Rewind vs. LA Clippers - 2/11/2020

Brian Seltzer down here at the Center. A great win, the latest, very impressive win for a seventy Sixers team that desperately needed to come back home, get on a home floor where they have been fantastic this year, use that advantage to their benefit, and right the ship going into the break. I mean, obviously, you think back to this time last week, a really difficult loss against the Miami Heat on the road. The seventy Sixers seven days later,

in a completely different spot. They took what they were getting, they adapted, they adjusted specifically to tonight. Some tweaks were made to the lineup, to the rotation, and the end result was a really, really good win. The Sixers now thirty four and twenty one in the year at the All Star Game break. They are a near perfect twenty

five and two NBA best. Here at the Center, they've managed to get through the unofficial first half of the season, while playing without a full healthy roster of players for the majority of the season so far. And if you look at the top four teams in each conference in the East, that's Milwaukee, Toronto, Boston, Miami, and the top four teams in the West Lakers, Nuggets, Clippers, Jazz. Seventy Sixers have beaten each of those teams, some of them convincingly.

And if you step back and look at the big picture, maybe lift yourself up above some of the chatter in recent days, not to say that it should be ignored in the least, but the big picture view thirty thousand feet, the Sixers have a lot of good items on their resume that they should feel solid about heading into the All Star break. Is there a lot more work to be done? Absolutely? If you just heard Brett Brown, he wouldn't tell you any different. This is kind of what

the regular season is about. You stub your toe, you run into some obstacles, and that's why you have the eighty two games schedule to work through it, figure some things out and try to make the necessary adjustments. And whether or not some of the changes the seventy Sixers made tonight have a staying power and b will pan out. That remains to be seen. But for tonight, the Sixers by bringing al Horford off the bench, regardless of who

else was in his spot in the starting lineup. It was fir con Quirkms in the first half, Glenn Robinson the third in the second half. It gave the Sixers a nice lift, especially in the early stages of the second quarter, late stages of the first quarter when the Sixers built up a twelve point lead to get control of this game. The Clippers fought back. They never went away. It was tied up at the half, but the seventy Sixers were really resilient. They played great defense. I agree

with Tom McGinnis. He talked about this at the end of the broadcast. Even though Kawhi went for thirty and was twelve or twenty three from the field. Ben Simmons real aggressive on him. Al Horford played him tough at times. Batist Steibel got a few cracks. Paul George, he missed some shots, but three or fifteen from the field. Great job by the Sixers tonight and Lou Williams, you know, five for fifteen, two or six from three thirteen points.

You certainly can live with that Sixers beat the Clippers one ten, one oh three. The question was because the seventy Sixers headed the All Star Game break on a really positive note after a tough run over the last couple of weeks. And the answer was yes, they beat the Clippers one ten, one oh three. A really spirited,

energized effort from the Sixers. Two All Stars Ben Simmons, who was so important in that first half when the Sixers built up a twelve point lead, Joel Embiide back to his old self twenty six points, nine rebounds, and one hugely emphatic block shot on Marcus Morris Senior in the closing minutes of the game. Tobias Harris was aggressive, particularly in the first quarter, seventeen points for him, and Josh Richardson helped close the deal with seventeen of his

twenty one in the fourth time. This was a really good performance by the seventy six Ers and it certainly changes the field things going into the break. It definitely does. And as I said earlier, what a difference a week makes, and what a difference between home and road. Now twenty five victories here, twenty five of their thirty four right here at the center, and the crowd was unbelievable and beat and the crowd kind of melded back into one

right off the bat. That was kind of neat, And it's just, you know, as a sports fan, you come into the arena and you know, it's, as you said, a marquee matchup a Kawhi Leonard against the six Ers once again, a really good team from the West and the Clippers third overall, and hey, they've beaten the Lakers twice with two more to go, and then then in the game delivers. You know, there was so much intensity, great play all around, and just a really fun night

here in the building. Six Ers over the Clippers one ten, one h three, and still time keeping within some of the big picture themes. I mean, listen, thirty four wins in the break is nothing to brush aside. You mentioned the home record, and also like they haven't just beaten some of the best teams in each conference. They have a winning at least one win against the top four in each conference. Some of these wins have been handily

secured by the Sixers. You's thinking about the Thursday night game at Boston, the Saturday game against the Lakers here a few weeks ago home win over the Toronto Raptors, I mean, of course the signature, and then tonight where like the Sixers you could you'd have to say they have acquitted themselves against some of the top tier competition in the league, no doubt about it, and on par

and on balance, ready for another fifty win season. And yet you're still looking for consistency and you've got to have a better record on the road. And now I mean like you've added to the talent pool with the likes of Burkes and Robinson and like I said, Furcon even though he was scoreless here tonight, he's really become a player. I think the Sixers can count on for that deep ball and overall play. And you got Josh Richardson back and healthy, and Ben and Joel playing at

a high level. And the course, to Bias has had a steady season throughout, averaging twenty points per game. Who knows how long this Horford off the bench deal will be part of the mix. But oh, by the way, he still played twenty eight minutes and had a major

impact in the game. You'll have twenty eight games remaining, and you know, again what you want to do, and it's probably taken a little bit more even for the coach, And Brett Brown said, hey, we're still trying to figure some things out to get to the point where you're playing a peak performance. But you want to be doing that in the middle of April, in the May and hopefully beyond and so and you want as best as possible to increase your chances to get a home court advantage.

But to your overall point, they've taken on the best and they've beaten some of the best teams in the NBA. Sixers over the Clippers one ten, one h three, and I think Tom obviously, one of the big storylines now for after the All Star Game break is what happens to the starting lineup, what happens to the rest of the rotations. And listen, Brett Brown rightfully prays to Al Horford for the way he went about his business tonight.

Horford was terrific. And listen the buttons that Brett pushed tonight, they worked, no doubt about it. And tonight I thought you saw a more pick and roll with Simmons, and they've done it. I call that a little snug pick and roll little pocket pick and roll down low. And then I thought Ben was really good too, I mean

driving toward the basket. And you're right. And again, you know, everyone places so much emphasis on the starters, and understandably so as a as a basketball player, you want to start. That's you want to be known as a starter. But look at Lou Williams. I mean he started tonight, he said whatever. He's had twelve eighteen starts for them in the absence of Beverly, but he plays, you know, and he scores. He has a major impact for them. He's been six Men of the Year a couple of times.

Point being Horford still played twenty eight minutes. He doesn't average many more minutes than that. And you know, and sometimes when you get in there against a different group and then he is going to play with Joel, it can be ad tageous. And so you know, tonight tweaked the starting lineup a little bit and we'll see what happens going forward. But all told, the Sixers have a very good record, great talent, and they know. I think

this team knows that they can be even better. And you know, you look at that team a couple of years ago when they edit, Marco and your son and they won one eighteen games in a row going into

the playoffs. And I'm not saying that's going to happen, but you want to catch that type of momentum, find a groove where everybody you know feels comfortable and there's a little bit more of continuity offensively, and you get in beat healthy for the stretch run and hey, and who knows, and that that's you know, that's that's what that's what's coming up for the Sixers. It could be very exciting, that's for sure. Seventy Sixers beat the Clippers

one ten, one h three. What does the veteran radio man dude during this all starting, Well, my mother listens dutifully out in Phoenix, Arizona. We're all going out to see there and see her. So again, the All Star Break has changed so much, you know, and it's a break that everybody around the organization, certainly basketball side, really relishes. Again years earlier, you look at the schedule and you go, oh, last game is a road game. Oh, in the season

restarts with the Brook. Now it's it's nine d eight eight days. So it doesn't matter if you start at home or on the road. It's it's a great respite for the finish and then hopefully you play twenty two postseason games and you get into the into the conference finals and Lord Willing, the NBA Finals. But it'll be nice and it'll be great to be back against Brooklyn. Here. It's Pride Night, the Sixers hosting the Nets and another national televised game, and then they go to Milwaukee right

after that with a rematch with Jannis and whatnot. So it figures to be exciting and certainly glad to have the break, but anxious to get back as well. All Right, we'll enjoy it, Thank you, Bran. Seventy Sixers a nice going into the All Star Game break victory over the LA Clippers one ten, one h three, twenty six apiece for Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. Ben his second straight double, his sixth on the year, third time in his career he posts triple doubles and back to back games. He

also had twelve boards and ten times. Joe it was all there for him tonight, nine rebounds and a block, seventeen points, twelve rebounds for Tobias Harris nine points, six rebounds, three assistant two blocks for the ultimate pro Al Horford getting it done two at night in twenty one for Josh Richardson, he was the man who helped finished things off in the fourth quarter. All right, anticipated matchup. Here's how it sounded down here at the center, called by

the one and only Tom McGinnis. Joel Embiid certainly had been a much discussed man, we'll put it that way as of late. And this is how his game started tonight. Ben in the billion on Zubos couldn't get it to go, be dwell with the rebound and it beat stores in and in, beat to the crowd. Here we go, they pade up. It's beautiful, it's all over it being made a shot, and he got the crowd back on his side. You could feel the love early and often. The seventy

Sixers were knocked down for long. That's because Ben Simmons took his game up and notch. He goes behind his back and holding to Simmons, Simmons going into the lane. It scores it the job by the Sixers. They go right into Ben, so there's another ball handler and Simmons benefits with his second field gold of the game. Sixes by six seventy Sixers leading twenty two to sixteen. They were up thirty to twenty two thanks to a twelve

nothing run at the end of the first quarter. In the second, the Sixers went up by as much as twelve. Then Kawhi, Leonard Landry Shammon started knocking down some threes. The seventy sixers found themselves in a tight fight. Leonard one on one with Simmons on the left side. Kawhi Leonard puts the ball down. It's loose. Ben knocked it away. Leonard gets it back. He tumbles into the backward how steel Now Simmons driving La lamp up and good. He went right at Kawai had won the battle sixes away

up by Ben Simmons eating forty six forty five. It would be a tie game fifty four piece at the break. In the third quarter of the seventy sixers got off to a really nice start in the late pluck though by Horford, sixersqual to bias with it. Harris out top drives on Harrow behind the back. In the late sevens

ljam Hubber first flap. Ben sevens puts in his great job by Harris drawing two defenders and a little rat Brown down to Benny Sixers by twelve match the Sixers largest lead of the game at a dozen seventy seven sixty five. Those Clippers would not go away. The margin was cut to a little bit tighter four points going

into the fourth eighty one to seventy seven. Lou Williams knocked down a three to make it a ninety one ninety game with about seven minutes to go, and that's when the seventy Sixers turn things over to Josh Richardson. Ball goes all the way up top to all and not a Josh Richardson for three. It's good. He made a chip up from the top and Richardson with an

aggressive shot out top. It's good for three. He's got a dozen Horford with a dish, Timmons on a drive, Simmons drops it off, Richardson the lap, but a pass by Ben Simmons and drops it off with a doorstep and Gosh, Richardson rings the bell two points up and good. Sold out crowd on its beat. Here at Philadelphia ninety six to nineties answering, you felt like the Sixers were really starting to get going, positioning themselves for a victory.

Fittingly it was Richardson. They pretty much put this thing away. Josh Richardson turns the corner on quiet in the name left hand lampers gone fout on letter. Josh Richardson is in the crowd. He is celebrating big time Richardson with a great driving left hand lamp and a fount on Pawhi letter. Awesome moment in what was a very awesome game on an awesome night for Josh Richardson. Seventy Sixers fend off the Clippers one ten to one oh three.

Sixers hell la to forty four and a half percent shooting. The Clippers were fourteen to thirty one from outside the arc. That was one of the key areas for them that kept them in the game. Six Er shot forty six percent overall, but eight for twenty seven from three point territory. The Sixers outscored the Clippers by five from the free throw line, getting there eight more times. Sixers were big on the glass plus eight plus six an offensive rebounding.

They outscored the Clippers fifteen to three on second chance points and fifty eight to thirty eight in the paint. Only eight turnovers for the seventy six Ers. It was a low turnover game, only nine committed by the Clippers thirty points four Kawhi Lennaredy had three three pointers to go with four rebounds, nine assists and two block shots. Just eleven for Paul George on three for fifteen shooting.

He did have twelve rebounds, five assists and one block nineteen for Old Landry Shammut off the bench, he connected on five threes thirteen for Lou Williams Sixers, led by Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, each with the twenty six point total. Ben Simmons, finishing with his sixth triple double, also had twelve rebounds and ten dimes. Joe had nine boards and a block shot to Bias Harris seventeen and twelve. Al Horford off the bench nine points, six rebounds, three assists,

fur Con corkmas Hey. It's NBA eleven scoreless after an amazing starts at the homestand going for sixty five over the last two games. But you know what, that's life, and now it's just onto the next one. Seventy six ers stars played like it tonight. Josh Richardson going for twenty one. He was plus twenty four seventeen points in the fourth, as the Sixers improved to thirty four and

twenty one. They've won three in a row. They are in fifth place the All Star Game break, and they're almost unbeatable here at the Center now twenty five in two. You've been listening to Rewind. Look out for fresh episodes the day after every seventy six Ers game this season.