't obviously phrase it any other way, but really trying to guard those those uh those wings, hum was difficult.

Keith Pompey will have the next question, and Al Horford is available on the locker Room screen right now for those who don't already know, But go ahead, Keith. You talked about today's game, But what really sticks out to you the most about this season, this whole entire season and and overall the whole seven years. I mean, you took the team from the process. I mean, I prefer just to talk about me from a historical perspective. We could talk for hours. Um. This season, to me, was

riddled with with an amazing um abundance of injuries. I think this season was was a challenge trying to put people, you know, where they should have been placed. I liked where we ended up getting Ben off ball and the things that he did, you know, as a as a sort of four men like we all get, as an NBA All Star as a point guard. It shows his versatility. But in general, you know, ending with Ben's injury this year, you just really never felt like you jumped into a

routine in a rhythm. And that's probably the thought that will linger the most. Seventy six coach Brett Brown the team with a tough finish to the season, a one ten, one oh six loss to the Boston Celtics, getting swept out of the first round of the playoffs. Listen, win, lose, rebuild taking a team of the playoffs. I personally think that Brett Brown speaks truths whenever he's in front of

the media, speaking to reporters, talking to broadcasters. And that final statement to that last answer we heard, you feel like the team never was able to jump into a routine or rhythm before you get him into the reasons why. I think that sums up two nineteen two twenty pretty accurately.

It just never felt that despite the individual talents of this team, what the Sixers showed at various stretches of the season, whether it was good or bad, it was always difficult and tough to figure out what exactly this team was supposed to be because there was a large amount of injuries, there were players who were taking on new positions. There was the constant challenge, as Brett Brown, I think accurately pointed out, of trying to get players to fit in certain spots and having a deal with

all of that. It didn't come together in the end, it didn't. I think it was great to have some basketball back after what happened over the past five months in the world, everything to pandemic to social unrest. It was great to have the diversion of basketball. But for the seventy Sixers, as Brett Brown said, this season ends in disappointment with a four game sweep at the hands of the Boston Celtics. In the first round of the playoffs,

Sixers lose one ten to one oh six. Boston went on a sixteen to two run after Tobias Harris went out with a really scary injury with two minutes forty seconds to go in the third quarter. Incredibly, Tobias came back to finish the game, but Boston was out for

the kill strike at that point. Apologies if that doesn't come off the tongue all that politically correct or appropriately, but they were out for blood and they went for it and they hit the Sixers with a sixteen to two run at that point, the Sixers rolling down three, and they seized control of that game from there. The Sixers led by five at the end of the first quarter.

They had their first halftime lead of the series at fifty eight fifty seven, but Boston, behind Kemba Walker, kept on coming and the seventy Sixers did not have enough in the end to fend off the Celtics and live to fight for another game. Walker led all scores with thirty two points. He got better and better each game in this series. He was eight to fifteen from the field, hit four three pointers, twelve thirteen from the free throw line. Joel Embiid paced the seventy six Ers with thirty points

and ten rebounds. Tobias Harris had his best game, certainly showed an insane amount of toughness coming back into the game after a hard fall, and he hit his head on the court and suffered a cut on his eye, but he ended up with twenty points, five rebounds, hit two three pointers, thirteen points off the bench for Alec Burks. He was a great lightning in a bottle presence that

I thought gave the seventy six ers some life. But all in all, Boston just too much talent, too much offensive potency in this game, as Jason Tatum ended up with twenty eight points and fifteen rebounds, Jayalen Brown with sixteen, and Boston ends up sweeping the seventy six Ers one ten to one oh six. We'll bring on Tom McGinnis now. Tom had the pleasure of calling this season once again. Twenty fifth season. So I think that in and of itself,

Tom is an accomplishment to note. But this year the thing that I'm going to continue to think about, Like we heard Brett Brown say, there was just never an opportunity, it felt for the Sixers to get into a routine or rhythm for a bunch of different reasons. No, you're right when you consider like Josh Richardson in and out with two different hamstring injuries, and you know, Joel missed a bunch of games on and off, so and Tobias was steady as a rock, like he played in every game.

I think he might arrested one at the very end, you know, for the purposes of resting at the end of the seating games. And then you know Ben missed some games obviously around that All Star break with the nerve impingement, so it's true. And then the whole lineup thing, it just never really got solved in terms of the spacing and how they were going to utilize Horford at the best of his abilities. So yeah, in the end,

a tough season for the Sixers. You know, when you considered after getting the two years, this is the third year in a row they made the playoffs, and you know how it works in the NBA, where you you know, you get in, you get knocked out, you make an advancement, you get knocked out, and that that type of seasoning. Hopefully and in years pat history shows that then a team makes a run and you were hoping this year would be it, and then obviously this has been a

wholly different year. But once he got down in the bubble, all things were fair and equal other than Ben Simmons got hurt, you know, so in terms of it wasn't the home versus the road or anything like that. So in the end, you know, it's it's a knockout for the Sixers and a very difficult deal just because now you're you know, as I say, like in terms of this playoff hierarchy and getting back now you're you're kind of back at square one. You get back into the

playoffs and you got to build it. And that's the whole thing. Like this group is one two playoff series, but they haven't like by NBA standard, they've had fifty win seasons and they were probably headed this way again. But by NBA standards, you know, like you haven't accomplished anything until you win the championship, and even when you win the championship, when you come back, you're back at square one. You've got something to build on, but everybody's

coming at you. So that's my point, like this group has got to has got to come in with a chip on its shoulder and hopefully this will will be the stimulus or momentum in that regard. And just it's it's not an easy league. This is a very tough league. And in the Sixers felt the brunt of that Boston ball club and they were really good. I mean, when you watch the first game, I felt like there was a pathway to victory for the Sixers, but then you know,

the turnovers hurt them in that game. The second game, the middle two quarters were the you know, the spelling or ended up being the difference. Obviously, Game three the ten o run, and then today, as you say, a sixteen to two run. Even when it was seventy seven seventy seven, you weren't feeling completely confident that the Sixers could pull it off, and in the end they didn't and they got swept, Sixers losing Game four one ten

to one oh six. Specific to this series, Tim the Celtics What were some of your takeaways about what they were able to do. I know that you talked about the three points, shooting a lot. We understand the individual talent they have because this is a team in Boston that you know, this is not a pleasant truth, but

they probably aren't going away for a while. No, And you know so, as coach Brown noted, it's their wings, Brown and Tatum and Tatum ended up, you know, after a bit of a slugger start with twenty eight points and then Walker and Walker got back to the All Star the the incredible player that he is. He dominated and again this league is predicated the most dominant play. You know, what I'm gonna say is middle pick and

roll one five and the Sixers don't have that. They don't have that at the level that some of these other teams have that with a duo, they can consistently do that and pound people with that. In Boston with Walker coming off those high screens, he's very good at that. I mean, he puts so much pressure on your defense. They space shout and they got those wing players that can also slash and drive and shoot. Two in Brown and Tatum, and you know, you got to give Danny

Ainge credit like he's got he picked those guys. Nobody was thinking Jalen Brown would be the third pick. And Tatum, you know, like is obviously turning into a superstar. And now they got Walkers, so you're right, they're they're gonna be present, you know. And it's obviously the biggest rival alone with New York for the Sixers, and it's it's

gonna be difficult. Boston is there, but um and oh in Toronto, I forgot about the Raptors at least, and in this division all those teams, So yeah, it's gonna be it's gonna be tough, a very hard series for the Sixers. And I don't think anybody expected a four oh sweep, that's for sure. Series that came to an end with a one ten, one h six defeat. Tommy usually keep you on this segment for three questions, slash prompts, slash thoughts, any final thoughts as we wrap things up

now finally informally for twenty nineteen twenty. Now, I mean, like you say it was great to have basketball back, I mean you go back into March and April and and look, you know, our country's not through this thing. Yet I mean, this is still ongoing. So it was incredible that the Sixers were able to play and that the NBA pulled this off into how they're doing it.

The basketball has been terrific and so in a small way, it kind of puts in perspective the fact that this six or season has ended, and it was very frustrating, but it is, after all, basketball. I mean, this is uh, we all put a lot into this, but it's entertainment. It's sports entertainment, and it's professional and there's a lot

of money involved and a lot of vested interests. But everything will be okay, and the six Ers are going to come back and get ready and Lord willing, at some point, you know down the road, there'll be people here in this building and it'll be it'll be exciting as ever and you you know, you get back and there's there's some there's a lot of talent on hand here, a lot extremely gifted basketball players, and everything will you know, will begin anew when it starts, whether that is at

the end of this calendar year or beyond, who's to say, but Brian, I appreciate your time, and everything's going to work out, okay. Amen, to that. Thank you, Tom McGinnis, twenty five seasons, incredible milestone. Can't wait to hear from you next in the faller winner or whenever that may be right, all right, Brian, thank you good. Have to let us now get to some of the highlights from it. Today's game. Seventy Sixers needed a determined effort from the jump.

You would have thought to try and stave off elimination. It was a tight, physical game in the early going. Philadelphia down by two. Harris well left hand lamp up and Good got by the initial defender and went over Cantor and the field goal. That is good and Boston will take time. Harris now with five in the game, twenty two all the score, and the Sixers did a lot by getting to the free throw line in the

first quarter. They were fourteen of nineteen from the stripe in the first while Josh Richardson himself was eight for nine for the free throw line. That health. The seventy Sixers established a thirty two twenty seven lead after twelve minutes of play. In the second quarter, the seventy Sixers and Celtics kept going back and forth, back and forth. Alec Burks was a bit off in games two and three, but in Game four he was locked in out top. It's Alec Burks against Tye trying to get him to

back up Buyers for three, and that's good. Burks an offensive machine. He's like the microwave out there. Oh flashes a Bittie Johnson. He's got eleven rising for three, four threes now for the Sixers, and it's a fifty one forty nine Sixers lead. Burks is a bucket getner, and it was really nice to see Tobias Harris to get some three pointers to fall in this game as well. Cross courts, skip the Richardson, they go to Harris for three and that's good. So effective pass out of the trap,

the extra pass, and then the three. That's how it's done. Harris with his second three in the game, get Richardson credit as well. Philadelphia now five threes. They lead by five, and the Sixers would lead by one fifty eight fifty seven going into the halftime break. It was the first time they lent an intermission in this series. In the third quarter of the Boston Celtics Wings continued to put the pressure on and the Celtics were able to go on a bit of a spurt to seize control on

the scoreboard. Part of helping the seventy sixers stay close. Joel embiid Boston by four sixers. Gotta be careful here, they gotta heat close it be with it trying to grow at the foul no whistle, but he continues on to make an off balance shot started to the right of little lane and get to ten footer. It beat with thirteen six who was back on the board, but down two sixty sixty four was the score that man. Alec Burks came up big again down the stretch of

the third. Now Alec Burks against Brown, Burks making the move quick off the dribble, off off the glass and in he shoots that ball on the way up. Sometimes he catches the defender a little bit to off balance and Burkes now six up eleven thirteen points and we're gonna get a time out taken by Boston, tied at seventy seven. Moments later, following that time out, Tobias Harris goes down and heap hit his head really hard on the floor. It was pretty scary if you listen to

it or you saw it. Ultimately, Tobias Harris would come back in the game, but the Celtics completed a twelve nothing run to end the third quarter. They led eighty nine seventy seven after three. They went on a sixteen to two run overall following the Tobias Harris injury, and while they were able to gain separation from the seventy Sixers and put the Sixers right on the brink of elimination, it was really nice to see Tobias Harris at least get back out on the court and help the seventy

Sixers try and stay in it. In the final quarter, here comes Tobias Harris. Incredible that he's back in the game. Steph backshot from fifteen is good. He's got his eighteenth point in the game and he makes it one oh four ninety two with three thirty five to go. But not enough time left for Tobias Harris or the seventy Sixers on this season. As Boston completes the sweep with the one ten, one oh six victory. Seventy Sixers had offensive struggles throughout the series. They shot forty two and

a half percent from the field in this one. Today Boston forty six and a half percent Sixers nine of thirty four from outside the arc. That equates to twenty six and a half percent. Another game of struggles from the perimeter for the Sixers, while Boston knocked down a dozen three pointers. The Sixers were okay from the free throw line. They got there a lot, especially early. They were twenty seven to thirty four for seventy nine and

a half percent. Boston was at seventy six percent, where they were twenty two of twenty nine from the line. Sixers minus three on the glass, minus two on the offensive glass. Offensive rebound was a big theme in this series, an area that the Celtics were able to control. Sixers

committed eight turnovers to Boston's fifteen. The seventy Sixers outscored Boston twenty one to ten in points off turnovers, though Boston had the edge ten to two on the break Transition scoring on offense was a key area for the Celtics and sweeping the Sixers in this first round series. Kemba Walker led all scores with thirty two points. He was eight to fifteen from the field, twelve of thirteen

from the line. Jason Tatum another magnificent performance twenty eight points fifteen rebounds, ten of eighteen from the field, two of five from three point territory, six of ten from the line Joel Embiid He was the first seventy Sixer ever in the postseason, Albeit this was a short run for the Sixers to post an average of thirty and ten.

He finished with thirty and ten on the nose and both points and rebounds today twenty points five rebounds for Tobias Harris, fourteen apiece for Josh Richardson, and shake Milton alec Burks with thirteen points off the bench and a dozen points and ten rebounds for Al Horford. Seventy Sixers now head into an offseason where they're going to try and figure things out and try and figure out answers to how they can get back in the conversation in

the Eastern Conference picture. The last two years they made it to the second round, and this season obviously did not go their way. I think everyone can agree injuries, inconsistencies, personnel trying to figure it all out. That was part of what the seventy Sixers had to battle this year. Through it all, they weathered a hiatus that lasted roughly four months before they could get back together went down

to a bubble situation for six weeks. I'm not sure if anyone can underestimate what type of circumstances that brings on, and they still were able to play some basketball, And for me personally, I'm not asking this if anyone else. I thought, in the big picture of things, it was awesome to see seventy six ers basketball being played again this year after what happened in the middle of March and the NBA season having to go into suspension following

the coronavirus outbreak here in the United States. So it is disappointing for sure, no one's not saying that, but it was nice to have a little bit of a diversion from everything that was going on in the world with some basketball. In terms of the big picture, some people to thank on the technical side of things at our flagship ninety seven five to the fanatic, I hope

I don't miss anyone from this list. Dylan McKinnon, Josh Rabeck, nat Marlowe, Pat Egan awesome helping out throughout this season. Papa Carl Namoli limited duty fatherhood this year, but hey, we got him back and he helped steady our ship on the technical side, Tyler Zuli was awesome behind the controls for most of our games this season. Huge thanks to Marty Dickerson, the man behind the board, engineering games once again. The seventy six Ers Radio network for a

fifteenth year. Rodney Bird and Rob Grossman somehow figured out how to get these games on the air from the Center after the pandemic in a brand new, unprecedented setup, So shout out to them. Tom mcguinnis is the best due to work with. We are lucky to have him. It was a blast. My name is Brian Seltzer. Very fortunate to be able to speak with you on a regular basis throughout the year. Hopefully it's not too long before we do it again. You've been listening to Rewind.

Look out for fresh episodes of the Day after every seventy six Ers game this season.