Rewind vs. Cleveland Cavaliers - 12/7/19

was beyond lopsided. It was beyond a beatdown. The seventy Sixers flat out destroyed the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Ben Simmons was as big a part of it as anyone. It was a performance to remember. The seventy Sixers were missing two of their starters, Joel Embiad, an All Star and an All League candidate, and Josh Richardson Ben Simmons, who after Thursday's game, a disappointing six point loss at Washington, Ben Simmons came out and said, we gotta stay focused.

We can't take any opponent lightly. We gotta do better, and you know what there could be. Leadership isn't just you know, like saying those things. It's not simply coming out and getting your team off on a good note, so to speak. You know, you come out and you swing the friggin wrecking ball. And Ben Simmons not only did that, he took glee in it. You know, he and the Sixers picked up in a full court press right out of the halftime break. They were up by

a franchise record forty one points at the half. And for as much as Ben Simmons drove to the lane at will, scored at the rim with ease, knock down, a corner three point, all that great stuff and route to a career high thirty four points, he set the tone defensively as well, and on both ends of the court tonight, Ben Simmons was one of the best NBA players in a game. In this isolated moment, you'll see it was just that type of night. It was crazy thirty four points for him. He missed only two of

his fourteen shots. He hit a three his only attempt from outside the arc, nine of twelve from the free throw line, seven assists plus thirty two in twenty five minutes. Mike Scott, let's talk about the man, Mike Scott. The hive buzzing twenty one points. Mike Scott matched his field goal total in less than one half of action tonight than he had the previous eight games. Mike Scott, I mean, if you heard his postgame interview with Tom, he knows he was off and he couldn't essentially thrown in the

ocean tonight. It was a wide, vast look at the open sea. He was nine for twelve, three to five from the perimeter, six rebounds, great stuff from Mike Scott, fifteen points from Tobias Harris. Trey Burke came off the bench for twenty one points, ten points for Kyle O'Quinn to go with eleven rebounds. And now the Sixers they had going tonight. They took advantage of a week opponent that had lost eleven out of twelve games. But again, you know, you have lopsided games in the NBA every night,

you don't always see something like this. The seventy sixers, they were up by fifty three at one point on the way to a one forty one ninety four victory. They said, a franchise record for a half timely they were up forty one seventy seven to thirty six. Ben Simmons set the tone the seventy Sixers followed suit one forty one to ninety four. The seventy Sixers ree cavoc and level the Cleveland Cavaliers. They improved to sixteen and seven, a very nice bounce back win. Brian seltered down here

in South Philly. Tom McGinnis had the call. Tom, it was clear early there was forced from the seventy sixers and there was no resistance from the Cavaliers, and the Sixers just feasted without doubt. And I'm not a big fan of the phrase downhill, but that's how Ben Simmons played, and they had Once he broke through the initial line of coverage, which oftentimes was top of the key or even fill line, the pickup point, he just burst right through and nobody was back there and he just dominated.

So he was so good. I mean, you look at and then you add like you said Mike Scott. But even Netto and Burke, like that trio of guards they combined for eight steals, they had like sixty three points and they just dominated Cleveland. So but Ben Simmons that first half ten of eleven twenty six points, that is as good a performance that we've seen, I mean, for sure in his career, he had a career height thirty

four in total. But that's the number one pick in the NBA draft, the Rookie of the Year, the All Star. That is incredible that that was one of the best performances in any half by any player. I gotta go. Ever, I mean certainly that I can think of. I'm sure there's Curry and Harden and like those. How about this for a sixer in recent years. I mean to play it safe, but that that was just dominant. He was,

without question a shining star in pro basketball tonight. I mean the offense at one point, and it wasn't after too long, is essentially like, let's just throw the ball, the ball to Band above the twenty eight foot line, let him load up and rip the heart out of Cleveland. I mean, that's kind of what it was. By far, the best player in the game on the court, he knew it, everybody knew it, and he put his inprint.

What I thought was so neat when he made that three, his second ever career three point field goal, and the crowd was buzzing, and then shortly they're after the Sixers got the ball, and I believe it was Trey Burke lobbed it up there and Ben dunked it, and so he had five points in a row, and the crowd never stopped after the initial the three point field goal, which came in the corner by the Cleveland bench, and so it was like a forty second standing ovation of

just electricity. And then you know, when he checked out, it was the same thing. So that is an appreciation of a dominant athlete playing on a stage. Before tonight hear in front of nearly twenty one thousand fans. That was just incredible. Seventy Sixers defeat the Cavaliers one forty one to ninety four. Ben Simmons with twenty six of his career high thirty four points in tonight's first half. Defensively, he was a big part in setting the tone as well.

He blocked I mean, he was only given two block shots in the game. I thought he probably had like what four? I thought for sure. Yeah, so he was all over the place early on in that respect. And you know, I don't know if this is over exaggerating it or high perbalizing it, but it's like, you know, Ben came out after the game. It wasn't like he was lighting you know, going at anyone. But he was like,

that's we can't overlook opponents following the Washington loss. And it wasn't just he knocked down a few baskets to get the seventy sixers started tonight. He pretty much put the team on his back. He said let's go. And you know that's a sign of leadership, and that's something Ben's been talking about, going back to the way last

season ended. Absolutely and you know, coach Brown was asked and addressed it following the game about more space without em beating there and playing at a faster style, a faster pace, and that suits Simmons and that was evident tonight. I mean, he just was there, was driving lanes and he flew around in there, got everybody else involved. And again you remember two the Sixers missed their first seven threes. So even though they're winning ten, they're nothing fourteen to four.

Like one of the comments at the time is it looks like it could be worse, and you could see they were headed toward a lopsided victorim and it was

already trending that way Cleveland played. They'd only scored eighty seven points last night, they'd lost five point five games in a row, eleven out of twelve, and then right after that oh for seven start led by Furcon and Mike Scott, the Sixers made seven of their next eight threes, and after leading thirty six to eighteen after one, they had a forty one point second quarter and the game was just a blowout thereafter. So Ben led the way,

but everybody else played well. Simmons twenty six minutes, thirty four points, And to Coach Brown's point about tomorrow, I mean, if you're ever going to play a back to back, this is the recipe you'd like for night number one, and is twenty two minutes for Tobias, around twenty minutes for al who knows what the status of richardson Or

and Bid will be tomorrow night. But regardless, when you play like this and it oozes confidence where you're playing two nights in a row through three nights in a row, these guys will be wanting to get back out there and wanting to right or wrong with how the game ended two weeks ago in Toronto and obviously still the residual carryover of how that playoff series ended last year in the spring in Canada, Mike Scott twenty one points off the bench in the seventy six or one one

ninety four win. And that's the thing Tom Brett Brown always likes to say, the regular season the NBA is all about how you back it up. And this one is on the proverbial doorstep quick against Toronto. Well absolutely, and again you know, so you have to kind of you know these games and a victory like this is great, you let it sink in for a couple of ways they should be able to enjoy these are It's not easy to do this in terms of, you know, rack up one hundred and forty one points, have a fifty

three point lead. But then you know, when you wake up, you know, then you start already you start thinking about the Raptors, and you think about the game planning, executing, and you know the intensity because Toronto's getting the performance. Siaka is in the MVP conversation. He's only getting better and was a dominant performer last year, particularly in the playoffs against the Sixers. And then you look at van

Fleet and Powell and those guys. They didn't hurt the Sixers at all in the playoffs last year, and yet right after that series they took off and they've been they've been playing the best basketball of their careers. And remember too that Kyle nor Ibaka played in that game when the Sixers played in Toronto. Kyle was out with a thumb and I believe Ibaka had an ankle. And I think they're both back. They've dropped two games. The two teams are tied now in the standings in terms

of in the Atlantic Division and in the East. So and again, overall Toronto was dominated the Sixers, not just winning the playoff series, but in the regular season. It's been very hard up there. What is it now, thirteen straight losses like that in Canada and then overall and so you know, if you're gonna get to where you want to go to, there's teams you have to overtake, and one of them is the world champion to runt directors. Alrighty tom again, so we'll speak with you tomorrow six

o'clock start all right, good night. Thanks seventy Sixers over the Cleveland Cavaliers one one ninety four. They set a franchise record, leading by forty one points at the half. Ben Simmons was a huge part of it, and we'll hear some of those highlights seventy Sixers Cleveland Cavaliers, the way both teams have been playing as of late. If you're the type of person who wanted to forecast and prognosticate, you probably listen for just being honest, would have pointed

in the seventy Sixers direction. But could you have possibly envisioned this what we saw in fold tonight down here at the center. N Simmons was not pleased with the way the seventy Sixers himself included played in the Lost Thursday at Washington, Well, very quickly, the All Star went about writing some of the wrong and now they lose love. And he shoots at three long, no good. Thompson keeps till alive. Yet he austen there and here's a runout

for Simmons. He'll get a jab. So the ball pop free at mid court with cork Mas and Simmons and Burkon threw it ahead to Ben and Simmons rocks the rim with a powerful left hand Slayer Simmons Donna drive Simmons down the lane, left hand laff up and good time out. Cavaliers eight seven. Ben Simmons driving and scoring looks like he's gonna pick up the slack with no one beat. He's got six. He's three for three and that was merely the beginning. Ben Simmons scoring eight of

the seventy sixers first ten points in tonight's game. Now we're gonna do a lot of Ben Simmons highlights, thrust of the way, with the exception of this one, because we've got to give a little love to our man who is the curator of the hive. Pitched back the left side Scott and he shoots for three. And it's in Mike Scott where the quick catch the release laser, put yours on the release and Netta with a good feed. Now Mike five in a row. He's four of six.

Sixers lead by a score of thirty one thirteen. Seventy Sixers were in control. They were up thirty six to eighteen after a quarter of play. In this second quarter, Ben Simmons, after a bit of a breather he scored fourteen points in the first quarter, came back and was a force outside left Harris. They go to Simmons against Della Modoba, a matchup of the big men from down Under and Ben Junes of Fadeaway and in Ben Simmons from the left wing, even though he towers over Della Modoba,

he got it. He's seven of eight Simmons sixteen points, and the seventy Sixers had fifty one points before the Cavaliers had twenty five. Ben Simmons, what was probably the pinnacle and most entertaining exciting point of his game tonight, had this sequence as the first half was winding down under four minutes to go. Trey Burke cross courts, skipping all upside Ben three ball by Ben Simmons is good, knocking it down wide open, and Simmons has happened quite

a night. Nine of ten, twenty one point. Here's another steal by the Sixers. Harris to Burke, Lopa Simmons, henty Jamnet. Ben Simmons is going to town con to Cleveland Cavaliers. He's got twenty three points, reminding the Cavaliers of Labron James absolutely and the seventy Sixers would get three more from Simmons for the first half was done. The Sixers

led seventy seven thirty six at the break. It was the largest lead forty one points in franchise history, second largest lead in the entire NBA over the last two seasons, seventy seven points scored by the seventy sixers, a record here at the Center scored by any team in any half since the building opened back in nineteen ninety six.

Nineteen ninety seven, Ben Simmons. This his final basket of that first hand and now with eight seconds to go, Simmons with it against Tristan Thompson on a drive into the lank feet away by Ben. It's good Ben Simmons. Eleven baskets, sixers again up seventy seven, thirty six at intermission.

Ben Simmons a career at night and its handles top of the key, wide open eighteen putter back, ribbon off, long rebound Tray Burke lid the Simmons and a layoup Trey Burke with the ball at the fifteen foot bart grows it right to the rim and Simmons is gonna finish with thirty four points, backing his career high. It

was a career high for Ben Simmons. He went twelve to fourteen, one for one from three nine to twelve from the line, three rebounds, seven assists, two steals, two blocks, which I think shortened him by at least two swats. He was just all over the court in so many ways. He only played twenty five minutes thirty nine seconds. Seventy Sixers went on to win it one forty one ninety four. They led by as much as fifty three and at Ladies and Gentlemen was a wire to wire win for

the Sixers. Sixers shot sixty three and a half percent from the field, eleven of twenty six that's just under forty two and a half from three point territory. They

had fifty one rebounds to Cleveland's thirty five. They forced eighteen turnovers and tied a season low by committing just eight themselves after giving the ball away twenty one times, which I had to thirty points in Washington's win over the Sixers on Thursday, in addition to Simmons great nights from Mike Scott, he had twenty one nine to twelve from the field, three of five outside the arc, six rebounds.

His first start filling in a vacancy without Josh Richardson and Joel Embid tonight, twenty one points for Trey Burke off the bench, nine to twelve for him, as well eight assists in four steals. He did not have a single turnover. Al Horford eight points, five rebounds, three assists to Bias Harris fifteen points, four rebounds, three assists, all seventy Sixers tonight as they steamroll the Cavaliers. The Sixers outscored Cleveland by thirty eighty two to fifty two in

the paint and thirty to seven on fast breakpoints. And just to wrap up a storyline from the start of the game, when Joel bead is not out there, the Sixers want to play faster with Al Horford thirty fast breakpoints pretty telling of the style of offense Ben Simmons was able to bring to the seventy Sixers tonight. Seventy Sixers now sixteen and seven on the season, Cleveland Cavaliers five and seventeen. Up next those Toronto Raptors, that is

Tomorrow night, six o'clock. Seventy Sixers will go into the game trailing Toronto essentially by a game in the lost column in the Eastern Conference standings for fourth place. And now for the radio Boys, the seventy six Ers tom again us Brian Seltzer sang so long for now one final time. The final score it was the seventy six Ers one forty one the Cavaliers ninety four. You've been listening to Rewind. Look out for fresh episodes the day after every seventy Sixers game this season.