Rewind | Takeaways vs. Toronto

five to one twenty one. I'm Brian Seltzer. Let's go to the zoom line and here from the head coach, Brett Brown, let's first, Toronto is the best defensive team in the bubble statistically. I think that they're very aggressive. I think that they really get into you and force you into precious situations as well as any team certainly here and I thought that we responded well, not getting stood up, not getting bent over. We really tried to meet so to fire with fire and played downhill as

best we could. I thought those two did a great job of doing that. It is inevitable that when you get into the playoffs it's a similar type of of of pressure, that type of sort of harassing team defense that Toronto is I think exceptional at I expect us to see that against it seems like we're going to play Boston. I think Boston does a really good job of that as well, and so I think just to carry over, you know, is important on what you can take from tonight and bring him forward. We'll go to

Noah Levic. Hey, Brett, we've talked a lot this year about Furkhan's defense and that being an important factor with him heading into a series against Boston. How do you look at that and do you have confidence in him to part some of those difficult wings on the Celtics. I do. I think he's made great progress this year. You know, he understood well and truly that it was going to influence clearly how much he was gonna play.

And because we experienced some different things this year with lots of injuries, they opened up a do off for him that he took advantage of. He's a great story, as we all know, his route to where he was to where he is needs to be told. I suspected it will, and I think that his defense has improved enough where you know, you feel confident he can come in and play in an NBA rotation. Thanks, looks like

Tim has another one for coach Brown. Yeah. Bright, just kind of along those lines, like you said, you guys aren't going to play Boston now. Now it's a team you guys have seen a bunch for over the past few years, you know, near yourself, get adjusted to being without Ben. But kind of what are your initial thoughts on going up against them in the first round of the playoffs. I mean, I had got a lot of

respect for brad Um. It's true, We've had tons of experiences, you know, regular season playoffs over the past few years. I think the team is very unique in that there is just so much firepower ut at several positions, and you know, the Philly scort to Celtics rival rivalry is is story, it's historic, and so to be able to have this opportunity again, we're excited treat this series with tremendous respect, but it's certainly one that we're excited to

want to compete against them. One more seating game to go for the seventy six ers on Friday against the Houston Rockets after tonight's one twenty one loss to the Toronto Raptors, but a game that will have no bearing on set seatings. It's that game on Friday, because, as you heard Brett Brand allude to in that postgame press conference on Zoom, it is going to be the seventy Sixers as the sixth seed out of the East, playing the three seed Boston Celtics in the opening round of

the playoffs starting next week. Their Atlantic Division rival arch nemesis. Another go at it with Boston the postseason two years later after that series in two eighteen, and undersized Boston team in terms of their actual height, but a very talented group with exceptional scoring out of the backcourt and on the wings, should be a great test for the Sixers. As for tonight's game against the Raptors, here's the way

that I'm looking at it. There was one part of the game where the top available players for both sides played. That was in the first half, because we didn't see Joel Embiid in the third quarter, and in the first half, the Sixers played pretty well all things considered. They did have issues with turnovers, specifically for Embiid, but the Sixers

they led sixty two fifty five of the break. They were up by as much as sixteen points in the first half, the ball was kind of like popping around and moving on offense, Tobias Harris in particular was really strong for the first two quarters, and the defense against Toronto clampdown held the Raptors to thirty eight and a half percent shooting in the first half, seven to twenty three from outside the arc, and in particular, Al Horford and company did a really good job on Pascal Siakam

two for nine from the field. Was he scoring only four points in the first half. And one thing that turned the game around in the second half, namely the third quarter, was that with Embat out and Horford only playing about two and a half minutes in the third quarter was unsurprisingly when those two guys went out, Siakam started to get more opportunities in open court transition play.

Chris Bouche came in and he was it was almost kind of like a mini Siakam at times because he could block shots with his length defensively and get out and run and either score on the run or from the perimeter as well. So again, I think the way that I'm looking at this one tonight a Joel Embiid was back. I mean, that's really your top headline Joel Embiid returns the injury is not serious stemming from Sunday's game, and you know, he had nine rebounds when he was

out there in the first half. And again, the Sixers played pretty well in the first half. Kyle Lowry had success scoring the ball, So that's something as far as when you look ahead Sixers nailing down their backcourt defense, They're gonna have to tighten up, as Lowry had nineteen points in the first half. But I'll take the positive outlook on this one and that the seventy Sixers were able to do some things with their top players available in this one in the first half that were encouraging.

So that's my take, whether you like it or not. Twenty five to one twenty one the final score. It was a loss for the seventy six Ers, their third straight. They're now three and four in the Bubble and their seating game finale is on Friday against the Rockets. Joel Embiid negative X rays on his right hand after he got hit on the hand in the first half of tonight's game. He was scheduled to play limited minutes anyway. In his return from a left ankle injury stemming from

a Sunday's game against the Portland Trailblazers. He played the first half and in thirteen and a half minutes, finished with five points, one field goal, three for four from the line, nine rebounds, and he did have some issues with turnovers, committing five of them four the Sixers. But the Sixers did outscore Toronto in the first half by the score of sixty two to fifty five. The defense played well in the first half, the Sixers got more and more into their benches the game went along. Tom

again has called this one tonight. Tom, what was your spinning takeaway from this game tonight? Well, in the end, it was really a game that featured young players for both sides and it ended up being a bit of an exciting finish there. But to your point, with Kyle Lowry leading the way for the Raptors in the late stages of the first half, they got back in the game, Lowry scoring eighteen of his nineteen in that second quarter,

and I thought the Sixers did a good job. Siakam struggled, he got into the flow a little bit in the third quarter, but for the most part, the Sixers did a pretty good job. A little bit concerning like you said, with Joel getting back into a rhythm. But again that chop on the right hand by gasol On and Bead happened, So who's to say whether that didn't play a bit

of a part on him handling the traps. But they came very aggressively on the catch on Ebad with the double team and that's something that Toronto has done all along and guarding him. So in the end, not the biggest deal that the Raptors young players ended up with helping them to win the game and then the one last game and you want to get ready for the start on Monday or Tuesday when those playoffs roll around against the Seas, seventy Sixers lose by four two Toronto

one twenty five to one twenty one. Tobias Harris top the seventy six ers with twenty two points. Chris Bouchet came in had a great run for the Raptors. He and Kyle Lowry sharing team high honors for the Rafts

with nineteen points apiece. But Tom, I think that when you look back on what we've seen from the seating phase, there's a handful of seventy sixers who should feel good about themselves heading to the playoffs, and certainly now with the injury to Ben Simmons, a guy like Al Horford, who I think has played well in Orlando deservedly has some confidence about him in the six Ers gonna need

to count on him. But then for someone like a Furkon cork Mose who shot the ball really well from the outside he was five for nine tonight, or a whole Nato who scored seventeen points tonight after tying her high with twenty two yesterday, or a Mike Scott the last couple of games. I mean, there's guys who, at some point the Sixers are probably going to need in the playoffs that have some they should have some confidence heading into the postseason. Well, you're right, and that's a

pretty big ala carte menu. But let's start with Netto, who wasn't even in the rotation expected to be going back two three games ago where Coach Brown said he was going to tighten it up and have it being a nine person rotation, and then all of a sudden, because Simmons gets hurt, Netto gets in there twenty two

last night and tonight seventeen. As you say, furkon making that three point shot tonight, And I thought that was a telling question in the zoom interview with coach after about Quark Mos and his defense, because he's only going to be able to stay out there against Boston if there are going to be times w he's matched up with Jalen Brown, with Ojul, with Tatum, who knows, I mean, and Brad Stevens is so good at recognizing mismatches and

going at them. So Firkin, you know, the way he's going to stay out on the court is obviously shooting the ball, but being able to hold his own defensively. Then again, Mike Scott, and I think coach already knows what he can get from Mike. It's good to see that he seems to be back to one hundred percent health. Norvelle Pell's going to give you some minutes off the bench, But I think it all comes down to the health of himbid their ability to guard him. I mean, the

Sixers took three or four from Boston. They had difficulty guarding Jewel Tye as much improved Cantor's very physical off the bench, and then again Boston with Brown, So again Tatum makes the all Star Team for the first time. It emboldens him. He comes out he was maybe the hottest player in the NBA after that February All Star Game into March, into the hiatus, and Brown didn't make

the All Star team and that fired him up. And then there's Kemball Walker who's had sixty against the Sixers in years pass when he was down in Charlotte, he obviously was nursing a knee, appears to be back to health. And then the heart and soul the Celtics is Marcus Smart and he's playing at a very high level. He's shooting the ball better, and he just gives them so much defensively. So it's a monumental challenge. I think the

Sixers like the matchup. Obviously, without Simmons, it's going to be a big, big, different, you know, scenario for everything that Ben brings, specifically the ability to guard one of those guys in terms or three of them Heyward two, Brown and Tatum and Walker. But it should be interesting, that's for sure. I think the fact that the Sectors aren't going to get to play here at the Center, I mean, it is what it is. We all know

that at this point. But this thing would start in Boston and come back here to Philadelphia for Games three and four. That's not the case. It's slated for two weeks. It's the NBA Playoff. This thing has worked out incredibly down to Fla with the bubble, and the postseason promises to be scent the leading as well. Last thing time

that I'll leave you with the Sixers and Celtics. They've played nearly five hundred and sixty times overall between the regular season and the postseason, over one hundred times and the playoffs. But this time of year, the postseason, I think for the seventy Sixers, at least as they exist in two nineteen, two twenty, as Brett Brown likes to say, this was always going to be their judgment day. They've said from the beginning that they've been built for the playoffs.

They've been built for the postseason, and it's starting like maybe two and a half months after when perhaps in a perfect world that could have ended for the Sixers back in June. But it's here, and I think that this will ultimately be the judgment time for the Sixers after they wrap up seeding play on Friday. I'm not sure if you see it the same way, well, no doubt, and it's just a little bit altered and that you don't have one of your best players in Ben Simmons.

But you know, one of the reasons you acquired Horford was this time of the year, and now he's going to be that lineup in and hey, he's going up against his old team. And I think Horford has played really well amongst the best of any player for the Sixers during these first seven games of the restart, and he made some great passes tonight looking off to the week's side to a cunning Harris and he knows Boston as well as anybody. I think he's gonna be a

pivotal figure in this series, without question. And it's gonna be a battle royale to be sure. As you say, Celtics Sixers postseason, that's a perfect mix. The Sixers are big and physical and they're gonna have to do a good job against Boston. I mean, really, Stevens is shrewd, very good coach. You know, the recent playoff history was two years ago when Boston took that thing four out

of five. And it'll be interesting to see how things evolve because the Sixers, you know, they got to go in there a little bit with they're the six seed. Boston's a little bit of that Philly underdog mentality where they're gonna go in there and you know, just play as hard and really try to shock the Boston Celtics and create a first round upset. And it'll be obviously very telling in that first game to see who gets the upper hand early on. All right, Tom, thank you

very much. We will speak again late on Friday for that nine o'clock game between the Sixers and the Rockets. All right, good night, Bright seventy. Sixers lose to the Toronto Raptors tonight, one twenty five to one twenty one. Joel Embiid did not play in the second half. He was sit on the right hand in the first half. X rays were negative. Simply, it was just nice to see him back out there on the courts to start the game in a starting role after suffering that left

ankle injury. On Sunday, Sixers did some other good things. Their bench made an interesting down the stretch, as did Torontos, and with many of the reserves going at it in the fourth quarter, Toronto ultimately pulled out the victory. Here's how it went. Joel Embiid was in the starting lineup, as was Tobias Harris, Al Horford, Josh Richardson. None of them played yesterday in the seventy sixers front end game.

In the back to back against the Phoenix Suns, Shake Milton rounded out the starting five, and the seventy Sixers enjoyed an encouraging start. Here's a bad bringing it across from the Sixers, looks the Horford. Nothing there. They go back out top to Tobias high screened by and b middle pick and roll. The Bias keeps it, drives it off the glass and in he goes right up on their center. You gotta love that. Tobias Harris with the basket. He's got five. Seventy Sixers enjoyed a really promising start

in the game. They want our thirteen to three run to take control, and later another nine nothing run to really put themselves in the driver's seat. After twelve minutes of play, the Sixers were in front thirty two to twenty five. They also kept Pascal Siakaman check right off at the jump. Howell Nato enjoying a nice run in Disney, and that continued in tonight's game, Lowery gets it again, shoots for three, block by Netto, Joel and b with a ball. I had a cork moss work on Weeby

goes in the corner. Netto had a three, but now I boyd the defender shoots for three an in Netto feeling it from a night ago as well. Oh, Netto now with five listen that made it thirty five to twenty nine. And I am admittedly not well versed in the book of Neto beyond this season, but I gotta think that was one of the best sequences of his career, right a block of the Philly guy. Lowry then takes it back to the way, knocks down at three. Not bad for jul Nato to wind things down in the

second quarter. Al Horford, he too, is another player who should have great confidence going to the postseason, and when he was out there tonight, he certainly did his thing. Horford with it on the right side, shoots it and it's good man. He stuck the landing as al Orford with yet another three. He's got nine and the Sixers go up by fourteen. Sixers from three seven of fifteen and led by as much as sixteen in the first half did the Sixers. Their advantage was sixty two to

fifty five. At the break. Things were going well on offense. They moved the ball around and shared it well, and they were locking down on Dan and the third quarter things started change, namely because Joel Embiid was not out there. He was scheduled to play limited minutes to begin with, regardless of what happened with his right hand. Al Horford only played a couple of minutes of the start as well, and then Pascal Acham and Chris Bouche started to get

going to help give Toronto some momentum. For CONCORKMS was trying to do what he could to keep the seventy Sixers in the league. Norvell Pell hands off the Tobias Arras has got twenty point over to cork Mos for three nice reach, an extension and the Hierarchy shot is good. Now he had lowry one and Kyle's got the four fouls. So cork Mos with confidence and he executes. He has four threes in the game. He would finish with five to seventy sixers. We're up at that point seventy eight

to seventy five. Norvelle Pell bring it back to a one possession game with this deposit. In the final seconds, Wool up a high screen by Pell six seconds ago, and then he gets Bouchet on a switch in the lane. Skits was top, goes to Matise, divaled into the Robell and Pell well enoft Hand scores it with point six to go. Seventy Sixers down to ninety to eighty eight

going into the fourth. They got a three point early in the fourth from Matis Divle to make it ninety one to ninety would go back and forth from there between the Sixers and the Raptors. Sixers led by ten midway through the frame. Mike Scott was part of the push that helped give the seventy Sixers their last double digit lead detto to Scott. Here's Mike for three and that's good. Mike Scott makes it one oh five ninety nine.

Man Scott now four oh five with a dozen points of the game, one of three double figures scores off the bench. Time out Toronto, but the later stretches belong to the Toronto Raptors and a man named Stanley Johnson, former lottery pick, got some key baskets in crunch time, the tying bucket on a layup and the go ahead five footer to give the Toronto Raptors what would ultimately be a one twenty five to one twenty one victory. Seventy Sixers in tonight's game shot forty six and a

half percent overall. The Raptors shot forty four and a half percent from the field. Sixers finished with seventeen three pointers, the Raptors with eighteen. They shot a lot better from outside the arc in the second half, six or twenty six to thirty three from the line, Raptors twenty seven of forty. The Sixers and Raptors even on the boards at forty seven apiece. The Sixers minus two on the offensive glass. Early on in the first half, the Sixers

were in turnover trouble. If that hadn't been the case, who knows how big that lead could have gotten by halftime. But all in all, still some really good stuff from the Sixers in the first half. They were led in scoring by Tobias Harris, who finished with the game high twenty two. He was eight of thirteen from the field, one of four from outside the arc. He also had six rebounds and five assists plus two block shots. He

was plus ten in just twenty four minutes. Twenty one points for fir Concorkmus, who was five for nine from the perimeter. Howell Nado with seventeen at night after tying a career high twenty two, twelve points for Mike Scott and ten apiece for Matise Thibel and Josh Richardson al Horford, he finished with nine points, four rebounds, five assists. Joel Embiid played thirteen and a half minutes on the first half, five points, nine boards for the big man plus five turnovers.

Toronto was led by Bouche who had nineteen points and Kyle Lowry also sharing that team high scoring dis section with nineteen of his own as well. Seventy Sixers are three and four in the Bubble. They are locked into the sixth seed in the East and the Boston Celtics are locked into the three seed. That means they meet in the first round of the playoffs starting next week, but not before the Sixers wrap up seeding play against the Houston Rockets at nine o'clock, Yes, nine o'clock Friday nights.

You've been listening to rewind look out for fresh episodes the day after every seventy sixers game this season.