This is seventy Sixers rewind time now to listen back to postgame reaction from the team's most recent game. Joel Embide was not just back, he was back to by the end of the afternoon, what looked to be his old former self, and that is a great self to be. Brian Seltzer from the center in the aftermath of a nice one oh six eighty nine victory for the seventy Sixers over the Indiana Pacers. Joel Embide the headliner thirty
three points, twelve rebounds. He had two steals plus sixteen in the game, eleven of twenty one from the field. In the fourth quarter alone, he had eighteen points and was six of six from the floor, missing just one of seven free throws opportunity. It's was that good. By the end of the day for the two time All Star, seventy Sixers earn a great win over the Pacers. They move into third place in the Eastern Conference standings, even though the Sixers and Pacers are even in terms of
one loss record at forty two and twenty five. Even more significant than that, it's the Sixers have the upper hand over Indiana for a tiebreaker should one be necessary in about four weeks time, when the regular season comes to an end and it's time to sort out playoff
Seaton and Bead was great. As you heard Brett Brown say, or perhaps you did not, he was curious to see what Joel Embiid would look like from a fatigue standpoint, having not played in a regular season game since February the thirteenth against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. There was no question the first two stints Joe had in the game, both in the first quarter yield rusty trying to knock off some of that rust and find
his way, find a rhythm, find his groove. In the third quarter, from there on out he was pretty much dominant. I mean, you retrace the steps of this one when the seventy six ers went on a massive run to take control of this game. There's a bunch of different ways you could cut that run up. The one that will use here for our postgame show purposes is going to be a twenty seven to eight stretched from the
let's say minute mark of the third quarter. Joe had a big layp during that and that seemed to unlock the Sixers, get them going, and then there were small things that did by just the mere matter of his physical presence being out there affecting things on the defensive end, making life more difficult for the Pacers. I mean, you look down the stat sheet for Indiana, Thaddius Young three of ten, Miles Turner two of seven, Demanta Sabonis one of seven. Those are the top three big men essentially
for Indiana. And when they put up unefficient numbers, I should say inefficient numbers like that, and Joel Embiid happens to be back in the line for the Philadelphia seventy sixers, it would be a stretch to say that that was
just a coincidence. Ebid physically imposing and in twenty eight minutes puts up a great stat line, getting the free throw line going eleven of fifteen overall, looked like his old self, and that was a great thing for a Sixers team that is trying to intensify and increase its push into postseason play. Ben Simmons plus nineteen over all. He had fifteen points, six assists, and four rebounds in the game. Mike Scott eight points, six rebounds. He was
a plus twenty in twenty five minutes. Good stuff from him four of eight from the field, and he also had sixteen points from Tobias Harris to go with eight boards and four dimes. Jimmy Butler with twelve points, four rebounds and four assists. We're gonna ring Tom McGinnis now after the seventy six ers one oh six eighty nine victory.
Actually I beg your pardon. Let us go to the man known as Joe, who's at the postgame press conference putting as the game kept going, Uh, you know, I just kept getting better again to the law up, the law too so and the game slow that slowing down from me. But my focus was really defensively just by the way we've been playing and the way we were playing. So I fell had to. You know, I don't think I had the block shots it did, but just being all over the players, helping my teammates, and uh, I'm
glad we got to win. Bred said before the game that you played five on five yesterday for about seventy five minutes. What did that tell you about where you were? You know, did it give an indication that you could play as much as you did today and be sharp as you were? Uh? Yesterday basically told me that I wasn't ready because yesterday after every game, I was on
the floor crime for my life. Uh Uh, So I didn't think I was gonna come in and uh, you know play uh the whole, the whole, the goal of it this game was basically he thought I could only played twenty four minutes and depending on my conditioning. And I told him I was, let's just go with the flow of the game. Man, I'm glad we gotta we
got a chance to west me at the end. The past couple of weeks been like for you watching fred sidelines, you know from back home, he's been hard because you want to be out there and uh for for the people that I know me, Uh, you know, I hate uh now playing. I always want to play, and I always pushed to play. Uh. But at the end of the day, you know, got to trust all these guys and um we we've all done a great job as far as getting me back on the court, taking a
wider push. And I'm sure at some point, uh in these last fitting games, I'm gonna miss a game, just like make sure that I'm good to go for the playoffs. But they've been doing a great job from the coaching style, to the medical staff, to the fun office, and uh, you know, he walked out with it well and I feel better. One of the things seventy six Ers two time All Star joelling me thirty three points twelve rebounds in the win this afternoon over Indiana, one of six
eighty nine. He was pretty awesome time, especially as game went on right and again, like so he played seventy five minutes of pickup and then he plays in an
NBA game the night. If he's fine tomorrow, that's a really good sign for the Sixers because you'd think there'd be some soreness there if in fact, you know, I don't know anything, but if a guy's been out for eight games and two plus week with left knee ten the nightis that would be a huge sign for the Sixers if he's rarer to go for Tuesday, and you would think he would be. But I'm just saying understandable. So yeah, And like Brett Brown said, I said it
during the course of the game. If you watched the game, you could tell he did. He got better as the game went along, and Brett Brown kept saying balance, you know, I was putting in a different way. He was falling down and whatnot. He was all over the place, but that is amazing to get better after a shaky start. I mean, he had a lot of rebounds early, but a lot of those were taps off field goals he missed and you get credit for a rebound for that.
And then he was fantastic that one play on the left wing by the Pacers bend where out of a time out he crosses over Miles Turner and gets in the half court from that angle basically like a breakaway dunk. That was so impressive, and that's where the skill set of this guy is just off the charts. He was really dominant as the game went along, and that's that's why he's an exceptional that's why he's a unique talent.
And so for the Sixers it was huge. And guess what, they don't win this game without him because they struggled mightily, particularly in that second quarter, and then they turned the tables in part because of India's presence. But as Brett Brown said, they just got better defensively, didn't change anything, that's what he's talking about, No skim schematic alterations. They just played better defense, ran them off on line and
Indiana had a tough, tough goal of it. And let's be honest too, and I mentioned throughout the course of the game there were a lot of fouls and a lot of fouls for both team, but they're big guys, Sabonus and Turner got a lot of foul calls against them and that got them out of rida. Bonus actually played probably more than Turner in the game, and look bright,
Turner twenty seven point He was really good. Now from what I gather in that game against Milwaukee, they kind of let him shoot some long range shots out front and he ended up with twenty seven points as a result. But he was really and Matthews was not a factor in this game. So they had a lot of things that didn't go their way. But the Sixers took this game by control and never let up after that really aggressive, dominant third quarter and be thirty three points, twelve rebounds
in this one. And one of the things we talked about Tom before the game was seventy six Ers defense, it's going to have to get to a different level for this to go well in the playoffs. And you would think you would presume, and yeah, what we saw in the second half that was locking in. That was a team that looked like it was loaded for bear Dan up doing things well, and they really just made life pretty difficult from Dan right, and difficult can take
different forms. But if you're in a post team and you're you're first of all, a team like that puts its imprint that, like the Sixers have always said, make them feel you, and that means you know, getting afford, stepping up defensively, and it alters what you're trying to do on offense. In other words, if it's Collinson with a dribble drive or Wes Matthews coming off a screen and they're right there greeting you with physicality and not
letting things get through them, and there's there's help. They're sliding over and everybody's rotating well, and then you got to be back in the middle. Altering what a guy might do on a drive or pulling up too soon and then running people off the line. It comes in a lot of forms. Including his coach, Brown talked about deflections and really disrupting their offense and they did it on multiple levels. And that's right, and you aren't. You're not gonna win because he looked at this low score,
I mean one six to eighty nine. The Sixers average one hundred and fifteen. The Pacers this is one of their lowest scoring games of the year. And that's when it's going to take you. You know, you got a knuckle down and defend because the possessions down stretch are just huge. And there was that long stretch where the Sixers it was a two point lead and they finally were able to open it up and extend it to double digit and win. Going away seventy Sixers over the
Pacers one oh six eighty nine. They get the tiebreaker and the season series. Last thing I'll leave you on tom We got a shout out Amir Johnson. Right. The man got in probably a little bit after two thirty three in the morning yesterday. That's just when the team got back from Houston, Texas found the game on Friday. Plays in the G League for the Blue Coats for about twenty some minutes. I thought he gave pretty good relief,
finished with seven rebounds for on the offensive glass. He helped hold the fourth down when Joel was either buying time to get rhythm or it was just simply taking
a breather. No it's it's it's quite a story. He had some turnovers here in this game, but you know, come on, the mire was the odd man out throughout much of this season after playing quite a bit last year, and is able to start earlier this week a couple of times and steps up and contributes and you know, it's one thing to buy time and play with well on the bench, but it's a whole nother thing you're expected to perform, and he was able to do that. He got on the glass and you know, he takes
and makes open shots. He had a three he missed. But it's a story, really, and that's why you bring in a guy like Amir Johnson. And again, people might only look at the numbers and you know, like why is this guy on the team. There could be this guy or that guy, But when you're around the team and you're around a guy like that, he has really a tremendous leadership quality and he's been a terrific veteran for this group, and he proved it again with his
play in today's game. Alredy Tom talked to you on Tuesday when the seventy sixers are back at it against the Cleveland Cavaliers. You gotta thank you Sixers a key victory with playoff implications over the Pacers one oh six eighty nine. The Big Fellow was huge. We'll hear some of the highlights involving him coming up as we close out the postgame show after this and the Sixers Reading Network.
Club seventy six is the official season ticket waiting list the Philadelphia seventy six Ers get priority access for twenty nineteen twenty twenty season tickets by signing up for either Club seventy six Elite or Club seventy six three. Other benefits include exclusive seventy six Ers gear and access to
special ticket offers and events. For more information, go to Sixers dot com, slashing joint Club seventy six, email Club seventy six at seventy six ers dot com, or call two one five, three, three, nine seven six seven six two one five three three nine, seven, six seven six. Seventy six Ers back at home after a tough two game road trip to end last week, and also Joel Embiide returning to the lineup for the first time since the All Star Game break. Both of those things very good,
and as we hit the highlights from today's game. It was just regardless of what it made the score. Good to hear about this development. Here's Joel cut off by Boydanovitch a turn but dot for long. He goes Colm all right and bench it in and beats first bucket back, making it a four to two seventy sixers lead. But this one figured, given how close the seventy sixers and Pacers were in the standings, to be a tough battle from the outset, and it was early on in the
first quarter. First quarter had six ties seven lead changes, seventy Sixers in front by just a point twenty six twenty five after twelve minutes of play, and it was the Pacers that set tone start quarter number two. The seventy sixers turning to another all start to try and get some momentum back. Here's a drive by Ben. It gets right to the cup and lays it in Ben Simmons right down Broad Street with a right hand layup.
Sixers battle back as they pulled it to within six thirty nine thirty three, with the Pacers not too long after that would open up a double figure advantage. In the seventy sixers played a bit of catchup. They went on a nice little spurt to get back within three points in the closing minutes in the first half. Indiana responded shortly thereafter. They got it up to a fifty nine, a fifty one lead going into the third quarter, and
that was when things started to turn around. There was one layup that Joel Embiad had that gave the Sixers a particular boost, and from there they just started to run with it. Matthews at the arc and beat goes out passes in the lane and picked off by seven Sixers going left the right, Ben sevens out to JJ to catch the shot. The tree hold that by J. J. Reddick his third trey, and the Sixers have put up the three sixty three to sixty. The Sixers kept coming.
They would close the third quarter on a fantastic spurt. Twenty one to eight was what they outscored the Pacers down the stretch of the third quarter. As a result, they led a large seventy two to well large eventually seventy two to seventy going into the fourth, and Joel Embad helped the Sixers get things going not too long after that. In the fourth Jimmy Butler with his screen by Joel jumps at, throws at Joe, I beat down
low and duns it as bonus. Well done if beat down low left good feat by Jimmy and Joel with a slam dunk jeep and going seventy four seventy was the score at that point. Joel Embiid had his best stretch the final frame. Here's t j with it up top to Joel. He's gonna fake a three some Botis gets into the air, Joel goes around that puts it in and a foul and it beat extendes her and tells the crowd. Let me hear you. What he actually
told the crowd was I am back. That's what you could read his lips he said on that particular play. And indeed, by the end of the afternoon, and sure as heck looked like at the seventy Sixers with a great opportunity on the outside to keep Indiana at arm's length in the final minutes. So Botus that throws it away a mirror with a steel Mike Scott with a Scott to the corner, Enis for three good. James Edis puts it in and the Sixers lead ninety two seventy
seven time out Indiana with six minutes ago. We'll give you one more Joel and beat. Highlight from what was a really encouraging first game back today against Indiana, big possession for the Sixers, juela beat outside, leaf crosses overturners gets fine and dump said, whoa, what a play might it be? By far and away, it's best play in
the game. Fluid motion, wicked crossover drives at duncton. I'm a left wig on turner Duel now with twenty six might have been one of Duel's best plays of the season, especially given the fact that he'd missed almost a full month. And Bead powers the seventy six ers to a one
oh six eighty nine win. And amazing, just like that, you get your best player back, one of the best highest impact players in the league, and incredibly, you look what happens, You play a lot better basketball, and you beat a very good team to pick up a very important win. All right, Sixers shoot forty three and a half percent for the game, the Pacers thirty seven a half percent, six or seven or twenty three from outside
the arc. Indiana was five or sixteen, six or twenty three or thirty from the stripe Indiana costly twenty two of thirty seven him is fifteen free throw opportunities, and that certainly was something that loomed large when the Pacers went ice cold in the second half. Sixers outrebound in Indiana by eight by one of the offensive glass, Sixers
just thirteen turnovers fourteen for Indiana. Joel Embiad, with the game high thirty three points, also had a game high twelve rebounds, and he really made life difficult for front court players from the Pacers, guys like Fatties Young three of ten overall, Demantes Sabonis one of seven, Miles Turner two of seven. Certainly that had a lot to do with Joel Embiad being out there. Ben Simmons with fifteen points, four rebounds, six assists, sixteen points, eight boards. For Tobias
Harris he had four dimes. Two Jimmy Butler with twelve points, four rebounds, four assists off the bench, Mike Scott with eight points. He was a plus twenty in twenty five minutes. He also had six rebounds, two assists and two steals for the seventy sixers in a nice win over the Pacers. These two teams finished with the same record after the
game forty two and twenty five. But it's the seventy Sixers that now jump into third place because they win the tiebreaker, beating Indiana in the season series three games to what big Thanks to everyone VOLM today's broadcast Carlinmalali and Brian McLaughlin back in the studio, Marty Dickerson the man on site here now for the radio voice the seventy six Ers, Tom Againnis Brian Seltzer saying so long for now one final time. The final score it was the seventy six Ers one oh six and the Pacers
eighty nine. Have a great rest of your Sunday from all of us here at the Sixers Radio Network. You've been listening to seventy Sixers Rewind. Be sure not to miss new episodes the day after each game this season, all year long.