The BroadCast: 02/22/2018 - Rewind vs. Bulls

the Sixers buckle down and get the job done. That is the bottom line for an all important thirty first win of the season and season high sixth consecutive victory, the longest winning streak of the Brett Brown coaching era, longest since the end of two thousand and eleven start of two thousand and twelve for the franchise. Brian Seltzer with you from Sixers dot com. We're expecting to hear from the head coach Brett Brown Man Ben Simmons Joel

Embiid were fantastic tonights. And for all the hats that Ben Simmons assumed tonight, playmaker, score, rebounder, facilitator, how about the most important of all being clutch free throw shooter yes, indeed that was the headline. Five point six seconds left, Ben Simmons goes to the line with the Sixers down one knocks down a pair of huge, huge foul shots

to get the Sixers over the hump. And for as much as Bobby Portis presented problems not just for the Sixers defense, but in particular Joel Embiid throughout the game tonight with his career high thirty eight points, there was Embeid on the final inbounds play of the game, shutting the door by turning aside Portis for his fourth block.

And when Bad's credit fighting through some perhaps tired legs down the stretch, he denied Portis at the rim a couple times late, Sixers got the stop they needed and won the game by a point one sixteen one fifteen. I mean, it was crazy the start of this game. It was like the All Star Game break never happened at all. The Sixers raced out to an eighteen point lead, Bulls came back by scoring forty in the second quarter,

and the race was on after that. Let's join in progress, Brett Brown, right now, a break, the All Star break is always strange. I've been with NBA championship teams. I've been with really young teams and now we have this team that's like a hybrid of you know, some really talented young guys and a few veterans, and it's always just a funny game. And I think that the resolve that we showed we we did stay together. We made some great plays at the end. Joellen Ben carried us.

I thought everybody else really had some subpar performances. You know, you felt like we came out of a break. But to the group's credit, like we did when we were down twenty four at home, we stayed together. Sounds like we're having some issues unfortunately with Brett Brown, but you heard him highlight some of the key points in this one, the resolve of the seventy sixers, highlighting the efforts of

Simmons and Embiid. I mean, these guys have played a total of one hundred and thirty one career games between themselves, and they combined four We're gonna try and do some quick math. Sixty two points, twenty rebounds, sixteen assists, and Embiid had four blocks and Simmons had one. I mean that's pretty good. Bobby Portis, he was a menace for the seventy sixers tonight, and for a while there, while it was going well for the bulls, sixers seemed to

struggle switching defensively. Seems like we have the line back. We'll let Brett Brown do a far more professional job of dissecting this one. Although we made some great plays at the end, Joellen Ben carried us. I thought everybody else really had some sub subpar performances. You know, you felt like we came out of a break. But to the group's credit, like we did when we were down

twenty four at home, we stayed together. And I give Chicago a lot of credit for shooting the ball the way they did, and I give our group a lot of credit for having the the the the poise to see it through and find a way to win a big storyline. Ben steps the line and thinks those two what's going through your mind? I mean, the the way that he got to the line interests me as much as him having the you know, skill and the confidence

to go up there and make the free throws. It was one hundred and ten to one hundred and fifteen, and we're down five points with you know, I think a minute too left in the game, and that particular play you're talking about, you know, Joel made a fantastic play on a sideline out of bound steal. You know, we found Ben, uh, they fouled him. Good job, Fred, they they found, you know, a way to to foul Ben with the ball, and Ben had the confidence to

step up and make two huge free throws. What were you thinking though, I mean, because you know what, like I get to a stage with him where he has such strength of of inner belief. You know, we've seen

it time and time again. You know, we saw Detroit found him what twenty eight times it was some ridiculous number in a Washington rather twenty eight times, and different things that we have seen at the end of games and so on, where he delivers he responds, he's got tremendous in a confidence and so it didn't surprise me, really, it really didn't. Like I judge people's body language sometimes maybe too much, and when I saw him step to the line, he looked like he wanted to shoot him.

And as I said at the start, Joel's steele really his steel at seven foot two to make that type of athletic play and come up with the ball is of equal sort of benefit. It all added up for Ben and Joel to combine for sixty four points, and really their sat line across everything. Is there anything that concerns you of the rest of the ing in terms of the ball, I don't go any place except that I like coaching these guys. I think that this game coming out of a break you never really know, and

their hearts are in the right place. They genuinely care, They coexist wonderfully, they really have we I'm lucky to coach them. The locker room is fantastic, and we stay together. I think that we're trending in the right way, and I know their attitudes is completely pointing in the direction that we want, and so we look forward to coming back home, you know where. We've got a little bit of a wind streak going on. We love playing in front of our home fans and just try to keep

this moving. Win streaked the tune of six straight sixers, longest in roughly six years. They sneak by the Chicago Bulls one sixteen, one fifteen. Most importantly, they maintain their one and a half game leader of the Miami Heats for seventh place in the Eastern Conference and stay within two games of Washington for fourth place. As Washington, it wasn't this great? What you can start to do now

this day to the season. You can scoreboardwash as Washington beats Cleveland on the road at the que earlier tonight. More to get into with Tom mc ginness, he's standing by. That's coming up next. It's the postgame showing the Sixers Rating Network seventy sixers had a nice stroke of good fortune in battling for a win just before the break without Joel Embiad against the Miami Heat eight days ago. And you know what they found The right combination Tonight

and Bead was excellent. Ben Simmons was two. Simmons a career high thirty two points tonight to go with seven rebounds and eleven assists. But the biggest thing for him were the two free throws with five points six seconds

to go to make the difference in tonight's game. Also made the difference Joel Embiid helping set up the sequence that put Simmons at the line and then and Bead closing the lid on the rim for Portis, who was trying to deliver a game winning attempt as time ran out and bead, finishing with thirty points, thirteen boards and five times seventy sixers over. The Bulls won sixteen one fifteen. Tom mc ginnis called it at United Center tonight. It was a win time. It was a win out, no doubt.

And the Sixers, let's be honest, they've lost some games like this over the years, and particularly when you say that Portis, you know, let's say that shot goes and it could have gone the other way, and you know, they definitely had their ups and downs. Leading by eighteen. I actually said the phrase route obviously a bit prematurely. And the Bulls battle back. They are incredible for three

career night for Portis. I thought Nawaba was really good, Zach Levine was good at times, and the Sixers made the plays down the stretch. And you know, like same thing as in that Miami game when you battle back. There are a lot of possessions and a lot more opportunities. You certainly can't fritter away all of them. But the Sixers, you know, they miss free throws down the stretch. They

missed four free throws. We mentioned the two that Ben hit the game winning free throws, but there are other free throws prior to that, where the Sixers miss free throws and there were turnover two and yet you still battle. You get a stop, you keep them off the board and not allowing them to expand the lead where they put it out of reach and down five with sixty two seconds to go. You just keep battling. You give yourselves an opportunity, you make a couple plays, and you

walk away with a victory. And in the end, it's another w and it's not gonna go wow, remember that game. It's a win. It's two wins out of three against Chicago, and move on with six straight wins and you go home and you got a big weekend coming up. And again they're all big. But certainly the Sixers had great moments. They certainly had moments where they thought they maybe guys would have shot the ball bet over Marco Covington JJ.

But you're able to pull your young stars pull it out for you in an exciting victory for the Sixers. Sixers top the Bulls won sixteen one fifteen, something that Brett Brown has been on top of saying in respect to Simmons whenever he's asked about him. Tom throughout the year is poise, calm, maturity. Then even Brett, for all the time he spent with Ben last year, didn't see

and you look at a spot like that. I'm sure Ben's asked about his free throws after the game he'll say, you know what, I just go to the line, do my thing, very business like. And that's what he was tonight. Well, for one, you know, you didn't know what you had because he wasn't in an athletic competition, right, he was in training and he was in a rehab mode. So you know, it's there's an old saying in basketball when you smell the popcorn, and that's what that's the type

of player Simmons. He gets out here against these other guys and he wants to dominate. You can see it in his face. You can see it in his size and athleticism, like I'm going to use this to my advantage and I'm going to punish you and score. He's got that, you know, that alpha male kind of persona out on the court, which in order to be a professional athlete, a lot of these guys exhibit those traits. That's a very familiar characteristic for these successful competitive athletes

and you're right. I think Ben going to the line, as Brett Brown said, he wanted those free throws, so that that was really big. And you know, the guys find a chip like cub mentioned, And I actually saw it where there was the young fans in the front row and they're allowed to say what they want. That's

still the greatest seat in sports right there. And they must have been teasing Ben about his shooting ability or whatever, and he's stuck a jumper and he's looking over at them, putting a little dagger toward them, and you know, so he's proving people wrong left and right in this area, in that area, and he just stepped up huge. He was. He was very good throughout the entire game, obviously passing as you said, wearing multiple hats, including game winning free

throws one sixteen, one fifteen, and one. You know in the end. The other big contributed to night Joe ellenbad he got Bobby Portis. Slave Portis was unconscious tonight fifteen to twenty six, six of nine from three point territory for thirty eight. But late in the game when he went at the rim, there was joellenbiad to turn him away, no doubt, and Joel covers a lot of ground. He

blocked that Cameron Pain shot. He really you know, even if it's off the ball, if it's a done drive and you know, done got by Ben And here he comes cruising in. But you know, as I said, he'd done drove it from the left side. This is in the guts of the game in that final minute and missed it. Why the right I guarantee it. Joel was part of that. So he anchors the defense. The numbers

are off the charts when he's in there. And tonight he played a humongous game and dominated as good as Portis was, and a lot of that for Bobby Portis was on the perimeter. Joel ebid put a stamp on this game, and he dominated the game just as Ben did. Seventy Sixers beat the Bulls one sixteen, one fifteen. Tom mcguinnis talked to you on Saturday a little bit earlier when the Sixers host the Magic Good Night from Chicago,

Thank you, Bryan. Sixers top of the Bulls their first season series win over Chicago going back a couple years now to the two thousand and ten two thousand and eleven season. The headliners were Simmons and Embiid. We will hear more about them with Tom's highlight calls. In just a moment. It's the postgame showing the Sixers Rating Network seventy Sixers and the Chicago Bulls for the third and final time this season. First game back from an eight

day hiatus for these seventy sixers. Brian Seltzer with you from Sixers dot com. Well, an eight day hiatus for some, not for a couple members of these seventy sixers involved in All Star weekend activities. And wouldn't you know the three of them talking about Ben Simmons, Joel and Bad and Darios Charch with loom large in tonight's game. Here is how it sounded, courtesy of Tom McGinnis. The Sixers. It was like they never went on break at all.

They looked like the squad that ripped off five straight wins. Midway through the first quarter, here's Ben Domina runs in the Norball breaks up and good and a block on David Norball and said dominance continues sevens of the line for what could be a three point play. Seventy Sixers raced down to a twenty five seven lead middle of the first quarter they were up, though only by four thirty three twenty nine, as Chicago's bench started to get the Bulls back into it to close the first quarter.

Early on in the second, Joel and Bad made his presence fell. Now duel would to shoot against Noel. Voley turns faces foot fake got him off the ground into the late fakes again. Violet recovers fade away by Duella's good. But the Sixers and the Bulls they got into a foot race down the stretch of half number one. It was actually Chicago which hung forty points in the seventy Sixers in the second quarter, making it sixty nine to

sixty seven. Bulls going in to the third. Sixers came out with some purpose after the break, in particular Ben Simmons, he was scoring at Will re about duel. Duel out let the Simmons on the fire sideline. Simmons tract it down, goes into the lane and dun comes into another head scoop as good Simmons like a freight cade hit in the Midwest. Here he stars again. It beat at Simmons on a road at Chicago seventy eight seventy five Sixers trying to get some momentum, but the Bulls would not

back away. The Sixers lead at a tenuous two ninety three ninety one going into the fourth quarter. Ben Simmons had some more to give Gario in the lad not a lot of real there. He goes to Ben Simmons at the paint, He's got a shoot it. He finally paid fire fed scares it and Ben Simmons was a split second away from what could have about a three point three second violation, but he got the shot off

and went down and he drew the foul. He completed the three point player to make it one h three one oh one, putt in the seventy Sixers back in front. Now Chicago, they would go up one twelve, one oh seven just under two and a half minutes to go. The Sixers then got three straight points from Dario Schartch to make it one twelve one ten, and Bead committed a turnover with seventy seven seconds left. Chicago scored on a three point from Zach Levine after that make it

one fifteen one ten sixty two seconds to go. With those would be the final points Chicago scored on the night. Thirty five seconds left, Bucket from Dario scharch for two. Then JJ redickos the line with eight seconds left to make it one fifteen, one fourteen, Denzel Valentine has the ball stolen by Joel and bead on an inbounds play. It trickled at Simmons. He was fouled with five point six seconds left, went to the line front Room roll in the first swished his second. This the final sequence

of the night. Blobs it into ports ports catches. He goes Dowbo puts it up, no go full tips lose down the type puts the headness Sixers half piper by to win the game. Ben sevens het Joanna be delivered at a one point win in Chicago. Six straight wins a new season high for the seventy Sixers, their longest since two thousand eleven two thousand and twelve. Final notes from the final stat sheet. In the seventy Sixers one point win, Sixers shoot fifty one percent from the field,

Chicago forty five and a half percent. Six Ers eleven of twenty nine from three point territory. They were just three of fourteen from the perimeter after halftime Chicago eighteen of thirty five from beyond the arc, the eighteen three pointers a season high. Sixers survived fourteen missed free throws twenty one of thirty five from the line. Chicago only went to the line fifteen times sixers where minus seven on the glass. They did limit themselves to just eleven

turnovers in the game, so that was good. Bobby Portis led all scores of thirty eight fifteen to twenty six from the floor, six of nine outside the arc. That total of career high for him in terms of thirty eight points, but for the seventy sixers, a little bit more bounced from some young stars. Ben Simmons career high thirty two to go with seven rebounds and eleven assists, his twenty third double double thirty points for Joel Embiid thirteen rebounds for him plus five assists and four blocks.

Dario Charitch with thirteen to go with eight rebounds, and he was big in the final minutes of regulation. Should also mention that Joel Embiad was a huge factor in Bobby Portis missing his final five shots of the night, including that decisive stand at the end of regulation. Seventy Sixers with the win are now thirty one and twenty five.

They maintain their one and a half game lead over the Heat for seventh place in the East, and Washington did beat Cleveland at Cleveland tonight, but with the Sixers winning and Washington winning, there are still only two games between those two teams from fourth place in the East. Devon Gibbons patiently standing by. He'll be coming at you next the phone number six, one zero six through two zero nine seven five if you want to talk about Ben Simmons career nights and a nice Sixers win. Big

thanks to Carlinemoli and Jay Gray. Back here at the studio now for the R Radio voice to the seventy six Ers, Tom McGinnis, Brian Seltzer saying so long for now one final time. The final score it was the Sixers pulling one out one sixteen. The Chicago Bulls won fifteen. Following the Sixers win, Tom McGinnis had a chance to catch up with one of the players afterwards. Big win here against the Bulls Edward Joint courtside by Robert Covington,

won a finish come an exciting game. You guys led big early, came back, scored six in a row, got the plays down the stretch and your thoughts on this one. Man, it was about it from very man. You know, we jumped out of him early, but you know they made a run as well. But you know, it's first game back from All Star break, so we kind of figured that, you know, everything would you know, kind of ploted this way because you know everybody's getting back in that tune

and everything. So we just came out and we had to execute, and you know, we executed down the stretch. You know, Joe came up with a big stop, you know, being knocked down. Two big free throws, two big free us. Then we still the win. We're getting that stop. Man. That's that's the type of execution we gotta have. And we gotta keep pushing because you know, to make this thing, you know, realistic, because we know we got twenty six more. We got twenty six more Simmons with a career high

thirty two. They're your stars, Joel and Bannon. Boy, they stepped up big down the stretch with the steel the free throws and beat the defense right there at the very end. What an exciting finish and a great win you must feel you later, Uh oh, absolutely, you know we gotta finish out this, uh this last run stretch, uh, for for the you know, for the fans. You know it's we know we capable of and you know it

started tonight. So we just gotta finish out this long this little stretch and you know we got going to run because you know, to make ourselves that much more DELI you gotta get these type of games and and we need it. We need him big time. You know, that's gonna help us down the stretch and he's gonna give us more momentum going down to stretch. And you know it's just fun playing that way. You know, we we we got to solidify a lot of things and you know, bend them, let us from the very beginning.

You know, he just a kissing fans that that it was marking him the whole game. So you know he stepped up big time, him and Joe and we needed that tonight. Come. Thank you very much. We appreciate it. Thank you Robert coming to the Sixers. Great victory here against the Bulls and Ben Simmons delivers Down the Stretch final from Chicago one sixteen one fifteen