Rewind vs. Denver Nuggets - 12/10/19

I mean you can feel the building light up. You know, he really is a an energy giver. When he can make those types of plays, he continues to just move up the food chain in relation to sort of the confidence as the head coach you having him, and that his teammates are growing to having him. Struggled to score later at the end game, but he regarded them also really well. But speaking of offensively, what were you trying to do to down trying to go through Joe, you know,

trying to get to bias the ball. A few times we looked at Ben, you know, in some pick and roll type stuff and just not stopping the play and letting him play out of it. It was a physical game. I mean, if you look at the it was sixteen fourteen in the last period for both teams. We found difficulties scoring, you know, and I think that that with for me, like we're going through Joe a lot, and uh, that's that a struggle for you guys to get twelve going for like the entirety of a game. That's he

has these good stretches. I'm sorry, I'm getting don key. So it feels like we haven't seen many sustained great stretches from He has these sparks where he's been to backball, but maybe not over the course of an entire game. So what what needs to change for him to get I think for me it's always about like the passing out of the post. I thought he had one turnover tonight in the fourth period at the post, I thought he did a good job. How many assist did he

end up with? Yeah, you know, so we need to you know, I think look at that a little bit, and he's a lightning rod for double teams or deep digs. You know. It's like for me, it's a lot it's like who do you put in the slot that first pass out of it needs to be a good shooter, and so to to go away from that, I'm not doing that. And I think to just get him feeling comfortable, confident, deep catches, spacing around him, willingness which he has shown

to pass that. That's that's what we're going to do. Now. What I will tell you is if you just go back to some of the recent games, you know, we put tobias and a lot of stuff, you know with middle pick and rolls, sort of wing ISOs or wing sideline pick and rolls. You know, times we've gone to Ben and I think like when you have a second dribbler, a pick and roll guy in Jay Ridge, it's gonna open up more options. But it's always on oline and stuff we always try to, you know, get better and

better at and that's the mission of the season. Seventy Sixers outlast the Denver Nuggets ninety seven ninety two. As you heard Brett Brown say, it combined thirty points. That's it between the two teams over the final twelve minutes of regulation. The seventy Sixers able to get by thanks to strong efforts in the second and third quarters. Thought Al Horford, even though he finished five for sixteen from the field, one for eight from three, eleven points, nine rebounds.

He was huge in the third quarter, when he scored nine of his eleven points. He also had a timely basket in the fourth. Tobias Harris came up large once again, his fifth twenty point outing in his last six games. He scored twenty on the nose, seven of seventeen from the field, a double double for Joel and b twenty

two points, ten rebounds, six assists, four turnovers. He was six for seven from the free throw line, and while the Sixers were having a tough time getting points on the board in the final four minutes of regulation, it was Joel Embiid at the free throw line with fifteen point three seconds left to put this game away. Will Barton started hot for the Nuggets. He finished with twenty six Nicolajokich put up fifteen points, seven rebounds, eleven assists,

Hestible great off the bench thirteen points. He was plus twenty and twenty six minutes now he finished the game. Essentially, he's the Sixers two guard because Josh Richardson, who was back in the lineup for the first time in six games, he was on a minute restriction tonight he played nineteen minutes.

You presume we don't know this for a fact that Richardson was on a twenty minute limit tonight, Matise finishing out the game, and he just had some great all around plays, key rebounds in the fourth quarter as well for Matisse, and is all around solid defensive play as well. Seventy Sixers are thirteen and oh here at home. They've won three straight and eleven out of the last thirteen, and they split the season series with the Nuggets, now

eighteen and seven overall. On the air, Tom Beginnis joins us. Now, Tom, these were two of the best defensive teams in the league coming in the seventy Sixers number three. Denver was number two. We saw that playout, especially in the fourth quarter.

But the Sixers, to their credit, even though they almost went scoreless for the final four minutes, their defense got enough stops, right, and that's what's gonna give the Sixers, you know, a chance going forward, like in the big games in the Lord Willing in the playoffs, that defense, because and they're trying to sort this out a little bit in terms of you know, the scoring down the stretch,

and you know, again just for starters. This is gonna sound so simple, but get a shot up, you know, get a decent look, and if you make it, great, I mean obviously, but at least don't turn the ball over. Try to execute. And it's tough, you know, especially the way Coach Brown was saying that, the way they go at and beat and and then Tobias. You know, you know he's getting the ball in space, but they're they're

going to swarm him and it's difficult. I mean, that's what That's what makes, you know, the end of the game so exciting, is how intense it is and how how it changes. I mean, you look at the final like like we said, and coach reiterated, like I believe it was sixteen fourteen or something like that, where Denver just outscored there six only fourteen points in the fourth quarter.

So but that's that's how it is in the playoffs, where you know, the court shrinks a little bit, it's more difficult to score, and you know, you've got to have playmakers and the ability to get baskets down the stretch, stops and scores is the key. They were getting the stops and they didn't get the scores. They did get the two free throws by Joel. But again, the bigger thing is the Sixers won. They're finding ways to win.

They've done it thirteen times. There's been any number of these games that have been close and yet the Sixers prevailed. And so eleven games over five hundred. It hasn't all been perfect. It's perfect at home, but in terms of getting there, it's been a little bit up and down. But in the end they've gotten all these wins, and this was a well played game. I think if you're watching this game, you know anywhere else against we're really

vested in this here. Exciting for our fans, no doubt, but that you you know, you tuned in around the country and you watched a pretty good NBA basketball game. Yeah, I mean you'd have to say, right, think these teams are pretty balanced in terms of how they match up. I mean, you've got versatile big man and embiad and yokis. You've got teams that generally shoot efficiently from outside the arc,

great defense. One wild card for the well, I guess you can't even really call him a wild card anymore. For the seventy six Ers. Matisse Thible thirteen points plus twenty. Richardson got the start, but Matisse finished the game because Josh was on a minute restriction and for as energizing as you called it, the peekaboo dunk was in the corner three that stretch that gave the Sixers a cushion

in the first half. I mean, he came up with two huge rebounds in crunch time, one which led to a Horford jumper that gave the seventy six or some insurance with four minutes to go, and another one on the defensive end when the Sixers needed those stops down the stretch right, And there's a lot there. And one thing I said during the course of, you know, describing the game, is that Thible is going to for the six yes, coaches to play him more. He's just going

to be that good. And that's that's what we're seeing here, you know. And you don't want to speak for the coaches or whatever, but that's prior to the game. He was saying. The minutes are going to be reduced a little bit with Richardson coming back into the mix, and so the wing players like cork Mos and like James Ennis, even Mike Scott and Thieball all within that grouping of

of trying to get some time. Well, you know, whether it's a tournament as coach called it last year with jan Jonathan Simmons and James Ennis, it's the gym speaks. And that's what Brett Brown has said all along, in other words, who plays in practice and shows these guys the coaches stuff? And same thing in the games, I

mean even more so. And Thible is doing that. And then you know, like you're saying about the rebounds and all that, he's got young legs and he's got an incredible instinct at a knack of knowing where the ball is. Clearly on defense. He made a great play right in front of us where he tipped it off of Harris earlier in the third quarter. And uh, you know that that basketball IQ, And like I said, his elity to read and anticipate that serves him so well defensively, does

so on the glass. And now he's starting to knock down the three with consistency. He's had an incredible last few games for the Sixers, seventy sixers over the Nuggets ninety seven to ninety two. All Right, I was excited for the Sunday game. I was excited for tonight's game. I'm really excited for Thursday night, seventy six Ers going up to Boston TD Garden, one of the other best venues in the NBA. You know, it's going to be fun.

I mean, there's a lot made of Al Horford facing the Celtics on Opening Night, but this is really going to be his moment on Thursday, back in the building for the first time since leaving after spending three years there. And the Celtics entered today a full game in front of the seventy Sixers for the lead in the Atlantic and for second place in the East. Right, and now they're a half game because they're Idol And I'll make

you a little more excited. They're a Celtzer and that is they play tomorrow on the road at Indiana and that always helps, and that the Sixers will show down with Boston Thursday night at eight o'clock. And they played so well. It was a little that game here at the Center was a little rat down the stretch and then an opener and the Sixers prevailed. But then they took off and they would they win eleven twelve games in a row. There was definitely a double digit winning

streak before. Like I said, they lost in Sacramento. They lost Hayward there for a little while with a hand injury, but he's back, and Brown and Tatum and Walker they're they're so versatile and so solid, and they're they're undefeated

at the home as well, and a share. One last thing, but when the Sixers were in New York, I guess it's almost now two weeks ago, Boston was saying there they were playing Brooklyn and the Sixers were playing the Knicks, and they were housed, if you will, in the same hotel. So we were around him for oh, I don't know, like at least two or three different comings and goings, and like we know all those guys. It's it's unbelieving.

Their staff they're coach league playoffs divisuals. They were. I mean, I don't know about the players, but I had I must have had a dozen conversations with different players and coaches and staff members. And then you watch their game against the Nets and certainly over the last few years and the playoffs of course two years ago. I mean, these that's how a rivalry, you know, when there is that close and that adverse relationship and it's the Celtics. I mean, how much more do you have to say

if you're from the Sixers. So now it'll be great and the Sixers continue to really they just need to stream together as close as they can to forty eight minutes and they're gonna get this thing figured out because they they played some really good stretches of basketball. And again there've been a couple of hiccups here or there where the opposition has been able to come back, but

that out'll be really exciting on Thursday. And again the game will be on TNT, so we'll have the call locally and we'll be right here with the coverage on the radio. All righty Tom Againnis, talk to you Thursday. We got a good night. Seventy six Ers beat the Denver Nuggets ninety seven ninety two. The seventy Sixers remained the best home team in the NBA, now thirteen and

oh in South Philadelphia. They're also eighteen and seven overall, and finally they got the starting lineup back for the first time in a couple of weeks with Josh Richardson in the mix. Joel and b led the seventy six Ers with twenty two points ten rebounds and six assists, twenty from Tobias Harris, thirteen for Thible off the bench. We'll get into more details coming up as we listen to Tom McGinnis's highlights. Seventy Sixers wrapping up a three

game homestand tonight against the Denver Nuggets. Sixers trying to build momentum heading towards Boston, a big matchup on Thursday. In the beginning, it was the Denver Nuggets set in the tone, the seventy Sixers trying to make up some ground. Harris with it in the lane, Nobody stops him in a jam. Yo Kids was out with Horford, nice feet by Ben on a curl left the right. Harris gathers it in and scores it man. It makes it fifteen to ten years. Denver was in the lead. Seventy six

Ers finished the first quarter strong. They took a twenty seven twenty six lead into the second quarter, and that set the stage for a big burst. The Sixers hit the Nuggets with a twenty to six blitz, and a big part of it was Matisse thybal Sixers on the run a cork mos cork mos, one hand pass, the mate, a jam, a big a boos fan baby a two hand jam Batie Stibo who now he's got that too. Want to pass by cork Mas and the Sixers have recaptivity. Corkmas to hole to the corner of the ties. Three

balls shot near. He's done it again. The rookies on fire. Denver takes time Footies. Tible has arrived from Seattle to Filly. He's part of man five in a row. Sixers thirty one the Nuggets twenty seven. It was a tremendous spark

provided by Thible. Seventy sixers keeping pace and keeping a comfortable lead in hand as the first half was finding down eight to shoot, three minutes to go in the first half, cross course, getting near elbow, it's a beat one on one with five, he's gonna go one on Yokis backing into the lane, turns, tries to draw the fall club hand scoop up and good. Joe ellen Bead with fourteen points in the game. That was impressive. He was trying to draw the file, but then a finger

roll into the lane. Seventy Sixers led by as much as fourteen in the first half. They were up by five to break fifty five to fifty Denver how for answer. To begin the third quarter, they started on a fourteen to four run, going back in front Denver's offense operating extremely efficiently. At that point in the game, Al Horford was scoreless between the first and second quarters. That trend changed welcomely in at quarter number three. Terrorist angles to

the right side the Horford. He will shoot the three. It's ten. Al Horford connects his first train and Denver timeout seventy four to seventy. The Sixers now in the lead. They trailed moments ago by six points, and Horford was a big reason why the seventy sixers swung the score back in their favorite You know, it's one of those games whe if you just look at the box score, you might not gauge the type of true impact Horford had, but he was big in the third quarters, scoring nine

of his eleven points. The seventy Sixers had the edge eighty three seventy six going into the fourth. Josh Richardson back in the lineup for the first time in seven games. It beat with it one out one of plumbing to the run of the lane three to shoot back out top. Josh, He's gonna shoot a three. From the front. It's up good Richardson with a timely trey his first field goal. Up the game clock winding down, Richardson knocks it out.

Seventy Sixers led by ten eighty eight seventy eight. But the Sixers, it would turn out, they would need every bit of insurance that they could get. Harris backing up by jokers trying to cross them over in the lay and goes by him left hand hook. It's good to buy us on an angle drive for the right perimeter in the lay. With a left hand runner and good clutch bucket by Harris, He's got twenty sixes by seven,

four minutes to go ninety five. Idiot turned out that would be the final field goal the seventy sixers scored, but luckily enough for the seventy sixers, well, not luckily they earned it. They played great defense down the stretch. They got enough stops and two free throws from Joe Ellenbiad to get by in the end. Ninety seven ninety two. Seventy six Ers shot forty one and a half percent Denver forty three and a half percent. A couple of

key areas the Sixers had advantages in tonight. One was from outside the arc the Sixers with twelve three pointers on thirty six attempts, Denverse seven of twenty seven from outside the arc. Sixers also finished plus eleven on the glass, plus seven on the offensive glass, and they were plus ten in fast break points as well. Six Ers turned the ball over seventeen times, Denver fourteen times. Sixers led by Joel Embiad both in points and rebounding with twenty

two and ten, respectively. He also had six assists, a season high for a second straight game. Tobias Harris with twenty eleven and nine for Al Horford. Josh Richardson played nineteen minutes tonight. You could tell he was getting his rhythm back. He only hit that one three pointer that we heard from Ben Simmons seven points, nine rebounds, seven assists, batistible thirteen points off the bench and of the great

adding for the rookie. He was plus twenty in twenty six minutes and finished the game with Josh Richardson on a minute's restriction. Seventy six Ers thirteen to no at home, eleventh win in the last thirteen tries, three straight up to Boston on Thursday. That game is going to be at eight o'clock. You've been listening to Rewind look out for fresh episodes the day after every seventy six ers game this season.