Tag: Al Horford

76ers Can’t Overcome Lillard’s 51, Lose 124-121

Posted on by jcrosby1315

The 76ers faced off against the Trailblazers Sunday night in Orlando. The game tipped off with Al Horford starting in the place of Ben Simmons for the second game in a row. If you are a fan, you wondered how the Sixers would play after learning that Ben Simmons is now out indefinitely, needing surgery to remove a “floating body” from his injured left knee.

The Sixers started the first quarter 0-5 from the field and down 6-0 early. The first quarter got worst when Embiid seemed to tweak his left ankle. He tried to go a few possessions, but he was favoring and asked out of the game. The entire city of Philadelphia held their breath as Joel went back to the locker room. After Joel exited the game, the Blazers went on a 13-2 run to go up 21-9. Damian Lillard controlled the entire first quarter, getting to any spot he wanted on the court. The Sixers were down 33-19 after one. Side note: Brett Brown actually had a lineup of Norvelle Pelle, Glenn Robinson II, Alec Burks, Matisse Thybulle, and Furkan Korkmaz to end the quarter. Who would have EVER thought we would see that lineup in a competitive game?

In the early portion of the second quarter, the Sixers were down by as many as 17 and it seemed like they were going to pack it in. After an early timeout, the Sixers came out and rode Josh Richardson’s hot hand to cut the lead to 7. Josh was seemingly hitting every shot he missed through the first four games in the bubble.  

The Blue and White came out of the locker room to start the second half aggressively. Al Horford, who was plagued by foul trouble, and Josh Richardson help cut into the lead. With Horford in foul trouble and Norvelle Pelle fouling every player in sight, Brett Brown went to Mike Scott at center for a small ball look. It worked by pulling Portland’s big men out of the paint. The team fought hard quarter with the team outscoring the Blazers by 10 in the period. The Sixers fought all the way back to lead 92-91 after the third period. The quarter poetically ended with Josh Richardson hitting a sweet mid-range jumper to give them that one-point lead.

Alec Burks replaced Shake Milton early in the fourth quarter and went to work. He hit 3-pointers, driving layups and even went to work in the post. Sixers built a lead as large as six points, but Damian Lillard proved why he’s so great. He put the team on his back and personally helped bring his team back from their fourth quarter deficit.  With Tobias shooting 7-19 and not really effective offensively, Josh Richardson and Alec Burks couldn’t match Lillard. Damian Lillard went for 51 points as they edged the Sixers 124-121. The Sixers were paced by Josh Richardson, who had a season-high 34 points and Alec Burks, who had 20 points.

Quick Observations from the game:

  • I’m not a big fan of moral victories, but this team played a hard-fought game when they could have folded up tent when Joel Embiid went down. They clawed and kept the game close early and actually had a chance to win even with Horford in foul trouble and Harris not being effective.
  • I’ll say this again for those who didn’t read my last recap. ALEC BURKS IS A BUCKET!
  • Damian Lillard scored 51 against the Sixers, which was his 5th 50 point game of this season.
  • I’m assuming that the Sixers are going to start resting their main starters before the playoffs to avoid injuries or over working them.
  • Furkan Kormaz is not playable if he isn’t hitting 3-pointers consistently.  He hit one 3-pointer tonight but didn’t provide much more than that.
  • Tobias Harris struggled to finish at the rim against Portland. I know it’s just one game, but I expected more from him. He was being guarded by Carmelo Anthony, who isn’t a great defender and Portland has the 27th ranked defense in the NBA.

The next game will be against the Phoenix Suns, who are undefeated at 5-0 in the bubble. That game will be a 4:30PM start on Tuesday.

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76ers Overcome Lackluster First Half to Defeat the Magic 108-101

Posted on by jcrosby1315

The 76ers faced off against the Orlando Magic Friday evening in the bubble. This would be the team’s first game without Ben Simmons. With Simmons out, Brett Brown started Al Horford in his place and it proved to work out early on. Horford scored 6 of the first 13 points, taking advantage of his matchup with Magic PF Gary Clark. The score pretty much stayed even through the first quarter, with no team able to pull away. We got a look at former Sixers first overall pick, Markelle Fultz in the first quarter as well. He scored 4 quick points. The Sixers led 25-23 after a sloppy first quarter.

The second quarter was much of the same, consisting of bad shooting and fouls. The Sixers lead by as much as 7 but shooting woes and turnovers killed the team. The only player on the Sixers that kept them in it was Alec Burks. He had 13 points in his 13 mins of play. He hit timely 3-pointers, but it wasn’t enough. The Magic went on an 11-2 run to lead 47-43 and the Sixers were down 50-48 at half time. Not sure if it was the Magic’s defense or Embiid being tired, but he took a lot of jump shots and didn’t fight for post position. Another thing I noticed, not only in the first half but the entire game was the slow pace. Ben Simmons not being on the court changed the way the Sixers played. Ben usually pushes the pace, putting pressure on the defense for lay ups or open threes.  

The theme continued in the third quarter, a slow pace that favored Orlando. Joel Embiid came out of halftime way more aggressive. He went into the period with 8 points and ended with 18 after the third quarter. Tobias grabbed timely offensive rebounds to keep the home team in it. DJ Augustin started to make his mark in the third with some lay ups and threes. It seemed as if Shake had a lot of trouble staying with him. The 76ers were fortunate enough to only be down 79-77 at the end of the third, playing a D+ game thus far.

The home team opened the fourth on a 9-0 run to go up 86-79 and didn’t relinquish the lead. A group effort from Tobias, Alec, and Horford helped keep the Magic at bay in the final period. D.J. Augustin and Evan Fournier tried to keep their team in it, but it wasn’t enough. Joel Embiid didn’t have the best fourth quarter but did have a highlight reverse dunk.

Ultimately, the 76ers won 108-101 behind balanced scoring from Tobias Harris (23 pts, 15 rebs), Joel Embiid (23 pts, 13 rebs), Alec Burks (22 pts), and Al Horford (21 pts, 9 rebs).  Nikola Vucevic (21 pts, 12 rebs) and Evan Fournier (22 pts) paced the Magic. Former Sixer Markelle Fultz scored 13 points (4-12 from the field).

Quick Observations from the game:

  • Josh Richardson’s inconsistency is killing the Sixers. He is very indecisive with his decisions on the court, especially out of the pick and roll. For the Sixers to have any chance in the remaining seeding games and playoffs, Josh must be a more efficient decision maker with the ball in his hand. I’m fine with Josh shooting long twos, as long as he doesn’t hesitate.
  • Alec Burks is a BUCKET. This is what the Sixers expected when they traded for him, but Brett Brown never gave him consistent minutes. I will say, you can get the Burks you saw against Orlando or the Burks that shoots 4 for 16.
  • The pace is suffering without Ben Simmons. Pushing the pace was his strength and it seems like they didn’t push much this game. Simmons led fast breaks puts pressure on the defense and helped create open threes.
  • Al Horford would “ring the bell” if I were coaching the Sixers. He took full advantage of his matchup and hit open shots in rotation. His 21 points were really needed tonight and a key to keeping the Sixers in the game.

Damian Lillard and the Portland Trailblazers are next on the schedule for the Sixers. I’m really looking forward to this matchup to see where the Simmons-less Sixers are at. Joel will have his hands full with the bigs for Portland. Also, will the Sixers back court be able to contain Dame and CJ? I’ll be tuned in to see. The game is a 6:30pm tip this Sunday.

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Shake Sinks Spurs, Sixers win 132-130

Posted on by jcrosby1315
Shake Milton’s game winning 3-pointer

I think we all tuned into the Sixers game last night wondering what Spurs player would score 50 points. We also tuned in to see how the team and coaches would respond to the disappointing loss to the Indiana Pacers.

The Sixers were the “home team” in this game and it was really cool to see them use all of the sounds and intros that are played in the Wells Fargo Center. Ron Brooks was recorded singing the National Anthem and if you have been to any home games, you know he is a fan favorite. The intros were also played from the Wells Fargo home games as well. It truly got me hype as if it were a true home game. All we needed were the away team starting line-up intros for to yell “SUCKS!” after every player is announced. All of the free throw sounds and music during the game were played as well. Now let’s recap the game.

The first quarter was a back and forth affair with Demar DeRozan catching fire early. He had 9 of the Spurs’ first 13 points. It started to bring me flashbacks of TJ Warren. In the later part of the first quarter, Rudy Gay was inserted and immediately started hitting shots from every level. Ultimately the Sixers led by 3 after the first quarter, after a Shake Milton full court sprint to a scoop left-handed lay-up. After the quarter ended, we saw Joel Embiid helping Shake Milton up off the floor, which is better than the two arguing like in the Pacers game.

The second quarter was much of the same, with the 76ers having a lead of 8 points for a few moments. Josh Richardson showed up for the team in the first half with Ben Simmons in foul trouble and Embiid not scoring as much as he usually does. Richardson had 12 points at halftime and Tobias Harris was steady with 13 points. For the Spurs, DeRozan led them with 17 at the break and Rudy Gay not far behind with 15 points.

The third quarter is where Joel Embiid started to impose his will. He scored from the post and made the right plays out of the double teams. When the double team came, he would pass to the open wing or spin fade away from it. Everything looked easy for the big fella and the Sixers built a 14-point lead. Ben Simmons was plagued with foul trouble throughout this one and picked up his 5th foul in the 3rd quarter. He did have one ridiculous pass that led to a corner three.

The fourth quarter started out with the Sixers in control, but the same issues plagued them in this game as it did the last game. Turnovers and no defense were the main theme of the quarter and next thing you know the Sixers are down 4 points with a minute to go. Fast forward to the final seconds of the fourth with Ben Simmons fouled out; the Sixers had a line-up of Embiid, Horford, Milton, Harris, and Richardson. The home team is down 130-128. Shake Milton inbounded the ball to Horford who then passed it directly back to him and BANG, Shake shoots and hits the game winning 3-pointer with 6 seconds left. Shake was open because his defender sank into the paint to help deny Embiid the ball, which left Milton wide open. The 76ers had to play one more defensive possession to stop the Spurs and they locked all windows and doors on Demar DeRozan. Embiid ended the game with an intentionally missed free throw to let the time run out and the Sixers escaped 132-130.

Although the Sixers won this game, there are some things that are plaguing this team that drives the fans crazy. It appears Head Coach Brett Brown still hasn’t figured out the rotation and it’s hurting the Sixers. Alec Burks, in my opinion is a better option than Raul Neto but Brown insists on playing Neto. Also, the fourth quarter defense and offense has been horrendous these past two games. They allowed the Spurs to score 43 points and allowed the Pacers to score 46 points in the last period. Brown needs to figure out that early rotation or it can lead to doom for the Sixers going forward. Joel Embiid lead the team in scoring with 27 points. Followed by Tobias Harris, who had another steady game with 25 points. Rounding out the Sixers scoring was Josh Richardson (19), Shake Milton (16), and Furkan Korkmaz (12). Demar DeRozan led the way for the Spurs with 30 points. This game seemed like much needed redemption for Shake after his last performance. The kid is going to grow into this role, and we are going to have to roll with the outcome.

The 76ers’ next opponent will be the Washington Wizards, with tip off at 4:00PM on Wednesday. 76th and Broad will be back to recap that one on Wednesday.

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Sixers lose to TJ Warren, I mean the Indiana Pacers 127-121

Posted on by jcrosby1315
An Unhappy Will Smith after watching the Sixers lose to the Pacers

I’m starting this article off with a “I HATE TJ WARREN”. I know hate is a strong word, but it seems like this guy goes off on the Sixers every time he plays them. It doesn’t matter if he is a Sun or a Pacer, he just goes off. He plays like the reincarnation of Michael Jordan anytime he sees the Blue and White.

The first quarter started off with the 76ers dominating with post play and rebounds, which led to an 8-point lead. Indiana called their first timeout and TJ Warren must have taken a sip of “Mike’s Secret Stuff” from Space Jam because he turned up after that timeout. He scored in every way possible and it seemed like there was nothing the Sixers could do to stop him. Indiana lead 35-29 after the first quarter but the biggest thing about that quarter was the argument between Shake Milton and Joel Embiid on the sideline. Frustration and tempers flared as the team played sub-par.

The second quarter was much of the same with TJ Warren dominating and 76ers turning the ball over. The Sixers had 14 turnovers at halftime, combined with TJ Warren 29 points. Embiid and Harris led the way for the Sixers in first half. In my opinion, Milton’s first half play could be attributed to two things. The first would be the fact that this is his first time he has played with this starting lineup. The second is the pressure he must feel to be deemed “the missing piece” to make the starting lineup work.

The third quarter went the Sixers’ way as Embiid dominated and took advantage of his matchups. He had help from Tobias and the Sixers outscored the Pacers by 12. Sixers were up 10 points with 7 mins to go in the 4th quarter and Joel Embiid went to the bench. Boom! Warren exploded again hitting three pointer after three pointer. Hitting every mid-range in sight. Embiid and Harris tried to match bucket for bucket, but in the end, it was too much TJ Warren (sounds weird saying that like he’s James Harden). Sixers lose 127-121, with TJ Warren scoring a career high 53 points(20 of 29 from the field & 9 of 12 from three). Joel Embiid led the way for the home team with 41 points and 21 rebs.  Tobias Harris also played well with 30 points and 8 rebs.

Here’s the part where I keep it real. That was an absolutely discouraging performance by the Sixers. There is no way a team without two starters should have beaten a fully loaded 76ers. I know TJ Warren has been a “walking bucket” since NC State, but he shouldn’t be allowed to score 53 points. Brett Brown and staff made NO adjustments on how they covered him. He still ran free on back screens and terrorized the Sixers on pick and rolls. The Sixers should have switched on back screens and blitzed the pick and roll to cause him to pass the ball to someone else. I can hear the “Fire Brett Brown” comments in unison from all over the city. I’m also disappointed in Ben Simmons’ defensive performance. He will more than likely be an All-Defense first team selection and he didn’t play like it tonight. With that loss, the Pacers gain the tiebreaker in the standings for the 5th seed. This makes a first round match-up with the Boston Celtics more probable and every other game in the bubble more important for seeding.

The Sixers will play again Monday night at 8PM vs. the San Antonio Spurs. Let’s hope that some random guy from the Spurs doesn’t score 50 points.

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Observations from the Sixers’ Tune Up Scrimmages in the Bubble

Posted on by jcrosby1315

Basketball is unofficially back with the NBA scheduling three scrimmages for the 22 teams that are in Orlando for the restart of the season. With the real games kicking off this Thursday, and the Sixers first game being on Saturday, excitement is in the air!

The 76ers scrimmaged three Western Conference opponents that are not on their remaining eight seeding game schedule. They scrimmaged the Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Dallas Mavericks. After watching these games, I have some quick thoughts and observations going into the final eight games of the regular season:

Ben Simmons is Back!

Ben Simmons is back and looks as healthy as he was at the start of the season in October 2019. We all were worried about Ben when he hurt his lower back, but it looks like he spent a lot of time rehabbing. He was moved to the “Power Forward” position as Head Coach Brett Brown tweaked the lineup during the bubble training camp. Simmons’ stat line for the scrimmages included 9 pts, 7 rebs, 9 asts, 3 steals (1 for 2 from the 3-point line) vs the Grizzlies.  A 14 pts, 11 rebs, 9 asts, performance against the Thunder and 4 pts, 2 asts, 9 reb game against the Mavs.

Yes, Ben shot two corner 3-pointers and made one of them. I do not expect him to shoot them every game, but I do think he will take more of them. It will absolutely help the spacing of the team if he continues to confidently shoot. Ultimately, Ben still has the ball in his hands a lot, running the offense from the elbow. You can expect him to continue to initiate offense going forward regardless if he is not labelled the starting Point Guard.

Tobias Harris is the Key to the Sixers’ Summer Dreams

Tobias Harris has grown as a leader on and off the court for the 76ers. Harris has led by example, standing up for social justice reform and holding his teammates accountable in doing the same. It has been said by his coaches and teammates that he has helped curate the team bond into something that is stronger than it has ever been.

Tobias also has been a leader and sound decision maker in the scrimmages the Sixers played. He had a double-double (15 pts and 10 rebs) in a win against the Grizzles. He followed that up with a 9-point performance against the Thunder and another double-double (28 pts and 11 rebs) against the Mavs. Tobias must be the steady scorer the Sixers need if they are going to truly compete. If Tobias can average 23 ppg going forward, it can really take some pressure off Embiid having to shoulder the load offensively. Consistency will be the key for Harris and if he can be consistent with his opportunities every game, the Sixers will surprise many people.

Shake Milton and the Rotation

Shake Milton is now the Sixers starting point guard and he hasn’t been aggressive at all during these scrimmages. I get it, I know he’s trying to feel out the role with everyone healthy, but he has to do what got him the starting role. He has to attack off pick and rolls and shoot open 3-pointers. Shake if you somehow are reading this, play your game! It will only elevate this team.

In my previous article, I discussed how I thought the rotation would play out in the seeding games and playoffs. After watching the scrimmages, my mind has changed on this based on Brett Brown’s substitution patterns. Going forward, I think we will see the starting lineup of Milton, Richardson, Harris, Simmons, and Embiid. The key reserves will be Horford, Korkmaz, Thybulle, and Robinson III. Mike Scott and Raul Neto seemed to have fallen out of the rotation. Alec Burks will be an X-factor off the bench. He won’t get consistent minutes, but he will be used if they need a creator off the dribble and instant offense. I will be paying close attention to the rotation as the real game start up.

Stadium Vibes

I must say, I am impressed with the NBA and how they put together the courts for the bubble. I also like that they are providing home arena sounds and graphics for the designated “home team”. It was pretty cool to hear the sounds as if they were playing at the Wells Fargo Center. I hope the virtual Sixers fans in attendance boo the team if they are losing or not playing hard, that would really feel like a home game!

Let the Games Begin!

The 76ers play their first game this Saturday at 7PM vs. the 5th seeded Indiana Pacers. The Sixers are expected to start Joel Embiid, who sat out the last two scrimmages. The Pacers will be without Domantas Sabonis for the beginning of the restart due to left foot issues. Make sure you tune in and look out for a recap from 76th and Broad!

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The Sixers are back! Welcome to the Bubble!

Posted on by jcrosby1315

First and foremost, I hope that everyone and their families are safe and healthy during this pandemic!

The 2019-20 Sixers are back, but this time they will have to be quarantined on an NBA campus while competing for an NBA championship. The NBA has decided to resume its 2019-20 NBA Season during the COVID-19 global pandemic by creating a quarantined bubble in Orlando, FL. 22 of the 30 NBA teams have been invited to Orlando to finish the season. The season will officially resume on July 30th with each team playing out the regular season with 8 “seeding games”. If the 9th seed is within 4 games of the 8th seed, that will activate “play-in” games to see who makes the playoffs. There will be plenty of rules and social distancing guidelines that players, coaches, and staff will have to endure for this bubble to remain safe and the return of the NBA to continue. Now that there is some background on the return, let’s look at the Sixers’ return schedule:

Sixers’ Schedule:

DateTeamTime (EST)
8/1Indiana Pacers7:00PM
8/3San Antonio Spurs8:00PM
8/5Washington Wizards4:00PM
8/7Orlando Magic6:30PM
8/9Portland Trailblazers6:30PM
8/11Phoenix Suns4:30PM
8/12Toronto Raptors6:30PM
8/14Houston RocketsTBD

Where They Left Off

When the season abruptly ended, the Sixers were 39-26, which was good for 6th in the east. They were tied with the Pacers but losing the season series tie breaker so far. Ben Simmons was out indefinitely with a back injury and Joel Embiid was just returning after a 6-game absence from a shoulder injury. This team was very inconsistent and with injuries, this team just didn’t have the chemistry. The 76ers were an amazing 29-2 at home and a horrible 10-24 on the road. Many TV pundits had jumped off of the Sixers championship bandwagon and making it a point to try to drive a wedge between Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. One positive situation was beginning to develop when the season shut down and that was the rise of Shake Milton. Shake Milton came on the scene nationally with his 39-point game against the Clippers. His great play continued all the way to the shut down and I expect him to have a big role on the team going forward.

Predictions

It is hard to predict how the Sixers will perform in Orlando because it’s not technically home or away. It has been stated by some of the players that they look at this as an opportunity to restart and right the ship. The talent on the roster is there but the fit of the pieces has been an issue all season. I think we will get a mixture of the home and road Sixer performances. The rotation I expect to see includes Shake Milton joining the starting lineup of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Josh Richardson, and Tobias Harris. Key contributors off the bench will be Al Horford (truly a 6th starter depending on matchups), Mike Scott, Glenn Robinson III, and Furkan Korkmaz. I do believe that Alec Burks and Matisse Thybulle will play but just not sure if they will play consistently as they rev up for the playoffs. As far as a prediction for the final 8 games, I think the Sixers will go 6-2 with losses vs the Magic and Suns and grab the 5th seed to face Jimmy Butler and Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs.  We shall see if my prediction holds true, but if it does and the blue & white play the Heat in the first round, all I can say is GET YOUR POPCORN READY!

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