You're listening to rewind, they'll listen back on press conferences, highlights and analysis from the seventy sixers previous game. A most impressive shorthanded victory for the seventy Sixers one to nine ninety eight over the Boston Celtics for the first time since two thirteen fourteen to seventy Sixers clinch a regular season series victory over their arch rivals. They've also won four in a row versus Boston in the regular season for the first time since two thousand and two
thousand and two. I'm Brian Seltzer right now. We had two the postgame press conference podium and Burrett Brown, you know, with that may be able to be cashed in at some point, if at all, But we in our eyes in January like this was kind of a unique game. And I think Josh Richardson in the absence of Joe l Embiide and we have a chance here at home, which we what are we seventeen and two? Here at home now eighteen and two? We wanted to keep that
momentum going. I think Josh drove that he was a bell ring and tonight and I thought it started with just his mindset, his mentality as much as whatever statistics came out of that attitude. A lot of trouble with in the past, as you mentioned, you're out three and all against them, this year being different ways with different people. What do you think has changing? Um, I don't know, you know, I don't I don't know. It's like they're roster has changed. Our roster has changed. I don't know,
like maybe we could should just start there. I do feel like I do feel like we're starting to not just against Boston. I don't want to over play this. I just feel like we're starting to get an idea of the first question. I'm just more purposeful, like offense taking an unusual sort of you know, physical skill set team and learning how to best place it. I thought al horfid tonight both sides of the ball, you know, gave us life and toughness and offensive rebounding. And I
just think that this year is evolution. Tim is born out of that, Like what's starting to feel stuff and get more familiar in relation to what's the difference with Boston, I don't know, it's like that that's part of the league. I think Ben. You put Ben in and started setting corn as a backup center. He was all over the
place in the paint. Yeah, And in terms of attacking, what was kind of your thought process with that small ball out for him et center and what did you think over all the way to like I mean, I've always been curious, you know, I've always been curious of what that could look like. And he's we we've seen over the past, you know what, three weeks I have put him in a lot of screening action, like as the screener, and you can see he's a dynamic roller.
He can go get lobs, he can catch pocket passes, he can find you know, people in corners, and so in that world if you just sort of like zoom into, he's been a screen set up. If you put shooters around him and give somebody to can runt a pick and roll, well let's call him the five in its true in that environment, he was I thought were I thought he was. He was good. I don't know what the umbas beer out. I thought he was good. But
it's something we've just tried. I thought Norvelle coming in, you know, really gave us that thing that I'm talking about with screening rolling. And I thought we even missed him a few times as Jay Rich was playing cross back game. But I have wanted to try Ben at five. We did, and uh, I suspect you'll see it again. Talk about that. And we were talking about the theme
before the game. The guys were saying next man up, like, you know, we know Joel's down, but it's all about next man up, you talk about collectively the center spot where Norvelle played a great game. Al had a good game. You know, Ben gave us some buckets exactly, but you know, it just seemed like at that five position, you know, you position at the final position, you guys, you know they played well. I think they did, and we had
to you know, you got Joe. We just we just did a post game sort of bell ringing ceremony and I look over one of the players shoulders and I can see Elton's holding Joel on FaceTime. And so we were able from New York to include him, which is always a good thing. And when you're missing Joel, you better have some people, you know, do what Novelle did. And Ben in his limited minutes and Al horfed, you know, was was huge all over the place. And it's true,
it was a next man up. We had to find something to take that massive void that Joel left seventy Sixers get the win of the Boston Celtics one O nine ninety eight. How about that anecdote from Brett Brown that was awesome that Elton Brand had Joel Embiid on FaceTime in the locker room for the postgame bell ringing. How cool is that the reason why Joel Embiid was on FaceTime and not there in person. If you missed the news before the game, Joel Embiid is going to
undergo surgery on his left hand tomorrow. The seventy Sixers will have an update in a week to two weeks time. They announced that before the game, about forty five minutes before off, and then immediately right out of the gate, Josh Richardson, as Brett Brown articulated, provided a terrific spark. He scored thirteen of his twenty nine points in tonight's opening quarter. Fourteen of his final sixteen came in the fourth quarter, including the sixers first six to begin the fourth.
He was so huge in helping the seventy Sixers get by the Boston Celtics tonight. But how about this in a game they were shorthanded, a game in which pregame there was an understandable vibe of uncertainty. Yeah, the players are talking about next man up, but you know, no one really knew or even at this moment quite frankly knows the extent of what Joel's injury is going to be. He is your top player. And the Sixers come out, they have a great determined attitude about themselves. Late in
the game, their offense. How about this for a test. You up against the fourth best defense in the league, in the Boston Celtics, and your offense is being tasked with executing and hey, recent weeks, I think everyone's seen that the has been going through some things. Sixers get their looks, they execute on them, and the defense was stout and crunch time. Ben Simmons great second half, closed strong.
He had that really important defensive play, a steal with about three minutes to go that ultimately led to Josh Richardson going to the line back. They're the way to put the Sixers up by seven to Simmons, finishing with nineteen points, nine rebounds, three assists, and a steal. Seventeen for al Horford, he also had eight boards and six assists. Horford with a key late jumper on the baseline. He also had a big stop on Marcus Smart. Tobias Harris picked it up gave the Sixers a lift in the
third quarter. He finished with sixteen points. You know the bench for the guys who were in there, they had moments, especially fur Concorkmas Norvelle Pell outstanding. They gave him two blocks, I had him for three six points, four rebounds. Seventy sixers a race of fifteen point deficit in the first half and go on to win it by eleven, which ended being their largest lead at any point in the night. Josh Richardson leading the way with twenty nine points. The
seventy Sixers clamped down on the Celtics wings. Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum combined to go just six for twenty five from the field and three for nine from outside the ark. Pretty minimal effect from those two. Kemba Walker at twenty six. Marcus Smart he was a problem. He had twenty four off the bench. But the seventy Sixers outscore the Celtics thirty two, eighteen and the fourth quarter and overall in the second half they outscore the Celtics by eighteen to win this one one o nine to
ninety eight. Seventy six Ers have won two in a row. They are now twenty five and fourteen, Boston is twenty five and eleven, and the seventy Sixers have closed within a game and a half of the Atlantic Division lead. Let's see if we can hear a little bit of Ben Simmons postgame, specifically defensively. Yeah, I think he had one of his better defensive games tonight, coming up a little bit more and being effect with his hands and getting in there. You know, every I think everybody played
a huge role tonight. You know, obviously that's why we got to win. But I'll definitely, you know, played a great game. Ben Simmons with some postgame thoughts on the seventy Sixers win of the Boston Celtics tonight, one nine ninety eight. We're bringing Tom McGinnis right now. You know, Tom, I probably should not be in the business or get into the business of ranking wins or anything like that.
I mean, obviously Christmas Day against the Bucks was great, but as far as like bigger symbolism and how this one happened, I mean, tonight was absolutely an awesome performance by the team, no doubt about it. And you're right day one game at a time there, Brian. But it
is a huge victory, no doubt about it. That it comes against Boston or ahead of you in the standings, and like you know, we've emphasized and you don't want to make too much of it, but it is in fact a series victory over them, and that the Sixers have now won three of the four with the one game remaining in Boston. But just to circle back to Ben Simmons and hearing that he had an edge tonight,
I thought he really did that. You know, you could see it a couple of times where he stood over Ham a walker, and I thought he was very aggressive. That jump hook he made at the end that was part of the exclamation point, if you will, if the Sixers making sure they won this game was really big. And a couple of the plays he made, like I said, you know, you gotta remember, this is an athletic stage where we're looking at it's empty now, but he covered the floor and roamed back to make a steal and
you're just like, WHOA. You just have to sit back and watch it in amazement. The athletic feet and prowess that he put on display. Just an incredible game. And again you had tremendous performances from the likes of Horford, obviously Josh Richardson. He came out and the Sixers were eight of ten out of the gate. They were shooting eighty five percent from the field, and then they hit a tailspin toward the end that he opening quote, Boston
went on a sixteen to four run. And the only thing you're thinking, and Boston was hot with Walker getting thirteen, is that again this part about they played last night, and you know, the back to backs are part of it. Coaches will poop poo it a little bit, but it matters. They st but they weren't nearly as hot down the stretch. And again, it's not like they flew cross country. They came down from Boston. It's an hour flight. But they played last night. You get to bed later. It's just
it throws you off your routine. It's it's a part, it's a factor of life in the NBA, but it's clearly more difficult in winning a night number two, whereas the Sixers were arrested and they play with the energy in the fight and they you did it. You mentioned it was a special victory, and it sure is anytime you beat the Celtics one the final score seventy six Ers over the seas. Norville Pell time. I you know, there were great performances by some regulars, but I'm I'm
going to our guy, Norvelle. He was awesome tonight and he's like, hey, here's a chance for someone to step up in his Brett likes to say, raise their hand for an opportunity. I mean, these could be back up two minutes. I'm sorry, backup five minutes for Norvelle Pell right, And just to carry over on that point, Brett Brown, you know you're talking about raise your hand. It's you know, the front part of that equation is the gym will speak to him and that is you know, during training camp.
But it's a season went him along and Ville is a different player than he was when he was signed by the Blue Coats five years ago. He's gotten a lot of experience. He's also played overseas overseas during this time.
And you know when you when you looked at that DAAs in, I guess it was July when the Sixers signed all these players, and up there was Kyle O'Quinn, and you know, you would have thought he would have been the guy and the natural guy to be to be the third big backup and in this situation, to be the first big off the bench wall. To your point, it's Norvelle pell and that's why he was a tremendous job of blocking shots. He's quick off the floor, he's
obviously got great hand eye coordination. Not an easy skill set, but rim protection is something every team looks for. And then oh, by the way, when you can throw it up to him and dunk it, he did a terrific job. The rest of it is, you know, guarding your position and screening and rebounding and you know, and running the floor,
and he was. He was really good in that backup role. Tonight, seventy six ers over the Celtics one nine clinched a regular season series versus Boston for the first time since twenty thirteen fourteen, and this amazing time. It's something that you know, we've been around Brett Brown since that year, for the last seven years, and you pick up and kind of internalize certain sayings of his but it's like, you know, what a week, what a difference a week
can make in the NBA. And this time last week the seventy Sixers were in No Not so Great Land, and right now it's a totally different outlook. You're within a game and a half of the division lead, right and you look back to all these you think about the competition. Now you go on the road, and you play Dallas right in Dallas, and you play Indiana where you just lost so and then you consider Miami Orlando
has given the Sixers problems. That was a road game, and then obviously Milwaukee and Boston so and there, and again there's no easy games in the NBA. But this has been a particularly tough stretch for the Sixers. But to your point, dropping four games in a row, and you know a stretch where they had had a three
game losing street even before that. And now you come back and beat a really hot Oklahoma team and would argue the hottest team in the league up until that game on Monday, and a huge victory here and now you got to go out and back it up on the road and try to get a victory. And again the Sixers have to navigate, this time without embad. They did it tonight and now they have to find a way over the next couple of weeks and whatever it
turns out to be after Joel has surgery. But as you said, that was a really neat thing to hear that Elton Brand was facetiming Joel as he awaits that surgery tomorrow in New York. And that's that's that's part of culture. That's what the Sixers are building here where everybody's in. I mean, that's got to be a difficult scenario. You have to feel for Embid here he is once again having surgery and not with the team as they
take on their arch rivals. He so much wants to be out there, so your heart has to go out to him. But we're nice job there by eb keeping the Joel Ebid in the mix. Certainly be thinking of Joel Embiad with that surgery up coming tomorrow and update on him in a week or two. But an inspiring performance by the seventy six Ers tonight they beat the Celtics one, nine ninety eight. Tom Thank you very much. Seventy Sixers wrapping up a brief two game homes and
tonight against the Boston Celtics. They were looking for a season series win over their arch nemesis, and also looking to set a positive tone in light of the news that Joel Embiide will be out for at least one to two weeks following surgery on his left hand, which is coming up tomorrow. The seventy Sixers got off to a really aggressive start, led by Ben Simmons and Josh Richardson. In quarter number one, Harris with it at the file, live back up to Ben Simmons in the lane. Simmons
adjusted puts it up in the right hand. So the answer is will he be able to get down low an attack. So far, so good for Simmons. Three field goals and they've all been right at the room. Seventy Sixers took a seventeen sixteen lead, but after a quarter was the Boston Celtics which finished strong. They went up thirty five to twenty six, so that man, it was an uphill battle for pretty much the rest of the first half of the Sixers. James Ennis the third made
things a little bit tighter in the second quarter. Al Horford in the lane, He's doubled. Kick out Ennis wide open, jatte three ball, got it. It's good. James Ennis with his first field goal of the game, or with his third assists Sixers fifth, three and now seven straight by Philadelphia, and they cut it to eighth and moments later and it's the third hit another three to make it a three point game, fifty one to forty eight. The Boston Celtics would score the final four points of the first half.
They took a fifty five forty eight lead into the locker room. Tobias Harris had sixteen points in the game. He was really productive in the third. Harris has it Harris online on Tice again. He went for the jam, didn't get the dupe, but he put it in. Tobias Harris goes right at Tice. How the Sixers have taken a day at eleven oh run and they're feeling it here at Philadelphia on their feet with a sellout crowd. Celtics took time out. Seventy Sixers let at that point
fifty nine to fifty seven. A man named Norvelle Pell, two way player for the seventy Sixers, was great tonight. Off the bench. He was the second big man up essentially behind Al Horford. He was punishing the rim at both ends the court, sevens throws, away, but at sevens with a remarkable comeback, he picks it off and now he races down the court. Sevens. Don't look past Hell catch us in left hand layout, Norvel Pell. He puts it up and then we are watching athletic feats here
on this plane surface that are incredible. Northville Pell made it seventy seven seventy four. The Celtics would still lead eighty to seventy seven going into the fourth quarter. Josh Richardson scored the first six points of the fourth for the Sixers. Side out for the Sixers, and now Grant Williams is trying to three quarter. Al Horford wants it. He taps it back to richards and Richards down on a drive. Patty jabs it and that's what led to
the basket. They were preoccupied with Horford for con Corkmas the Big Three midway through the fourth to kip the seventy sixers in front. Late game offense for the Sixers was really good to Bias Harris, the pivotal jumper batist Stible found Ben Simmons inside for a score and then with time winding down, Al Horford helped put his former team away. Final dail right here. If the Sixers could score inside. Petter Horford, he has us back to the basket.
He spins by the shoot. Jawn Stuff shoots it out, tights, it's up and good. Al Harford strikes baseline right one oh five ninety four sees looking at what could be the third straight laws just a little bit farther back on that very same baseline where another fellow whose name we won't mention, had a very big shot against the Boston Celtics last March. Only fitting that a man named Josh Richardson put the kaffer on this one. Richardson's gonna get the ball and the Sixers are gonna big Boston.
But two hands laf my Josh Richardson. Fittingly enough, he has twenty nine points and the Sixers are leading one O nine ninety eight. YEP, A great night down here at the Center. Seventy Sixers win it one nine ninety eight in front of a sellout crowd of twenty thousand, eight hundred twenty two. That's a good turn out. Josh Richardson with a team high twenty nine. He also had
three rebounds and seven assists. Ben Simmons with nineteen points nine rebounds three times, seventeen points for al Horford to go with eight boards, six assists, sixteen points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals for Tobias Harris off the bench, nine for fir Con Quorkmas and six apiece for James Ennis the third and Norvelle pell Nice to see him. Matis Steibelback didn't hit a shot, he did have five rebounds, two assists and a steal. In tonight's game, he was
plus seven in just under nineteen minutes. Seventy Sixers got to the free throw line a little bit more frequently than Boston. That was important. They also had a great rebounding second half to finish the game, plus ten on the glass. They outscored the Celtics fifty to thirty eight in the paint and nineteen to seven on fast break points. You've been listening to rewind. Look out for fresh episodes the day after every seventy Sixers game this season.