The BroadCast: 02/06/2018 - Rewind vs. Wizards

from the Center. Tom McGinnis is standing by. We'll get to him in a moment. For those dutiful listeners out there of our postgame coverage, first we thank you. Second, because this game was a nationally televised broadcast, we will not have the postgame press conference feed featuring Brett Brown, which we usually take on loan from our good friends at NBC Sports Philadelphia, So apologies for not having that.

But yeah, the Sixers got off to a great start tonight, and in the end that really proved to be the difference. They led by seventeen after twelve minutes of play. That margin was cut to ten at the break, and it was a relatively even played game in the second half, but the Sixers got big nights from Joel Embiid with twenty seven points and twelve rebounds for his twenty six double double of the season. Ben Simmons was versatile, overcame some early turnovers in the first half to finish strong

fifteen points, six boards, eight times. Dario Charitch with fifteen of his twenty points in the first half very much an important part of that auspicious start for the seventy Sixers. Tonight. Covington was steady twelve points for him, five rebounds, and you know what the Sixers in the early stages of the game, led by Emir Johnson and t J McConnell, they got some quality output from their bench, which is

something that Brett Brown was looking for. Six or survive seventeen turnovers which led to twenty two Wizards points, and they also overcame the thirty point effort from Bradley Beale, who got off to a little bit of a sluggish

start shooting earlier. Tonight. Tom McGinnis had the call of this one tonight and out of the chatter in and around the seventy Sixers training complex in Camden in recent days was trying to take advantage Tom of this five game homestand very rare that you get a homestand that long going through the break, and you know what the Sixers got in their way tonight we just went absolutely Not only is it rare, it's unprecedented, that's for sure, And a couple with the fact that over recent years

the All Star Break has numbered nearly a week. It's a unique thing for the Sixers and obviously a great way to start it. And Washington I thought they were a little bit gassed and then Sixers certainly have been there as they were on Saturday, and a great start for the Sixers. You know the flip side. The Sixers came out, I mean they were fired up. Simmons was really taking it to otto. Porter. Sixers did a great job,

everybody getting involved. Daria was terrific from the jump. JJ Reddick was one of eight from the field in Indiana on Saturday, not tonight. He was firing with accuracy. Everybody played well. TJ and A Mirror did exceedingly well. Thirty seven points in the opening quarter. Big start. Sixers never relinquished a leave, little turnover prone, got a little loose

at times. Wizards cut it to seven, but really the outcome never endowed with the sixers played here tonight sixers over the Wizards one fifteen, one h two, back about five hundred. With a record now twenty six and twenty five. We've seen that time over the last season and a half that Joel Embiide is not going to hesitate to let a jump shot fly. But tonight he was really steadying.

It seemed like early on that was what he felt like he could get and it went down and I mean, things just open up so much more and are made so much more difficult for the opposition. But that was on point for him tonight. Hit three threes absolutely and again that wing jump shot as he turns and faces that's really what his whole offensive arsenal is predicated on,

and then other things come off of that. I still say as he grows into his game and gets longer into his career, with more experience, he's going to be able to dictate from with his back to the basket on that left block a little closer to the basket,

but he's so efficient from that wing area. Again, he tries that rip through move swinging the ball below his waist left the right, trying to get the defender to bite and foul, and oftentimes right now they know that, so they stay up and he's still able to then bring the ball up and make the shot with regularity. And then to your point, he's got that three point shot. His numbers aren't great so far this year from three, but in the end, I think it's going to level out.

He's gonna be upwards of maybe thirty six percent throughout the course of the the year, and tonight he's getting them open look and you've got to kind of play off him a little bit, believe it or not as a center out there, because his ability to put the ball on the floor, and he got some clean looks from the top and he made three of them. And when that three point shot is going on at any point in the game, if you're trying to come back, it just makes it that more abrupt in terms of a comeback.

And same thing with the lead. You have a seven point lead, Bang he hit three, and next thing you know, it's a double digit cushion. Everybody was moving. They moved the ball well, and just a great offensive performance, not only by Joel but a guy's across the board and again balance attack, multiple players contributing, and that leads to one hundred and fifteen points. And I would say convincing

victory over Washington tonight. Seventy Sixers were super efficient from the field fifty five and a half percent, fourteen of twenty eight from outside the ark. And now they take on tom coming up next on Friday. A New Orleans Pelicans team that was thrust unfortunately into the spotlight about two weeks ago when DeMarcus Cousins ruptured his achilles, so he's out for the rest of the season. There is still Anthony Davis, and there's also Drew Holliday, who's been

fantastic for the Pelicans. Probably flying a bit under the radar, but the Sixers, they were you hanging around in that game the first time around against the Pels, and this certainly will be a big challenge. Absolutely the Cousins loss. First of all, he had just had a game I believe it was against Chicago where he had forty plus points, twenty plus rebounds, he was absolutely dominant in overtime New Orleans win over the Bulls. So a crushing loss there. If it beats not the best big men the NBA.

That it's DeMarcus Cousins, and I think a lot of guys would agree across the board that they are indeed one two. And then you mentioned Drew Holiday and he basically won the game. I mean, Davis was really good against the Sixers in mid December in Louisiana, but Drew Holliday won that game. I you know, you say below the radar, and I think so in the general picture as far as maybe NBA fans, but not among basketball people, that they have a big three. I mean, Drew is

really playing at a high level. He's signed a big contract in the off season and he has really living up to it, no doubt about it. They're they're not an easy team now again at home last night, they gave up one hundred and thirty three points to Utah. To me, that stands out a little bit. So they come up here and that ought to be a good game. And Davis is clearly one of the best players in the NBA. It's a unique skill set like him beat, his ability to handle, to run the floor. He's just

a really talented player at that size. It's just incredible the number of players like that in the NBA, and then the next night you had the Clippers here. So first thing, first big game, put the Pels and the Sixers will have some time to rest up and get ready to go for that in a rare back to back home set up over the weekend fun atmosphere down here in South Philadelphia tonight. I'm sure everyone will still be floating on Cloud nine come Friday for that game

against the Pelicans, right with the big parade on Thursday. Brian, Thanks and good night. Seventy Sixers over the Washington Wizards tonight one fifteen to one oh two and encouraging the first quarter helped get the Sixers going and they never look back in this wire to wire victory. Scoring was spread around, the defense was very stout, Sixers overcoming some turnovers, and enjoyed a very fine offensive showing. Overall. We'll get

to some of the highlights. Jeff Mosher standing by after that, so keep it right here on ninety seventy five, the Fanatic and the Sixers Rating Network. Seventy Sixers the mission tonight to start a homestand going into the All Star break on a very positive note and pull within a few more games of the Washington Wizards. Maybe it was a couple of days idol after Saturday's loss, Perhaps it was the energy they fit off the revd up eagl Es Eagles channing crowd. But it was a great start

and Ben Simmons was a big part of that. Here's Ben on a drive through four players and it's good. Ben Simmons can't be stopped scoring to drive by the right wing Annam Lane and the reverse and four guys were there. Simmons leaves them all standing in awe and Simmons will go to the line for what could be a three point play. And that was moments after the

Sixers had a sixteen nothing run end. They got right back at it with an aggressive play from Simmons and carried to thirty seven to twenty lead going into quarter number two. JJ Reddick had a little bit of an up and down game on Saturday in India in terms of his shooting, but he was very much on point

this evening. Charge to Anderson, Anderson back out top to Joel into the late Dario Brace separation in a layup, got away from Porter B with a will type on targeted pass fifteen from Dario charge he's seven of nine. We know what Dario Schartz was on point two. He helped stake the Sixers to a sixty five fifty five lead at intermission, and in the opening moments of quarter number three, much like it was at the start of the first half, Ben Simmons making his imprint felt all

over the floor. Reddick to would beat three ball by a beat his up back ribbing off long rebound Sivens dot com nine two hand Jim siventh to the rebounds, stuff Sixers ten points. In the area of second chance points Sivens fourteen points, four rebounds, four assists. That was right after the Wizards had clawded within ten. So recurring theme tonight was that whenever the Wizards posed a threat

or mounted around, the seventy Sixers had an answer. They led by ten ninety four eighty four going into the fourth quarter, Robert Covington stepping up with a big play Dario Chartz with his seventh rebound. Coving did open down though in them lay out Praiser puts up a Robert coming to the remark over recovery and he scores it down all right. Darry with a great playing coup with ten twelve point lead five and a half ago. That was shortly after Covington went down for a full time

out after getting the wind knocked out of him. Good to see from Covington given the Sixers a thirteen point lead that was clutch in timely. So too was this from JJ Reddick, which essentially put the game out of reach for the whizz one oh seven ninety nine. They need more points two forty to go Jowell out Todd Reddick freeball leading Reddick shoots to deaden j. J Reddick four for four from beyond the arc, couldn't make one till the end of Indiana Saturday on Fire Tonight sixes

by eleven. He was great, as were a handful of other sixers tonight in a very much collective effort against the Washington Wizards in a thirteen point victory one fifteen one oh two finals. From final stat sheet, six ors fifty five and a half percent from the field, Wizards forty four percent. Six Ers fourteen of twenty eight from outside the arc ended up out rebounding the Wizards by five. The rebounding really intensifying in the latter stages of the game,

so that was helpful to the cause. What was a little bit adventuresome were the seventeen turnovers that the Sixers committed, five more than the Wizards, which ultimately led to twenty two Washington points, but they survived that as well as Bradley Beale's thirty points running down the Sixers individual box lines. Joel Ebid led the way with twenty seven points and a dozen rebounds for the Sixers. Both of those totals were team highs Embiid really relied heavily on the jump

shot tonight. He was ten of twenty from the field, three of seven from outside the arc. He had three assists and three block shots twenty and seven for Dario Charch eighteen for JJ Reddick four of five from outside

the argue would end up missing this final attempt. Ben Simmons fifteen six and eight to go along with three steals and twelve for Robert Covington who was five or twelfth in the field and two of seven from outside the Arkhamer Johnson with nine points, three rebounds, Teaching McConnell with seven points, eight boards and four assists, both very much beneficial presences for the seventy Sixers off the bench.

With the win The Sixers are back over five hundred now twenty six and twenty five, while the Washington Wizards see a season long five game winning streak come to an end. They're thirty one and twenty three on the season. Sixers now a half game in front of the Detroit Pistons for eighth in the Eastern Conference. That within three and a half games of the Wizards. Up next, the seventy six Ers step outside of conference play for a

back to back at home on Friday and Saturday. They've got the Pelicans up first, followed by the revamped Ella Clippers on Saturday night. Following the Sixers win, Tom McGinnis had a chance to catch up with one of the players afterwards. The Sixers twenty six and twenty five and in now fourteen and ten at Ben Simmons and joint his courtside. Well, that was a nice way to end that bend with the steal and that confident dribble into

the front court. Great start, and you guys, leed start to finish your thoughts In general, definitely, I think we played a tough team without John Wall. You know, they're a great team. They've been playing well. I think we really put it together at the end and played at the team. You got through our stuff. Porter was guarding you, and it's just by the way you handled the ball offensively an attack. You almost felt he couldn't guard you the way you would attack the basket. No, I don't

think you could. And Joel was really good, great balance, and again I thought your team looks so fresh from the start, a little bit different than Saturday because you had had that busy stretch of five games in seven days. Is that accurate? Definitely. It's always great playing in front of a crowd that's your own, so you know, especially

the Eagles fans came out. I supported us, which is really great and they really gives a lot of nsy big home stretch here, one down, four to go, important weekend, back to back for you guys here this weekend. Thank you Ben, congrats, Thank you Ben Simmons of the Sixers a thirteen point win, one fifteen. Want to do very succinct