Speaker 1: In recent days, the seventy Sixers have talked a lot
Speaker 1: about the importance of this five game stretch heading into
Speaker 1: the annual All Star Game break, and their urgency with
Speaker 1: which they came out with tonight certainly reflected their buy
Speaker 1: into that concept. Fueled by a very nice start in
Speaker 1: which they outscored the Wizards thirty seven to twenty in
Speaker 1: the opening quarter, they ride that to a one fifteen
Speaker 1: one oh two win at the Center tonight to open
Speaker 1: up a five game homestand Bryan Seltzer saying good evening
Speaker 1: from the Center. Tom McGinnis is standing by. We'll get
Speaker 1: to him in a moment. For those dutiful listeners out
Speaker 1: there of our postgame coverage, first we thank you. Second,
Speaker 1: because this game was a nationally televised broadcast, we will
Speaker 1: not have the postgame press conference feed featuring Brett Brown,
Speaker 1: which we usually take on loan from our good friends
Speaker 1: at NBC Sports Philadelphia, So apologies for not having that.
Speaker 1: But yeah, the Sixers got off to a great start tonight,
Speaker 1: and in the end that really proved to be the difference.
Speaker 1: They led by seventeen after twelve minutes of play. That
Speaker 1: margin was cut to ten at the break, and it
Speaker 1: was a relatively even played game in the second half,
Speaker 1: but the Sixers got big nights from Joel Embiid with
Speaker 1: twenty seven points and twelve rebounds for his twenty six
Speaker 1: double double of the season. Ben Simmons was versatile, overcame
Speaker 1: some early turnovers in the first half to finish strong
Speaker 1: fifteen points, six boards, eight times. Dario Charitch with fifteen
Speaker 1: of his twenty points in the first half very much
Speaker 1: an important part of that auspicious start for the seventy Sixers. Tonight.
Speaker 1: Covington was steady twelve points for him, five rebounds, and
Speaker 1: you know what the Sixers in the early stages of
Speaker 1: the game, led by Emir Johnson and t J McConnell,
Speaker 1: they got some quality output from their bench, which is
Speaker 1: something that Brett Brown was looking for. Six or survive
Speaker 1: seventeen turnovers which led to twenty two Wizards points, and
Speaker 1: they also overcame the thirty point effort from Bradley Beale,
Speaker 1: who got off to a little bit of a sluggish
Speaker 1: start shooting earlier. Tonight. Tom McGinnis had the call of
Speaker 1: this one tonight and out of the chatter in and
Speaker 1: around the seventy Sixers training complex in Camden in recent
Speaker 1: days was trying to take advantage Tom of this five
Speaker 1: game homestand very rare that you get a homestand that
Speaker 1: long going through the break, and you know what the
Speaker 1: Sixers got in their way tonight we just went absolutely
Speaker 1: Not only is it rare, it's unprecedented, that's for sure,
Speaker 1: And a couple with the fact that over recent years
Speaker 1: the All Star Break has numbered nearly a week. It's
Speaker 1: a unique thing for the Sixers and obviously a great
Speaker 1: way to start it. And Washington I thought they were
Speaker 1: a little bit gassed and then Sixers certainly have been
Speaker 1: there as they were on Saturday, and a great start
Speaker 1: for the Sixers. You know the flip side. The Sixers
Speaker 1: came out, I mean they were fired up. Simmons was
Speaker 1: really taking it to otto. Porter. Sixers did a great job,
Speaker 1: everybody getting involved. Daria was terrific from the jump. JJ
Speaker 1: Reddick was one of eight from the field in Indiana
Speaker 1: on Saturday, not tonight. He was firing with accuracy. Everybody
Speaker 1: played well. TJ and A Mirror did exceedingly well. Thirty
Speaker 1: seven points in the opening quarter. Big start. Sixers never
Speaker 1: relinquished a leave, little turnover prone, got a little loose
Speaker 1: at times. Wizards cut it to seven, but really the
Speaker 1: outcome never endowed with the sixers played here tonight sixers
Speaker 1: over the Wizards one fifteen, one h two, back about
Speaker 1: five hundred. With a record now twenty six and twenty five.
Speaker 1: We've seen that time over the last season and a
Speaker 1: half that Joel Embiide is not going to hesitate to
Speaker 1: let a jump shot fly. But tonight he was really steadying.
Speaker 1: It seemed like early on that was what he felt
Speaker 1: like he could get and it went down and I mean,
Speaker 1: things just open up so much more and are made
Speaker 1: so much more difficult for the opposition. But that was
Speaker 1: on point for him tonight. Hit three threes absolutely and
Speaker 1: again that wing jump shot as he turns and faces
Speaker 1: that's really what his whole offensive arsenal is predicated on,
Speaker 1: and then other things come off of that. I still
Speaker 1: say as he grows into his game and gets longer
Speaker 1: into his career, with more experience, he's going to be
Speaker 1: able to dictate from with his back to the basket
Speaker 1: on that left block a little closer to the basket,
Speaker 1: but he's so efficient from that wing area. Again, he
Speaker 1: tries that rip through move swinging the ball below his
Speaker 1: waist left the right, trying to get the defender to
Speaker 1: bite and foul, and oftentimes right now they know that,
Speaker 1: so they stay up and he's still able to then
Speaker 1: bring the ball up and make the shot with regularity.
Speaker 1: And then to your point, he's got that three point shot.
Speaker 1: His numbers aren't great so far this year from three,
Speaker 1: but in the end, I think it's going to level out.
Speaker 1: He's gonna be upwards of maybe thirty six percent throughout
Speaker 1: the course of the the year, and tonight he's getting them
Speaker 1: open look and you've got to kind of play off
Speaker 1: him a little bit, believe it or not as a
Speaker 1: center out there, because his ability to put the ball
Speaker 1: on the floor, and he got some clean looks from
Speaker 1: the top and he made three of them. And when
Speaker 1: that three point shot is going on at any point
Speaker 1: in the game, if you're trying to come back, it
Speaker 1: just makes it that more abrupt in terms of a comeback.
Speaker 1: And same thing with the lead. You have a seven
Speaker 1: point lead, Bang he hit three, and next thing you know,
Speaker 1: it's a double digit cushion. Everybody was moving. They moved
Speaker 1: the ball well, and just a great offensive performance, not
Speaker 1: only by Joel but a guy's across the board and
Speaker 1: again balance attack, multiple players contributing, and that leads to
Speaker 1: one hundred and fifteen points. And I would say convincing
Speaker 1: victory over Washington tonight. Seventy Sixers were super efficient from
Speaker 1: the field fifty five and a half percent, fourteen of
Speaker 1: twenty eight from outside the ark. And now they take
Speaker 1: on tom coming up next on Friday. A New Orleans
Speaker 1: Pelicans team that was thrust unfortunately into the spotlight about
Speaker 1: two weeks ago when DeMarcus Cousins ruptured his achilles, so
Speaker 1: he's out for the rest of the season. There is
Speaker 1: still Anthony Davis, and there's also Drew Holliday, who's been
Speaker 1: fantastic for the Pelicans. Probably flying a bit under the radar,
Speaker 1: but the Sixers, they were you hanging around in that
Speaker 1: game the first time around against the Pels, and this
Speaker 1: certainly will be a big challenge. Absolutely the Cousins loss.
Speaker 1: First of all, he had just had a game I
Speaker 1: believe it was against Chicago where he had forty plus points,
Speaker 1: twenty plus rebounds, he was absolutely dominant in overtime New
Speaker 1: Orleans win over the Bulls. So a crushing loss there.
Speaker 1: If it beats not the best big men the NBA.
Speaker 1: That it's DeMarcus Cousins, and I think a lot of
Speaker 1: guys would agree across the board that they are indeed
Speaker 1: one two. And then you mentioned Drew Holiday and he
Speaker 1: basically won the game. I mean, Davis was really good
Speaker 1: against the Sixers in mid December in Louisiana, but Drew
Speaker 1: Holliday won that game. I you know, you say below
Speaker 1: the radar, and I think so in the general picture
Speaker 1: as far as maybe NBA fans, but not among basketball people,
Speaker 1: that they have a big three. I mean, Drew is
Speaker 1: really playing at a high level. He's signed a big
Speaker 1: contract in the off season and he has really living
Speaker 1: up to it, no doubt about it. They're they're not
Speaker 1: an easy team now again at home last night, they
Speaker 1: gave up one hundred and thirty three points to Utah.
Speaker 1: To me, that stands out a little bit. So they
Speaker 1: come up here and that ought to be a good game.
Speaker 1: And Davis is clearly one of the best players in
Speaker 1: the NBA. It's a unique skill set like him beat,
Speaker 1: his ability to handle, to run the floor. He's just
Speaker 1: a really talented player at that size. It's just incredible
Speaker 1: the number of players like that in the NBA, and
Speaker 1: then the next night you had the Clippers here. So
Speaker 1: first thing, first big game, put the Pels and the
Speaker 1: Sixers will have some time to rest up and get
Speaker 1: ready to go for that in a rare back to
Speaker 1: back home set up over the weekend fun atmosphere down
Speaker 1: here in South Philadelphia tonight. I'm sure everyone will still
Speaker 1: be floating on Cloud nine come Friday for that game
Speaker 1: against the Pelicans, right with the big parade on Thursday. Brian,
Speaker 1: Thanks and good night. Seventy Sixers over the Washington Wizards
Speaker 1: tonight one fifteen to one oh two and encouraging the
Speaker 1: first quarter helped get the Sixers going and they never
Speaker 1: look back in this wire to wire victory. Scoring was
Speaker 1: spread around, the defense was very stout, Sixers overcoming some turnovers,
Speaker 1: and enjoyed a very fine offensive showing. Overall. We'll get
Speaker 1: to some of the highlights. Jeff Mosher standing by after that,
Speaker 1: so keep it right here on ninety seventy five, the
Speaker 1: Fanatic and the Sixers Rating Network. Seventy Sixers the mission
Speaker 1: tonight to start a homestand going into the All Star
Speaker 1: break on a very positive note and pull within a
Speaker 1: few more games of the Washington Wizards. Maybe it was
Speaker 1: a couple of days idol after Saturday's loss, Perhaps it
Speaker 1: was the energy they fit off the revd up eagl
Speaker 1: Es Eagles channing crowd. But it was a great start
Speaker 1: and Ben Simmons was a big part of that. Here's
Speaker 1: Ben on a drive through four players and it's good.
Speaker 1: Ben Simmons can't be stopped scoring to drive by the
Speaker 1: right wing Annam Lane and the reverse and four guys
Speaker 1: were there. Simmons leaves them all standing in awe and
Speaker 1: Simmons will go to the line for what could be
Speaker 1: a three point play. And that was moments after the
Speaker 1: Sixers had a sixteen nothing run end. They got right
Speaker 1: back at it with an aggressive play from Simmons and
Speaker 1: carried to thirty seven to twenty lead going into quarter
Speaker 1: number two. JJ Reddick had a little bit of an
Speaker 1: up and down game on Saturday in India in terms
Speaker 1: of his shooting, but he was very much on point
Speaker 1: this evening. Charge to Anderson, Anderson back out top to
Speaker 1: Joel into the late Dario Brace separation in a layup,
Speaker 1: got away from Porter B with a will type on
Speaker 1: targeted pass fifteen from Dario charge he's seven of nine.
Speaker 1: We know what Dario Schartz was on point two. He
Speaker 1: helped stake the Sixers to a sixty five fifty five
Speaker 1: lead at intermission, and in the opening moments of quarter
Speaker 1: number three, much like it was at the start of
Speaker 1: the first half, Ben Simmons making his imprint felt all
Speaker 1: over the floor. Reddick to would beat three ball by
Speaker 1: a beat his up back ribbing off long rebound Sivens
Speaker 1: dot com nine two hand Jim siventh to the rebounds,
Speaker 1: stuff Sixers ten points. In the area of second chance
Speaker 1: points Sivens fourteen points, four rebounds, four assists. That was
Speaker 1: right after the Wizards had clawded within ten. So recurring
Speaker 1: theme tonight was that whenever the Wizards posed a threat
Speaker 1: or mounted around, the seventy Sixers had an answer. They
Speaker 1: led by ten ninety four eighty four going into the
Speaker 1: fourth quarter, Robert Covington stepping up with a big play
Speaker 1: Dario Chartz with his seventh rebound. Coving did open down
Speaker 1: though in them lay out Praiser puts up a Robert
Speaker 1: coming to the remark over recovery and he scores it
Speaker 1: down all right. Darry with a great playing coup with
Speaker 1: ten twelve point lead five and a half ago. That
Speaker 1: was shortly after Covington went down for a full time
Speaker 1: out after getting the wind knocked out of him. Good
Speaker 1: to see from Covington given the Sixers a thirteen point
Speaker 1: lead that was clutch in timely. So too was this
Speaker 1: from JJ Reddick, which essentially put the game out of
Speaker 1: reach for the whizz one oh seven ninety nine. They
Speaker 1: need more points two forty to go Jowell out Todd
Speaker 1: Reddick freeball leading Reddick shoots to deaden j. J Reddick
Speaker 1: four for four from beyond the arc, couldn't make one
Speaker 1: till the end of Indiana Saturday on Fire Tonight sixes
Speaker 1: by eleven. He was great, as were a handful of
Speaker 1: other sixers tonight in a very much collective effort against
Speaker 1: the Washington Wizards in a thirteen point victory one fifteen
Speaker 1: one oh two finals. From final stat sheet, six ors
Speaker 1: fifty five and a half percent from the field, Wizards
Speaker 1: forty four percent. Six Ers fourteen of twenty eight from
Speaker 1: outside the arc ended up out rebounding the Wizards by five.
Speaker 1: The rebounding really intensifying in the latter stages of the game,
Speaker 1: so that was helpful to the cause. What was a
Speaker 1: little bit adventuresome were the seventeen turnovers that the Sixers committed,
Speaker 1: five more than the Wizards, which ultimately led to twenty
Speaker 1: two Washington points, but they survived that as well as
Speaker 1: Bradley Beale's thirty points running down the Sixers individual box lines.
Speaker 1: Joel Ebid led the way with twenty seven points and
Speaker 1: a dozen rebounds for the Sixers. Both of those totals
Speaker 1: were team highs Embiid really relied heavily on the jump
Speaker 1: shot tonight. He was ten of twenty from the field,
Speaker 1: three of seven from outside the arc. He had three
Speaker 1: assists and three block shots twenty and seven for Dario
Speaker 1: Charch eighteen for JJ Reddick four of five from outside
Speaker 1: the argue would end up missing this final attempt. Ben
Speaker 1: Simmons fifteen six and eight to go along with three
Speaker 1: steals and twelve for Robert Covington who was five or
Speaker 1: twelfth in the field and two of seven from outside
Speaker 1: the Arkhamer Johnson with nine points, three rebounds, Teaching McConnell
Speaker 1: with seven points, eight boards and four assists, both very
Speaker 1: much beneficial presences for the seventy Sixers off the bench.
Speaker 1: With the win The Sixers are back over five hundred
Speaker 1: now twenty six and twenty five, while the Washington Wizards
Speaker 1: see a season long five game winning streak come to
Speaker 1: an end. They're thirty one and twenty three on the season.
Speaker 1: Sixers now a half game in front of the Detroit
Speaker 1: Pistons for eighth in the Eastern Conference. That within three
Speaker 1: and a half games of the Wizards. Up next, the
Speaker 1: seventy six Ers step outside of conference play for a
Speaker 1: back to back at home on Friday and Saturday. They've
Speaker 1: got the Pelicans up first, followed by the revamped Ella
Speaker 1: Clippers on Saturday night. Following the Sixers win, Tom McGinnis
Speaker 1: had a chance to catch up with one of the
Speaker 1: players afterwards. The Sixers twenty six and twenty five and
Speaker 1: in now fourteen and ten at Ben Simmons and joint
Speaker 1: his courtside. Well, that was a nice way to end
Speaker 1: that bend with the steal and that confident dribble into
Speaker 1: the front court. Great start, and you guys, leed start
Speaker 1: to finish your thoughts In general, definitely, I think we
Speaker 1: played a tough team without John Wall. You know, they're
Speaker 1: a great team. They've been playing well. I think we
Speaker 1: really put it together at the end and played at
Speaker 1: the team. You got through our stuff. Porter was guarding you,
Speaker 1: and it's just by the way you handled the ball
Speaker 1: offensively an attack. You almost felt he couldn't guard you
Speaker 1: the way you would attack the basket. No, I don't
Speaker 1: think you could. And Joel was really good, great balance,
Speaker 1: and again I thought your team looks so fresh from
Speaker 1: the start, a little bit different than Saturday because you
Speaker 1: had had that busy stretch of five games in seven days.
Speaker 1: Is that accurate? Definitely. It's always great playing in front
Speaker 1: of a crowd that's your own, so you know, especially
Speaker 1: the Eagles fans came out. I supported us, which is
Speaker 1: really great and they really gives a lot of nsy
Speaker 1: big home stretch here, one down, four to go, important weekend,
Speaker 1: back to back for you guys here this weekend. Thank
Speaker 1: you Ben, congrats, Thank you Ben Simmons of the Sixers
Speaker 1: a thirteen point win, one fifteen. Want to do very
Speaker 1: succinct