Rewind vs. Utah Jazz - 12/2/19

to me two styles of play there. There is like a how do you want to play with Joel Embiid and there is a clear identity that we're trying to grow. And then it's hit comes Alhofan and there is a different type of team, that's a different type of track meet going on and they're both different. And then there are periods of the game, you know, to start and

the finish and so on. In the start of the third like they collide, Joel and Al collide, and then that's that that area that uh, you know, we're trying to figure out a little bit. And I think there to their credit, they communicate, well, there's a mutual respect that from a fit from afar. Like watching these guys grow as teammates. I love it seeing Al get a

little more comfortable and kind of nowhere. His scoring opportunities are very lately, and that first quarter he seem like uh, you know and the half ward really yeah right right in Yeah, I think so when it's like, shame on us if we think all this is just going to happen just because he's good, like, you know, it takes time and he's prideful any kids. He's trying to fit in.

You know, he's not a pig scorer, like he's a teammate, and so him trying to find his place where he can make a difference on this team, you know, comes from I'm assuming through his eyes, it feels like it through my eyes, with a level of care. Yeah, he's trying to, you know, navigate this whole new city and this new team with an element of class and care. And I think that he's done that. And I feel like as time unfolds, he's gonna and I talk like to them like I just talked to you. It's like

you got an alhof A team. You know, this is how it's sort of planned that you got a Joe team, and now all of a sudden, you guys coexist and we can put him in things. You know, we tried to post him on Bogdanovitch as an example tonight when he was a five man. I pick him, pop him and make Rudy come out and you know, try to guard him far away from the basket. And so we're all kind of learning how to use what we have. What have you seen front Tobias and the pick and roller?

Seems like you've gone to that action a little bit more recently with him. I mean, it's all I get a kick out of it, and and I ask myself at times the question too. It's like, who's the closer, you know who on this team? And what we should all admit is that we have we have options. We have

a variety of people. On a given night, you know that you might be able to go to win through you know, we all kind of think it's going to be Joel a lot, and so do I. But to your point, you know, I felt like Tobias was able to generate his own looks, you know, either through an isolation or if you hold it a little bit, you know that equals. Come get me, give me a pick and roll, and we did. And I thought he made some timely baskets in a funny part of the game.

We needed, we needed some buckets to truly close this game up. Seventy six Ers head coach Brett Brown after tonight's nine point one oh three ninety four win of the Utah Jass seventy six Ers now fifteen and six, ten and oh at the center. Second straight season, the Sixers have started by winning their first ten home games, just the sixth team ever in NBA history to achieve that. Feat Tobias Harris, as you heard Brett Brown talking about just a few seconds ago, big in this one, twenty

six points. Ten of his points in the fourth quarter. He had two pivotal jumps, shots that re established a twelve point lead for the seventy Sixers after the Jazz claud back to within ten and kind of quelled a Utah run. And for as big as Tobias was in closing time, Al Horford was enormous in getting the seventy Sixers started. He hit the first five shots he took on the night. He was great picking and popping against Rudy Gobert seventeen points, Horford finishing three for three from

outside the arc. He also had eight rebounds, five assists, two block shots. Ben Simmons fourteen points, eight rebounds, nine assists, He had four steals plus nineteen in the game. And Matisse Thybal with a really nice game off the bench. He was perfect for three on three attempts for the second time in four games. You go back to that Sacramento Kings game. Thible with nine points off the bench, three steals, and he actually got the start in the

second half, replacing for concork Bons. Seventy Sixers shut down the usually typically good three point shooting at Utah Jazz tonight, beating the one h three ninety four. Rudy Gobert finishing with twenty seven and twelve. Joel Embiad had sixteen and eleven. Sixers rode the hot start to the finish and pick up their fourth straight win, joined now by Tom McGinnis

following this nice nine point victory. It was one of those games times where the Sixers got off to such a dominant, convincing start, leading by twenty six points with three minutes to go in the first half. I think that probably no one wants to hear this. It's got to be some human nature that sets in. It's probably so difficult to maintain your focus from start to finish in a game where you are are that much in

control early on. Yet that is the task and challenge for an NBA team with championship desires and the Sixers they needed to buyas Harris in the end to seal the deal. Yeah. No, you're right about the human nature,

because I raised the exact same point. And yet you know you almost have to be playing for yourself and playing againsters By that, I mean, you know, for the Sixers, you're striving to get better and play the more complete forty eight minute game, and you know, to go up by twenty six, and then again the ease with which it was coming, you get to steal by thible of the past to Ben for the jam. And right after that Nis made a three and Horford begins the game

five for five, making three threes. As a group, you make eleven threes in the first half, more than any other half, but even that it was an eighteen point game. And then what happens is you start to rush things a little bit. Maybe you take a shot that you would move the ball in another situation. Just incrementally, little things happen, and you talk. To their credit, came back and stuck with it and in the end they made

it a seven point game. And to your point, Tobias Harris, like one of the strengths of his game, he's six to nine off the dribble, able to shoot over people great, facing up from around seventeen to eighteen feet, made some shots from that area and even closer midpost right side. Those were clutch baskets and help the Sixers over the top, and that's why he was our player of the game.

Seventy sixers not off. The Utah Jazz split the two game regular season series one oh three to ninety four, twenty six for Tobias Harris, al horfor Tom seventeen points, eight rebounds, five assists, And one of the comments that we heard Brett Brown discussing the post game was just how Al has gone about trying to fit in find his way, Brett using a phrase I don't think i've heard him use before, He's not a pig score, which I kind of thought was an apt and interesting way

to put it. But it's like, yeah, Hall's got that vibe a bad him where he's not going to tread on anyone's turf. He knew the deal when he was coming in and signed here, and how the Sixers team was constructed. Yet he is finding spots. And listen that stretch when it was him and Gobert when the Sixers really got the lead in the second quarter, I mean he was huge. Well, that is a derivative of ballhog. That was one of the worries that we described it

growing up. And know what he is though, is smart and savvy and talented, and so he has like in many instances where he scored, he had Bogdanovitch on him and he knows that that's not mcdonovic. Even though he's six eight, he's not a The strength of his game is not defense and b it's not interior defense. So in many cases Al was going to work on him

and then he runs to the line. He's he's really a depth a knowing about the space scene and a lot of his threes come in trail positions or from the top where he's been so good over the years of quarterbacking and offense, and he gets good looks and he catches and shoots. He doesn't Deley Delhi around when he gets that ball out front. So his three point efficiency Saturday early on against Indiana, when he started three for three, was matched and duplicated tonight by making his

first three threes. And you know, he had twelve points in the opening quoter of fifteen and a a halftime, and that was part of that substantial lead. When the Sixers built up a twenty six point lead, A lot of it was due to the efforts offensively at Horford Sixers over the Jazz. One of three ninety four thought Mat Stibel was really good tonight. Brett Brown has described his offense at times as being a little bit wild, and

the Sixers understandably trying to harness that. But you can see his defense, what he's able to do, how he impacts things so quickly. I mean that steal that he had that then led to the alube dunk for Ben Simmons that I don't know how you felt, but that was like, all right, the Sixers have got this one

in their grasp right now. They then got another drive by Ben after that, and James n his corner three, and that was really when they put their grip on this game, and it's like you see stuff like that. I mean, it's early on Amatiz's career and we've seen some ups and downs, but he has made his presence known defensively, there's no question about done. And I think he's becoming more consistent. I think early on he was

he had difficulty finishing. You know, he had a couple of games where he struggled on you know, like left the right reverses. But once you gain the confidence, clearly he's able to make those kinds of shots. And now he's beginning to and you know, as he just said postgame, when he joined us, see a three shooter of three and that is he's not backing down. He's in catching shoot scenarios, able to get that ball from deep. And so again, as I said the other night, because he's

been contributing more and more. When you have Richardson out, it creates a more minutes on the back end, and he's been playing a little bit more and delivering, and

you know he's going to hold his own defense. I mean, honestly, I think he gets called for a lot of things that aren't necessarily fouls, and I think that'll change after a certain point, he's going to get a lot of respect and that that comes with the calendar when he becomes a second year player, and you know, the referee say that there's no distinction of fouls of foul, but trust me, he gets called for a lot that in the coming years he won't get called for. You'll be

able to stay out there longer. But he is rock solid. And as I said, if he can become a consistent contributor where he maybe is the seventh guy out there with Nis or whomever. And really, I mean, he's going to be able to help the Sixers because if this is a program built on defense, that's the strength of his game. And then three and D is also a way to describe his play, and he's been bringing that for the ball club, aren't he? Tom? And are the next two days of idle time? Little school? I got

the Bluecoats tomorrow, that's right, got Toronto? Hey where can we find that game? Not exactly sure? I'll be a check local listings, all right, Well, Tea Mac keeping it going tomorrow, Wilmington, Delaware, Love It seventy sixers Knock off the Jazz one or three ninety four plays. Some of Tom's highlight calls coming up. Seventy Sixers bidding for win number ten at home Here tonight? Could they? Would they do it against the Utah Jazz. Early signs where this

might be a competitive game. Al Horford helped get the seventy sixers jump started. Touches ball four forty five to go, Ben out top the Tobias Harris on the move against Poydonovitch crossest one to the points back outside Horford three ball on the air by big out. It's good he made three Shaturday nineties. Got one already and it's at nineteen time man Al horford Is first five shots of the game, including two or three pointers. Seventy Sixers would open things up a bit in the final moments of

the first quarter. The lead was thirty one twenty three heading into the second. That is where they tightened their grip even more. Here's sives, but it's deflected. They steal the ball Mike Conley as it picked up. Now Thiball steals it back from them in the late lob sevens. Ooh yeah, one of the best plays of the year. Bet seven stuffs at fuck taste, Thibal steals it lops

in at seven slam. It was terrific and if the Sixers didn't have enough energy before that, that really provided a spark as the Sixers took a twenty point lead and they were still very much in the driver's seat as the first half was winding down. Here's Utah with another poor play. Bob Donovan crows it away to Bias with the dentist into three catches, driving shooting three balls. God oh man, the Sixers are blowing out the Utah chase. At that point it was twenty five fifty two to

twenty seven. Seventy Sixers lead would grow to twenty six for the first half came to a close. They were up in commanding fashion sixty to forty two going into the break and the third quarter. Joel Ebad and a tough matchup Tonight got himself back on the board thirty footer that makes it a seventeen point game. Horford against Boydanovitch and now the Sixers go to the same exact play and b with a one hand, right hand shot.

Good That kept the Sixers in front by nineteen. They led by that margin eighty five sixty six going into the fourth. Now the Jazz started to creep a little bit closer. They got within fifteen points with just under nine minutes to go in the game. Tobias Harris a great fourth quarter scoring effort and then went on Saturday of the Pacers was large in the fourth quarter again tonight,

which a sixteen point game. Here's a drive by Tobias goes off the glass and drive from the left wing, scores it on both the yang and angles, and Harris delivering when the Sixers needed boat man. That put the Sixers of ninety three seventy five. But Utah would twice trim the deficit to ten points, and in each instance it was Tobias Harris coming up with a timely play sevens with an Harris screens to Bias near way, gets it against Bitchell eight to shoot. Harris comes off, jumps

it from seventeen and he rattles in. Tobias Harris scores it. They gave the Sixers a ninety seven eighty five lead. They would see it through to a one oh three ninety four victory, seventy Sixers getting by despite shooting under forty one percent from the field. They were thirteen of twenty six, though from three point territory eleven of those threes coming in the first half. The Jazz shot forty seven percent, but only five of twenty two from three.

They entered tonight's game with the fifth best three point percentages a team in the NBA Sixers plus five on the glass, plus three offensive rebounds, but outscoring the Jazz by seven on second chances. Sixers defense had a really nice job when the game was really of consequence turning Utah over. They forced twenty turnovers, which they converted into nineteen points. The Sixers were led by Tobias Harris with twenty six Harris also with nine rebounds and three assists

seventeen points. For Al Horford, he had eight rebounds, dimes, three for three from outside the arc, fourteen points, nine assists, eight rebounds. For Ben Simmons, he was plus nineteen and just under thirty four minutes, but Tis Thibal coming off the bench for nine. He was three for three from outside the arc. He started the third quarter after coming off the bench in the first half. Utah was led by Rudy Gobert. He finished with twenty seven and twelve.

Donovan Mitchell kind of an unimpactful night for him, six of nineteen, one of six from three for eighteen points. Ben Simmons Matis Thibal combined to do some nice work on him. Seventy six Ers are now ten and oh here at the center, their second straight season starting a year with ten wins on the home court, just the sixth team in NBA history to do that. Six Ers have won four straight and I think it's now eight

out of the last nine. Pretty good stuff. They're fifteen and six overall, towards the top of the Eastern Conference. You've been listening to rewind. Look out for fresh episodes the day after every seventy six Ers game this season.