Never the T shirts draped over every single seat in the building. There are Australian flags and beat piet In contests from four and twenty, but no doubt the best way to feel a sense of Australian pride on this night seeing what the Native Sun did against these Chicago Bulls.
Ben Simmons was just that good. Nineteen point seventeen rebounds and fourteen assists, a fantastic triple double, his fifth on the air, guiding the Sixers to a needed welcome to bounce back victory one fifteen to one to one over these Chicago Bulls. Sixers, with a ninth win in twelve tries, will join Brett Brown in progress right now. And I think it's defensively. I think it's always easier. And this
sounds kind of funny. You have a better chance of playing NBA defense if you get on the same page and you understand the rules, then you do scoring. It's hard to score. You have a better chance of playing defense. And I think that with Joel and the improvement and understanding of what our team rules are and the guys buying into that and trying to move us forward and never letting us go. We talk about it, we show it.
We have internal goals and we admit like we have a better chance of playing NBA defense than we do being the Golden State Warriors. And I think that that's kicking in. I think with third or fourth in the NBA defensively, I'm proud of our defense. And tonight, with the exception of a few plays in the last period, some open threes, I thought we did it again because it's Australian Heritage Night. Aside from the Australian Heritage Night, I think the pace of the game. I think because
he rebounded before. I think it was before this game we talked about, you know, free throws. I think how Ward ask me about free throws and I flipped it quickly to rebounding, and he rebounded, and he instigated a lot himself. He's able to control stuff when he rebounds. He can rebound and take off. And I still think that that is the hardest thing to guard. You know, back in the day you'd see Charles Barkley do that in rebounding and lead a break. It's hard to defend that.
With the exception maybe of the high kickout, the high outlet, that's maybe the second most effective way. You'd seem Irvin Magic Johnson do it all the time. And I thought in the first half there was a lot of like what we call dribble out backdowns where he was out there was nobody ahead of him. He would turn and you know, play and he'd find other people on the other side of the floor or spin off and finish himself.
And I think that the style of the game, him rebounding, it allowed him to put his thumbprint on this game in a big way. Early said stars weren't our stars. How did you feel about you know, Joel and Dario put in that they were really good tonight, and they were really good in the areas that we needed them to be, you know, like let's go to the rebounding with Ben and him pushing the pace. I thought it
was Joel's best game passing out of the post. You know, you're gonna look at a statue and I don't even know what the assists will say, but the fact is he quartered back the gym and it's the hockey assist. The assist that leads to the assist assist type stuff, and I'll shoot has made shots and it's it's it's one of the greatest challenges to have somebody as skilled as Joel is Um, you know, play with that poise and know where his floor spots are, and we spaced well,
I think almost perfectly most possessions he had. Let the gym get settled. He wasn't rushing things, and there was a poise on how he quarterback the gym. That was just just extremely important. If you look back at the volume of threes, we had sixteen of them, I'm guessing half of them were out of post passes initiated mostly by him. And then you get to Dario. You know Dario, when you look at his numbers and you know he's plus thirty one, it's really a huge number in twenty
eight minutes. Those three were excellent. More significant maybe to have this kind of a game for those three on the night when they were all named the rising Stars. That's the first I've heard that. Yeah, no, that's that's very appropriate. Was that before the game? You know, isn't it funny like we're all isn't that's great? Though? That's great? Like he connect the dots a little bit of Sigmund Freud might It was sure they had to feel good mentality you know, look what Joe did in Boston when
he was named the Star. To like, it's just human nature. And I see all the time with these young guys. Maybe I'm reaching a little bit, but you know, they weigh the hearts on the sleeve. We're trying to get them older. You know. We still, you know, make some mistakes. You just scratch your head. But I thought I turnovers to night would better. You know, I think that we ended up with fifteen. We still you know that volume of assists. Thirty one is a big number. But guys
were good tonight. We responded from a disappointing loss in Memphis the way the way that I had hoped. Good words from seventy Sixers head coach Brett Brown one fifteen one to one, the Sixers over the Chicago Bulls. That got off to a great start tonight, their defense leading the way. In addition to Ben Simmons nineteen points, seventeen rebounds,
fourteen assists. According the Great Website Basketball Reference, no other Sixer not named Wilt Chamberlain has ever hit those splits in a single game, just the second rookies Simmons ever to post those marks in a single game. He was fantastic, and yeah, the Sixers knocked him down from outside the arc like thrown into the ocean, sixteen to thirty two from deep, while these Chicago Bulls were eleven to thirty seven,
but not even nearly up to that point. Through three quarters of play, dwell Embiid with twenty two points, five rebounds and three assists, Dario Charch with twenty one points and ten rebounds, his second straight twenty and ten game, sixteen for Robert Covington, a dozen for Timo Taylor, while Cabero and twelve for Justin Anderson, matching a season high and as a Brett Brown spoke about it in his
postgame press conference. The trio of young players Embiid, Simmons and Charts who are nominated to the Mountain Duke Kick Start Rising Stars Challenge about an hour before tip off tonight, they came out and delivered this evening as the Sixers win for the ninth time in twelve games, one fifteen one to one over the Bulls. Tom McGinnis is standing by and we'll speak with him next here on the
postgame show on the Sixers Rating Network. Seventy Sixers making a pitch stop in South Philanelphia before setting out for a four game road trip that is going to take them to Texas, to Oklahoma, to Wisconsin to the Empire States. And they made good on this game tonight, one fifteen, one to one over the Chicago Ols. Tom McGinnis called this one, and it's good to talk to him as always, particularly so after a win, even more especially so given
a night like this. Let's just start with the native son who did his country and continent proud nineteen seventeen and fourteen. Heay stuff from Ben Simmons. Oh, he was fired up on Australian Heritage Night. He really came out rebounding the ball well, eleven rebounds in the opening quarter, very aggressive and just an easy for him triple double. He had it with like nine minutes to go in
the third quarter. Terrific game all over for Simmons. He knew he was going to play a lot, but coach Brett Brown talked about that even with the media pregame, and you know he mentioned that the Ben, with the absence of t J McConnell, played nearly thirty eight minutes and was just great from start to finish. Simmons nearly had the triple double through two quarters of play, and he wasted all of forty nine seconds to get it in the third quarter on a pair of Robert Covington
three pointers. But this was some emblematic that guys like Simmons and Embad in particular Sarch was great. He had a twenty and ten game against Memphis on Monday, but in particular Simmons and ebiads stepping up, bouncing back, and the Sixers along with him after that lost Monday, and Joel to me, it's at one point I mentioned, you know, it was kind of neat that the Sixers did not have to depend on him to have a monster game.
And then in the end he ended up with twenty two points, and I thought he did have a couple of turnovers, but I thought he did a really good job of moving the ball off the block. The Bulls were doubling him at times on the catch, but more times off the dribble. In other words, when he would catch it and put his head down to dribble, that's when they came and he was able to get it
out to the wing or sometimes from the top. And then, as is the case with fluid offensive squads, it wasn't that first pass, but sometimes the second and third pass where they would swing swing it to the open guy, and they did a really good job of Louhiawa and Covington ended up with four threes, and for Lo Whiwa, most of them came in the second half, whereas when he started the first two times where JJ it was in the particularly in Memphis the first quarter, and even
though over the weekend against Milwaukee and Dario a little photo op. He's right in the midst of dozens of fans out at center court here as we speak post game, and you're almost you know, except not expecting. But Dario's numbers have been so great, particularly against Chicago in the
last three matchups. You mentioned the game he headed Memphez and he has been really steady and successful for the sixers of late sixers over the balls one fifteen, one on one and just a final point on Joel and Bead. You look down at the statuet Tom and it says three in the assist column. It was interesting because Brick Brown said afterwards he thought this might have been Ebad's
best passing game. Out of the post. I would have put him down for just gut feel like five or six times tonight I did seem like he was really active recognizing those double teams. Well he was, and that's what I was just saying. Though it wasn't all these times the scoring past, but he helped to precipitate it by getting the ball out of there. You know, you have to make teams pay, particularly when he's down low.
If you're going to double there, then somebody's got to be opened on the opposite side of the floor, on the perimeter. And that's what the Sixers did. And that's what when you know the whole Brett Brown offensive system and so many offensive styles in the NBA now are predicated on the perimeter, and the Sixers lead and pace, they're right up there and assists and passes. But if you're going to have a big guy and use him well, then you're going to have to make them pay and
use that whole inside out combination. And tonight they did it about as well as they've done it all year long. There was a major part of the game, Brian, and it almost ended up true in the final analysis, where the difference in the game was the number. At one point the field goals were exactly the same. The free throws were exactly the same. The difference was the Sixers
had seven more threes. I think in the end they may have ended up with five four, But a lot of that is based on the passing and moving the ball from the inside, particularly down low with Joel to the perimeter and getting open looks. So they did a good job of that and that I think is hopefully something the Sixers can build on and continue to do throughout the year. Yeah, the Bulls had six three pointers
through three quarters. They finished the game with eleven, pretty much at a stage in the night when the game had been just about put under wraps for the Sixers. Now this team heads out on the road for the next four time again as starting with Friday, stop in at San Antonio and then onto Oklahoma City and a back to back that ends in where Milwaukee right and
then they end up going to Brooklyn too. So yeah, I believe it starts a stretch of five games in seven days, and it's been a rather busy stretch for the Sixers. And you know, you were saying, and we were here last week that the Sixers have had the most difficult schedule. It's going to get easier, well, not right now. Maybe in February, but not right now. In San Antonio, they've had some changes. You know, you watched
their game last night against Cleveland. De Jontay Murray is now the point guard, Tony Parker's coming off the bench, Kawhi is out. But they've been really good against the Sixers, particularly in San Antonio. Obviously the Sixers beat them earlier and that would just be a huge game. And then Oklahoma they really you knew they were going to turn it on when the Sixers had them here. It's great.
Was it a triple overtime game where the thunder prevailed and they were right around five hundred, and now they've started to get you over five hundred. Six or seven games over five hundred, but very difficult plays to win as well. Oklahoma they've dominated the Sixers. And then Milwaukee will see what kind of jump they get with the new coaches. Joe Prunty has taken over for Jay Kidd. We're probably going to see a Deta Coompo who did not play here Saturday. And then Brooklyn has played a
lot better of late. So it's not an easy stretch by an by any stretch of the imagination. Excuse the redundancy. But one last thing, and I mentioned this in the tail end of our regular play by play portion of the broadcast, but you know, the more times of Sixers because they've built up these leads. I believe this is now the fourteenth time they built up a lead of
over thirteen points in the first thirty six minutes. And the more they can manage these leads and learn how to play with a big lead and protect the basketball and manage their essions, I think it'll behoove them experience wise going forward, because you know, when you win the game early, you want to be able to close it out as well, and that will put them in a better place record wise and experience wise for the long haul. Seventy Sixers over these Chicago Bulls one fifteen and one
on one. Tom mcginna speak to you from the road on Friday. Thanks Brian, goodnight. Seventy Sixers ride great efforts in particular from Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid and Dario Scharch to the finish line toppling the Bulls by fourteen to even the season series. One final segment of the postgame show is coming up we'll here Tom McGinniss highlights next here on the Sixers Radio Network. Seventy Sixers trying to
rebound following a tough loss on Monday in Memphis. The assignment tonight for the second time the season was the Chicago Bulls. Brian Seltzer with you from Sixers dot Com. Time now for some of our highlight calls courtesy of the one, the only, the radio voice of the seventy Sixers, Tom McGinnis. Ben Simmons was feasting on the glass early on in this one, but that didn't mean he could not do some scoring on the other end. Bowls now down six and here's a jam by Simmons. Oh, with
authority and confidence, Ben Simmons throwing it down. This was one of those nights where if it would be appropriate and good radio to play the nine rebounds that Ben Simmons had in his first eight minutes of action, we would do it. But we'll throw stuff like that in
there instead. Seventy Sixers with some strong defensive efforts in the first quarter of twenty five to sixteen after twelve minutes of play, more Ben Simmons on the offensive in quarter number two, Sixers by five six fifty to go Simmons with its Simmons down the right, jump, hook around and good. He got the side rim and puts it in. Ben Simmons four for nine. He's already got a double double. Indeed, he did his nineteen the season, good for fourteenth most
in the NBA. Now, in some ways, playing back these two highlights somewhat of a misrepresentation because maybe you would think, well, if you'd tune a much of the game, that this was a big scoring knight for Ben Simmons. He was only looking at for himself. No incorrect. He was a prime facilitator in the first half. He nearly had a triple double by the break, but the Sixers had all sorts of things open up. Robert Covington he also found
an opening as well on the move. Here's Simmons a lot better jam by Covington, Ben Simmons, Hella you Cam, Simmons went one for two from the line, the Bulls lose it and then Simmons with a really rifled that bull down low and Covington now with five Simmons two assists away from a triple double with two twenty five to go on the first half, and that was one of Ben's best times of the night. Sixers led fifty
five forty one at the break. Simmons was too assists shy of that triple double that Tom alluded to well within forty nine seconds of the third quarter, that was Matt here's a long shot by Commington. He done it again comington in the drought up until Monday, coming back tonight, He's got eleven points, including back to back threes, and that would give Simmons ten assists, giving him his fifth triple double of the season. Six Ers nine and sixty
two to forty one. Joel Ebad had a big night for the Sixers, two rebound Sixers, Simmons with a down the near sign lode. Sixers look a lot more poise with his big advantage here at home against Chicago. At twenty two point lead in bead for three and that's good, Joel Eband knocks down to three and Fred Hoytberg says,
what's going on? That's what you say to yourself when your team is down by twenty five points, seventy nine fifty four, four minutes twenty seconds to go and the third Sixers would lead it comfortably eighty five to sixty seven going into the fourth Timmy Taylor while Cabro starting in place of JJ Reddick for a third consecutive game, and for a third consecutive game, he had the three ball going on Joel and bed with it twelve to shoot.
Poor guards him. Here comes to double. They double on the dribble, Sixers swinging to Luilu and that's good again. They are literally picking the Bulls apart. Fred Hoyber keeps motioning for the Bulls to get going on offense. How about defending the arc? Coach Hoyber fourteen threes by the Sixers, and the Sixers would deposit two more from deep before the night was through. A big subplot in tonight's very
nice win. Final notts from the final stat sheet seventy six Ers shot just under fifty two percent from the field, Bulls thirty eight and a half percent six or sixteen to thirty two from outside the arc. We referenced this earlier. Going into the third quarter, the Sixers had only surrendered four three pointers that may could probably to make that six and the Bulls would end a finishing with eleven
but three points. Shooting a major advantage for the Sixers in this one tonight, Sixers plus five on the glass. They had thirty one assists on forty two made baskets. That is pretty good. Only fifteen turnovers okay for the Sixers, a step in the right direction. Individual notes. Sixers were led by Joel Embiid, who tied with Bobby Portis for the game high and scoring and bead ten of seventeen from the field, one of two from three, had five rebounds,
three assists, and two block shots. It certainly felt like he had more assists than just those three. Twenty one and ten for Dario Scharch his second straight twenty and ten game. Ben Simmons nineteen points, seventeen rebounds, and fourteen assists. His seventeen rebounds went off his career high. His five triple doubles the most for rookie since Magic Johnson in
seventy nine eighty. Ben Simmons just the second sixer ever now in addition to Wilt Chamberlain, to reach at least nineteen points, seventeen rebounds, and fourteen assists in a single game, and no other rookie has done that, with the exception of Steve Francis for Houston back in two thousand so there's a whole lot of other good stuff out there on the Twitter sphere statistically regarding Simmons tonight, but the bottom line is, regardless of whether it was the first
time this or that or the other thing, he was fantastic tonight and helped key the Sixers victory one fifteen, one on one over the Bulls. Sixers have now won nine to the last twelve, and they improved to twenty three and twenty one on the season, while the Chicago Bulls dropped to eighteen and thirty, losers of two straight. Next up for the seventy Sixers the San Antonio Spurs on Friday, a rematch up a game and a series that the Sixers got to win in back at the
beginning of the month. Sixers have had a lengthy drought in San Antonio that will look to end on Friday at eighteen T Center game time at eight o'clock. Pregame coverage on some of our six Ers rated network affiliates at seven fifty. Following the Sixers win, Tom McGinnis had a chance to catch up with one of the players afterwards, Joel, thank you. I don't know what the hesitation was, but
thank you. We appreciate you coming over. Congratulations, great start by Ben, great play overall by your team, and a nice win here over Chicago. Your thoughts in general, it's a great win, you know. Uh Ben was William gresson tonight. You play like a man we need. We're gonna need him to pin I got every game, but he was a great over them win. We moved the ball and we played great decissive the so we gotta keep you
just gotta keep up. I thought, speaking of moving the ball, I thought you did a good job and everybody in general, particularly in the middle part of the second half where you got those open looks, not necessarily on the first pass, but on the second and third pass, where Comington and Lewiwa delivered those threes out of those plays. I mean, if you want to double cookle say, man, you know, I'm I'm gonna do my job. We're gonna do my partner and I'm gonna fast it out. And that's what
I did tonight, and we gotta win that. I gotta keep. I gotta keep the same level of fasting and h we're gonna I think we're gonna be fine. Thank you, Joe, appreciate it. Joel and Beat. His first post game radio interviews,