The BroadCast: 02/14/2018 - Rewind vs. Heat

dot com. Why so impressive tonight? Well, First of all, no All Star available Joel Embi did not play tonight. The Sixers fell behind by twenty four points early on in the third quarter, and on top of all that, this team going up against the Miami squad that, like itself, is jockeying for positioning for postseason play. The Sixers came into tonight trailing the Milwaukee Bucks by just a few

games for fourth. The Heat were right on their heel, is just a half game behind, and by powering their way back in this one this evening, the Sixers create one and a half games worth of separation between themselves and the Heat. Great determination tremendous resiliency and so many guys stepping up with embiid not out there. Ben Simmons triple double, excellent tonight and powerful down the stretch eighteen points, a dozen rebounds, ten assists to go along with four steals.

But let's get into guys like Dario's charge with nineteen points, eight rebounds and fantastic on the glass. JJ Reddick, Marco Bellanelli, Trevor Booker, Rashaun Holmes. Let's join Brett Brown right now in progress, a heck of a lot more enjoyable. In team is the word you want to hear. It was

a team effort, a complete team effort double tonight. But what did you see from Ben on the defensive end in the second half, in particular loose balls, deflections, the ability to come up with stuff that you think is just not going to happen. All of a sudden, he just arrives with the ball. I was only reminded of his triple double about three steps before I opened the door to come out here, and he just sort of,

you know, quietly in my eyes, quietly assumes statistics. You feel his presence, but not to the level when I look at the statue, you say, really like, you know, as eighteen, ten and twelve. Those are massive numbers in a close game, and in a game that we judge to be like a little bit of a mini playoff audition. They hanging around us, We're hanging around them, and so it's an important game, and in our eyes it was.

And for Ben to produce those types of numbers and sort of just a very sort of deliberate way, um, and for me not to come in immediately noticing it, I think it speaks in a crazy way positives about Ben Simmons. You ever saying maturity of such a magna two someone so yeah, gets an experience, he has tremendous poise. It's the word that I always that always so easily comes out of my mouth when they say what do

you think of Ben Simmons? Because, as I've said so many times, you know, you take a college for me and you make him an NBA point guard and you kind of say, good luck figured out lead a team in an unbelievable city. I mean, how about the crowd tonight? Just incredible and this is our eleventh win in a row here at home, and you feel every one of those voices and fans, and he's able to navigate that

landscape flawlessly. He's not phased at all, and you know, he handles himself with a tremendous amount of grace and poise for being so young and especially sort of being responsible for what I think is the most difficult position in the NBA. A point guard hit a tin one footer.

It's to night kind of weird with the violation that are being called back, But I mean, no matter how it goes in, because he see it go in and say all right, maybe I can maybe you know, he's had more pull ups over the past few games and has made some um maybe you know, ultimately we all

get that's going to have to be part of his game. Uh, if we're lucky to get in the playoffs, you know, like the regular season, as we keep talking about, it's so different than the playoffs to go beat somebody four times, you know, scouting reports game and then the next game and then the next game. There are no tricks anymore, and weaknesses get exposed in a dramatic way incrementally, and so that part of Ben's game what we will continue to grow to the point you ask he's got the

poison confidence to do it. He's not afraid of the moment and that shot that you just said, you know, we got a little bit lucky, but will will take it. Doubling them in rebounds without your well, I think if you looked at the tenacity of Trevor Book, Let's just go, you know there, then you can come over to uh to Rashawn. I think Ben, you know, with his rebounding, we needed every one of them. That the level of desperation that we needed to show to come back from

that type of massive deficit. You just like were so a tune to like get finishing the play. I thought a defense was good, then we had to finish the play. I think that that was you look at the difference, you know, sixty to twenty nine is a big number,

and we needed every one of them. Seventy Sixers head coach Bret Brown talking about the massive rebound disparity in tonight's game, and you'd think, you know, with a team like Miami, and it's full compliment, especially with the sun White side, that if anything would be inverted given the Sixers didn't have him be tonight, Well, Ben Simmons with a dozen boards Dario Schartz was tremendous in the early going, giving the Sixers key offensive rebounds, or Sean Holmes, Trevor

Booker as well just the greatest, Brett Brown said. A terrific team win to head into the All Star Game break as the Sixers defeat the Miami Heat one oh four, one two. They trailed by as many as twenty four points early on in the third quarter. This the largest deficit overcome by the Sixers in a win since erasing a twenty four point margin as well, back in a November two thousand and eight win over the Indiana Pacers. Sixers are now thirty and twenty five on the ear.

It's their first time at thirty wins before the All Star Break since that memorable two thousand, two thousand and one season. Ben Simmons a triple double. A whole lot more Sixers stepped up as well. We'll discuss with Tom McGinnis. Coming up next. There's the postgame showing the Sixers rate and network seventy Sixers in a very important Eastern Conference matchup with the Miami Heat tonight, A comeback win to remember for the Sixers one oh four, one oh two.

Brian Seltzer with you from Sixers dot Com. Tom McGinnis had the game call. Ben Simmons triple double, Marco Belinelli fantastic with seventeen and his Sixers debut. Just it was a team win. Tom, you can go down as scharge, Reddick, Booker, Holmes really just very very good. Before we get to Tom's comments, we will keep you listening audience out there in suspense. We've got some legal bills to pay. In terms of a ten second id or on the Sixers Rader Network down the heats one oh four to one

h two. Yes, there was a lot to go around. Let's start with this time the Sixers. They were down by twenty four sixty eight to forty four early in the third quarter, snap off a string of twelve straight points. Everyone was involved in that, and that was kind of emblematic. If had the Sixers got themselves back into this well, and that's the interesting thing. We'll get to that in a second. But when you trail by twenty four and get a twelve all run, it's still a double digit deficit,

and that was a thing. They came back with another surge. But I thought Trevor Booker was huge and Bell and Ellie and JJ stepped up Dario and had a big part of that. I believe he had six or eight in a row. And Dario has been terrific. Simmons was fantastic throughout the game. And a point I made in an earlier portion of our post game, and that is Miami had more than half its point in the lane in the first half, thirty two points. They had sixty two points at halftime. They only had ten points in

the paint in the second half. And now you're forcing a team that played last night a little bit to thick legged, if you will, didn't have the jump that they had early in the game, and now you're forcing them into long shots. And that played right into the sixers hand. And how about Bell and Ellie and Reddick. JJ struggled from the field but steps up and makes that huge shot down the stretch and Marco Bellonelli was seventeen. It just shows you both those players. You know, the

Reddick shot, It's an old phrase. I don't know where it came from, but leaping leaner, that's exactly what Reddick shot was. And Bell and Ellie's got that shot as well. In other words, just enough to get it off, and they're accustomed to shooting difficult, well contested shots, and it was a huge factor in the game. Bellon Elli with eleven of his seventeen points off the bench in the fourth and final quarter, in which the Sixers shot fifty

percent from the field. I mean this was a game time where from the outset, I mean count the different levels that you wanted to feel or maybe don't want to refeel, and Bead's absence, there were no real driving lanes for someone like Ben Simmons to get to Reddick.

It was tough for him to shake free. The Sixers seemed out of sink and more than anything, there was just kind of a lack of energy in the building and their credit they found it and you know, Scharage in the mix getting involved and this is just the way they play. And I don't know, would you say, would it be far fetched? I kind of put out

there on the old Twitter sphere. I kind of feel like this might be the most impressive win of the season, given the circumstances who they didn't have and some of the implications in the standing. Without question, it's certainly the most impressive, most recent great game because they've had a few.

And to your point about Joel, it's so true. You know. Again, the Sixers started like four of nine from the field, not bad right in there to lead changes early on, but then Miami takes off and outscores of six Ers twenty nine to twenty. And it again the Sixers have played without m B but not of late, and it

almost seemed like that. And again they practiced at times without them, but it seems like there was an adjustment and it was almost as we said, during the course of the calling, where's the offense going to come from?

It was a real struggle, and then it was they flipped the script and came out with energy and jump and getting those handoffs out top in terms of getting Rennick and like I said, Bill and Ellie and Dario free and you know, like and now they're going to come back rested and trying to pick off or pick up where they left off. But most impressive and the fact that it came against a Miami team that's right

on their heels that's gonna be in this mix. There's basically nine spot nine teams fighting for five spots, and the Sixers in Detroit and Miami and Washington, Milwaukee. They're all in that mix. Probably left out a team, but so to gain a victory like this against a really good opponent in Miami is huge and an exciting night. Brett Brown sighted the crowd. Man, it was unbelievable, great atmosphere here, there were I saw a couple people leave early and you know, like the sixers were flat. They

don't hit the star player. But that's dismissing the fight, the spirit, the gumption, everything that this group is about, and they put that on display. And a great team victory here up and down the Nie with Rashawn and Booker. TJ didn't play as well as he did the other night, clearly, but he came in there with fight. He had a big jump shot over James Johnson, the blockouts, the steals. Just an exciting victory and need to be here at

the center and very interesting here. Brett Brown called game like tonight something kind of like a mini playoff audition for the group, and man, today, stand up to the task. Twenty four one or two sixers over the heats after trailing by as many is twenty four points in the game. All right, Tom, here we are. The all Star break is here the Sixers have won thirty games. They haven't done that before the break since two thousand and two

thousand one. And you, just from the Sixer standpoint, got to hope that they find a way to keep this momentum going in terms of how they measure these things. Still some vulnerable opponents, you would think on paper, on the schedule, on the horizon. But as we've seen, you know this ain't gonna becoming easy. But the Sixers, they have positioned themselves well to get to where they want

to go. I like that phrase. Vulnerable opponents were trying to be trying to speak with diplomacy here on the post game, which is translated to say that games you should win. But and then your point is, but they're the Sixers have dropped some of those games. R See Brooklyn, see Chicago, see Phoenix. He's sick. So we know that. But they're playing well. And here's the thing, and this is so true in the NBA. When you're playing well,

you can't wait to play again. There's a rhythm, there's a pep, there's a bounce, there's a knowledge that you're going to get it done. And the converse is true, and that is when things are going wrong, then it's almost like teams find ways to lose. They botch a turnover, they botch possessions and it goes the other way. But that's not how it's going right now. And the Sixers they have a confidence about themselves. They put in so much work. They've really look at the way the defense

has improved throughout the season is going along. Now you add a new piece and a proof to night and he's going to be a valuable asset in Marco Bellinelli. He was just awesome here tonight. So no, it's going to be exciting and it's Brett Brown said pregame, this is when the fund start. This is the motto, the marketing slogan is this is why we play in the NBA. Well, here we go in the last two months with hopefully a playoff berth on the line. This is why they play.

Enjoy about a weekend change, mister McGinnis, Thank you, Brian. One oh four, one oh two Sixers knock off the Miami Heat. Great important comeback win for the Sixers. We'll hear some of Tom's highlight calls. Are they very slanted focus on the second half and an exciting finish. Stay

with us. It's the postgame showing the Sixers Rader Network Sixers and the Heat bunched up in the Eastern Conference standing Sixers trying to gain some separation and go five for five on this homestand heading into the All Star game break. Brian Seltzer with you from Sixers dot Com.

Let's go through some of the highlights. We do have to take care of this in the form of chronology, so just because of that, we'll have to hit some stuff in the first and second quarters, neither of which were particularly memorable, but it was a good start for the Sixers tonight and the Sixers with a shot by Reddick fill good, but Booker puts it up at it He's salvages the opening quarter a little bit, indeed a little bit, a nice energy play from Tregor Booker, who

would go on to have a very important role in tonight's game twenty nine twenty Heat in front after twelve minutes of play. Another guy who would prove to be very helpful down the road, not just in terms of tangible contributions, but his style of competition one Rashaun Holmes. This midway through the second quarter, Simmons the Dario three ball, oh inside of Rashawn and he jams it. You better get out of the way. Rashawn Holmes is gonna dunk it, and a great play by Dario. That's good to great.

Sixers still trailing by thirteen at that juncture, but they would be down sixty two thirty nine at the half, their largest halftime deficit of the season, and it would balloon to twenty four points early on in the third, sixty eight to forty four, and then some things started to change. Dario Sharitch very spirited. You're Sharich for three. How about that? The Sixers have rattled off now eight in a row. Eric Spoelstra takes time. Sixers have cut

into sixteen. Gotta start somewhere right And that was where for the Sixers, a twelve nothing run. But they would continue to get important contributions down the stretch of the third quarter. Ben Simmons started to come alive that much more too now Dario wide open, left side three ball, too hard, noe rebound foot back by Simmons, and that doesn't do that shot justice. He caught that miss with one hand and scored it. While admit are well and the bigger point was at that captured one of the

huge themes of tonight Sixers tenacious on the glass. I mean, if you watch guys like Simmons and Sharitch and Booker, it was like when a shot went up, they were just making a bee line to the basket put back there. For Simmons, Sixers still had work to do. After three quarters of play, onto the fourth we go and napped. Is when the recently acquired Marco Bellanelli started to make a big imprint on tonight's game. JJ Rennick back out to Marco Bellanelli. Three boot in the air. It's good.

Welcome to the new guy, Marco Belli. He's got nine. It's a five point game. Eighty one seventy six on the Sixers next two scoring possessions, they would both end in Marco Bellonelli threes that got the Sixers within four eighty six eighty two heats, still able to keep the Sixers at bay, even after a flurry from Trevor Booker to trim the deficit to one, but the Sixers, courtesy of Ben Simmons, would take a ninety two to ninety lead. Ben Simmons would make it then ninety four ninety two.

After the heat tied it up, they would lock the score again at ninety four. JJ Reddick battling to get his shot throughout the game and he got a big one to go down here nine to shoot back to JJ. Three ball right side and a bucket is good. JJ Reddick is eleventh three point attempt. But that's huge. Under four minutes to go Simmons with the assists. He's got another triple double. That made it ninety seven ninety four,

sixth triple double of the season for Ben Simmons. Sixers looking for some insurance, enter the new guy once again for Shawn done that. Simmons gets the rebound reddick to Marco Bellonelli on the drive Bellanelli in the lay up. Good Marco Bellonella, he can be loved in South Belay. The Sixers lead by six. I had a few more zip codes and territories and neighborhoods to territories of being beloved for Marco Bellonelli. After tonight that had a big play.

Sixers hit their free throws in the closing seconds and they were able to stave off the heat one four one two. Dwyane Wade did get a pretty good look from up top just as game time was expiring, but it went off the mark no good and the Sixers survived. Six Ers shoot forty two and a half percent from the field, fifty percent even in the second half Heat forty five and a half percent from the floor, six Ers nine to thirty five from the perimeter, seven of

those three pointers coming in the second half. The Heat were eleven of twenty seven. Sixers outscored by the Heat by four from the line, but so enormous for the Sixers in terms of their rebounds, sixty to twenty nine was the advantage on the boards Sixers plus twenty on the offensive glass. This is a night when Joel Embe didn't play and Hassan Whiteside did so. Impressive nineteen turnovers for the Sixers that did not help just eleven for

the Heat. Sixers led by Dario scharch with nineteen points, five of twelve from the field, three of eight from three, six of six from the line. He also had eight rebounds and three assists. Ben Simmons eighteen points, twelve rebounds, ten assists, moving to third place all time in terms of rookie triple doubles. He trails Magic Johnson by one and Oscar Robertson by a considerable amount, but in modern

NBA history, just historic stuff from Ben Simmons. Fourteen for JJ Reddick, who also had seven rebounds, five assists and again a big part of the Sixers rebounding efforts. Gotta

go to the bench. Marco Bellonelli with seventeen seven to twelve from the field, three of five from outside the arc, nine points, nine rebounds, five offensive boards for Trevor Booker he got during the bell inside the postgame locker room for the Sixers tonight, and Rashaun Holmes summoned into extra duty twenty eight minutes to night with no Joel and Bdia eleven points and nine rebounds four these Sixers six league changes, four ties in a two hour, twenty five

minute game. Seventy Sixers another sellout crowd, this one. Twenty thousand, four hundred ninety two twenty eight games played at home for the Sixers before the All Star Game break all were sellouts. Well done Sixers fans. Rett Brown given props to the crowd tonight. Should we scoreboard watch just a little bit in terms of some teams ahead of the seventy Sixers or near by them in the standings. Really only other one other game of note tonight, and that

was Detroit hosting Atlanta Detroit one. Detroit is a game and a half out of eighth place in the East, but they do gain some ground on Miami by virtue of the Sixers win tonight. Sixers are now a game and a half in front of the Heat for seventh place.

They trail Indiana by a game and a half and Milwaukee by game and a half for fifth place, and there are two games behind Washington for fourth place in the East and three and a half games out of third, which is held by Cleveland, but Cleveland looking good after the trade deadline. Divine givens very patiently standing by dial up six one sixty three two zero nine seventy five

to get in touch with him. We gotta keep working on how to figure We gotta come up with some names for this postgame show for Divine, given we got to give him some space in there and some ownership of that spot. If I can interject and get on the soapbox for a bit. Big thanks to the guys back at the studio holding things down technically, Alan Yates and Tyler Zuli here on site. Marty Dickerson. Now for the radio voice the seventy six Ers, Tom McGinnis, Brian

Seltzer saying so long for now, one final time. The final score, the Sixers in come back fashion erasing a twenty four point deficit, beat the Heat one oh four, one oh two. Have a great rest your Wednesday night, a great rest your all Star break. We'll talk to you on Thursday the twenty second, when the Sixers host the Bigger Pardon visit the Chicago Bulls to get the final third of the season rolling. Here's Devon right here

in the Sixers Rader Network. Following the Sixers win, Tom McGinnis had a chance to catch up with one of the players afterwards. Thank you, Trevor. Tom McGinnis won a game here tonight. Your effort, your hustle, part of that big comeback, your thoughts as you pick up this win to night. Yeah, man, we all you know, we got down big early. We came in at half time, gave myself a little pep talk, it came out and took

a half. You know, it really took it to him. Boy, You're I was just saying, like guys at this stage. Sometimes they have a foot on a chartered plane, but not you. Your your foot was firmly on the back of the heat. You just would not be denied. Oh no, not at all. You gotta take care of business first, and you know, and then you can go half some fun. But I'm definitely ready for my vacation. Now. Hey, do you think Marco, Bell and Ellie will help out it all? Oh?

For sure. Oh man, this is gonna help us a lot. Well, you guys deserve a great break. Congratulations, great effort, Thanks for your time. Enjoy your break. Thank you. Trevor Booker out of Clemson University and a pride of South Carolina. One oh four, one oh two. The Sixers beat Miami back with postgame coverage including Brian Seltzer with his report and Brett Brown from outside the Sixers joyous locker room. Here at the Center, you're listening to the seventy Sixers Radio Network.