WEBVTT - Sixers-Blazers, All-Star Duos, Go Birds 0:00:00.240 --> 0:00:03.400 This podcast is part of the seventy Sixers podcast network 0:00:03.600 --> 0:00:10.840 search seventy Sixers Insiders wherever you get your podcasts day, everybody, 0:00:11.320 --> 0:00:24.959 I'm five, yeah, seventy six Hello, everybody. Welcome back once 0:00:24.960 --> 0:00:29.319 again to a post Sixers win reaction. I'm Lauren Rosen. 0:00:29.360 --> 0:00:31.400 Matt Murphy is here with me. If you're live on 0:00:31.440 --> 0:00:35.519 Twitter spaces, welcome. If you're listening posthumously on the seventy 0:00:35.600 --> 0:00:39.320 Sixers Insiders podcast feed, thank you for joining us. There 0:00:39.720 --> 0:00:41.479 a reminder that you can always give us your feedback. 0:00:41.560 --> 0:00:43.320 Let us know what you want to hear about after 0:00:43.400 --> 0:00:45.960 every Sixers game. Whether or not we go live the 0:00:45.960 --> 0:00:48.360 next day, we keep tracks, So we would love, love, 0:00:48.400 --> 0:00:50.440 love to hear from you guys where you're listening from, 0:00:50.479 --> 0:00:53.080 what you're seeing, what you're enjoying, what you're hoping for. 0:00:53.320 --> 0:00:55.960 On the road ahead, Matt Murphy, good morning, four and oh. 0:00:56.040 --> 0:00:58.760 On this road trip thus far, Doc Rivers Terry's Maxie 0:00:58.760 --> 0:01:00.760 talked about it last night. They say they'd be thrilled 0:01:00.800 --> 0:01:02.600 if they had been bold, if they were going to 0:01:02.640 --> 0:01:05.280 go four and oh at the beginning, especially considering how 0:01:05.400 --> 0:01:08.720 few days off the team had during this stretch and 0:01:08.760 --> 0:01:10.920 how grueling. It's been so four and oh so far. 0:01:11.360 --> 0:01:13.520 It's been awesome to recap them with you. How are 0:01:13.520 --> 0:01:16.880 you feeling this morning? I'm doing great. One oh five 0:01:17.080 --> 0:01:21.560 ninety five win over the Portland Trailblazers. The Sixers now 0:01:21.640 --> 0:01:24.200 have the same record in the Eastern Conference as the 0:01:24.240 --> 0:01:28.600 Milwaukee Bucks, and those teams only trail the Boston Celtics 0:01:28.800 --> 0:01:33.000 Philadelphia now twenty nine and sixteen. In the pre show, 0:01:33.000 --> 0:01:35.280 he said, it's not mourning for the East Coast people, 0:01:35.440 --> 0:01:38.160 including myself, but I'm kicking us off with a funny 0:01:38.160 --> 0:01:42.080 message from Winona, who says it feels like mourning because 0:01:42.080 --> 0:01:44.160 we stay up with the fellas. So that's how we're 0:01:44.200 --> 0:01:46.520 doing on this side, Lauren. But it is morning for 0:01:46.600 --> 0:01:50.840 you going from Portland to Sacramento overnight. It was a 0:01:50.920 --> 0:01:53.080 late night last night, but again, any late night is 0:01:53.120 --> 0:01:55.000 better when the Sixers can pull out a win and 0:01:55.040 --> 0:01:57.280 the vibes can be as high as they were leaving 0:01:57.320 --> 0:01:59.640 Portland last night. So let's dive into the box score. 0:02:00.280 --> 0:02:02.960 As I read some stats from last night, Please let 0:02:03.000 --> 0:02:04.680 us know what stands out to you. You can click 0:02:04.720 --> 0:02:06.520 the bottom right hand corner of the space. There's a 0:02:06.520 --> 0:02:09.040 purple icon where you can let us know what's standing out. 0:02:09.120 --> 0:02:11.040 You can send us DMS. You guys know the drill, 0:02:11.160 --> 0:02:14.280 let's do it. Joel Embiid last night led the way 0:02:14.480 --> 0:02:17.280 thirty two points, nine rebounds, two assists, a steel, and 0:02:17.520 --> 0:02:21.040 three blocks. Joel shot twenty two or two twelve four 0:02:21.200 --> 0:02:24.320 twenty two from the field, seven for seven from the 0:02:24.400 --> 0:02:27.640 free throw line. James Harden another triple double last night, 0:02:27.840 --> 0:02:32.359 sixteen points, ten rebounds, fourteen assists. He shot six for 0:02:32.480 --> 0:02:34.280 eleven from the field, three for four from the line 0:02:34.280 --> 0:02:37.200 in thirty four minutes. Again, the minutes lower last night, 0:02:37.240 --> 0:02:39.760 which is great to see on again a pretty grueling 0:02:39.840 --> 0:02:43.000 road stretch like this. James's thirty four minutes marked a 0:02:43.160 --> 0:02:48.200 team high. Tobias Harris eleven points, seven rebounds and assist 0:02:48.280 --> 0:02:51.880 and a steal. He shot five for eleven. Tyrese Maxie 0:02:51.960 --> 0:02:55.000 led the bench unit with fifteen points, two rebounds, two 0:02:55.000 --> 0:02:57.640 assists and a steal. He shot seven for twelve from 0:02:57.680 --> 0:03:00.320 the field in a bench high twenty nine. And it's 0:03:00.360 --> 0:03:06.000 of play. D Anthony Melton, George Niang, Shake, Milton Matisse, Thyble, 0:03:06.160 --> 0:03:09.560 Montrese Harrell all scored in this one as well, but 0:03:09.639 --> 0:03:12.239 Matt Murphy. What stood out to you as you watched 0:03:12.360 --> 0:03:17.080 this edition of Sixers after Dark? I am going to 0:03:17.240 --> 0:03:24.760 borrow from one of the Space's followers on Twitter. Stuart said, 0:03:24.960 --> 0:03:29.120 forty one bench points says a lot, Maxi Shake Niang 0:03:29.360 --> 0:03:31.840 doing well, so I'd agree with that. I think the 0:03:32.360 --> 0:03:36.400 bench points I'm gonna steal that answer because it ended 0:03:36.440 --> 0:03:42.200 up being forty one eighteen in favor of the Sixers bench. 0:03:42.600 --> 0:03:45.520 Of course, Tyrese Maxie his third straight game off the bench, 0:03:45.520 --> 0:03:48.360 Shake Milton had some really clutch buckets in the second half, 0:03:48.400 --> 0:03:52.080 so did George Niang again. Matisse Thible a steal against 0:03:52.160 --> 0:03:55.480 Damian Lillard in a fifteen point game towards the end 0:03:55.520 --> 0:03:58.920 of the game, made some plays as well. Montrese Harold's 0:03:59.040 --> 0:04:01.960 energy in the first half and throughout the game. I 0:04:02.000 --> 0:04:05.400 think the bench on game four of a five game 0:04:05.480 --> 0:04:08.640 road trip, I was impressed with the energy level that 0:04:08.680 --> 0:04:11.120 the bench brought and it just shows the depth of 0:04:11.120 --> 0:04:13.760 this team. What stood out to you? I agree with you. 0:04:14.240 --> 0:04:17.760 I think that the bench productivity has been really really 0:04:17.800 --> 0:04:20.360 strong throughout this trip. I think not even I think 0:04:20.400 --> 0:04:23.239 the bench productivity has been strong, led by Tyrese Maxie, 0:04:23.279 --> 0:04:24.840 Matt I want to hear from him. Are we ready 0:04:24.880 --> 0:04:27.320 to dive into his comments or did you want to 0:04:27.320 --> 0:04:30.640 talk about stats a little bit more? No, I mean 0:04:30.680 --> 0:04:34.040 we could always talk about Joel Embad and James Harden's stats, 0:04:34.120 --> 0:04:39.080 because with these most recent performances we may have already 0:04:39.080 --> 0:04:41.440 covered this. But seven straight thirty point games from Bad, 0:04:41.480 --> 0:04:44.520 he just keeps tacking onto that. And Harden's fourth triple 0:04:44.560 --> 0:04:48.720 double leads the Eastern Conference. But let's hear from Tyrese Maxie. Yeah, 0:04:48.800 --> 0:04:51.440 big time stuff. In the words of Tyres Maxie. Rather, 0:04:51.640 --> 0:04:52.960 we need to make sure that we're not taking for 0:04:53.000 --> 0:04:55.760 granted amazing nights like last night for Joel. He said 0:04:55.800 --> 0:04:58.760 after the Clippers game that sometimes they look up before 0:04:58.880 --> 0:05:01.600 Joel has reached the thirty point threshold at the scoreboard 0:05:01.600 --> 0:05:05.320 and they say, where's Joel tonight? Jokingly obviously, but interesting 0:05:05.360 --> 0:05:09.080 to see that such a such a dominant performance is 0:05:09.480 --> 0:05:12.599 becoming such clockwork for Joel and for his teammates to 0:05:12.680 --> 0:05:15.080 expect it as well. And then you mentioned James Harden, 0:05:15.160 --> 0:05:18.480 of course, who's been distributing perhaps better than anybody else 0:05:18.720 --> 0:05:21.359 in the league, and his chemistry with Joel something that 0:05:21.400 --> 0:05:23.440 we should we should touch on at some point as well, 0:05:23.640 --> 0:05:26.240 but love to see the two of them really developing 0:05:26.360 --> 0:05:29.239 something special. I feel like on this trip specifically, Matt 0:05:29.760 --> 0:05:32.760 James's awareness for where Joel has been is perhaps at 0:05:32.800 --> 0:05:35.159 its peak, and that's been something really cool to see. 0:05:36.839 --> 0:05:40.560 So to shift gears a little bit a cool story. 0:05:40.720 --> 0:05:42.800 We know. Rich Hoffmann from The Athletic covered this as 0:05:42.839 --> 0:05:45.160 well this morning, But for those of you that don't know, 0:05:45.240 --> 0:05:48.440 Shake Milton and Tyrese Maxie, who are now leaving that 0:05:48.480 --> 0:05:52.480 second unit backcourt together, actually have a lot of history. 0:05:52.680 --> 0:05:57.000 They The two of them didn't know each other until 0:05:57.120 --> 0:06:00.000 Tyrese was a high school student and Shake was in college, 0:06:00.200 --> 0:06:02.640 but that of course was years before they became teammates 0:06:02.880 --> 0:06:05.960 with the seventy sixers. Tyrese's father was at the time 0:06:06.000 --> 0:06:10.160 a coach with SMU where Shake Milton played his college basketball, 0:06:10.440 --> 0:06:13.520 and a high school Tyrese Maxie remembers getting to know 0:06:14.040 --> 0:06:16.839 a college aged Shake Milton who became a little bit 0:06:16.880 --> 0:06:19.520 of a mentor for him, and then life is funny 0:06:19.640 --> 0:06:22.280 they end up on the seventy sixers together. Now they 0:06:22.360 --> 0:06:24.640 end up playing together more heavily than they ever have, 0:06:24.839 --> 0:06:28.279 and the chemistry that was built back then is showing today, 0:06:28.320 --> 0:06:30.320 so I want to play maybe a couple of minutes 0:06:30.360 --> 0:06:33.560 actually worth of tires. Maxie's media availability from last night 0:06:33.600 --> 0:06:36.839 where he sort of chronicled that bond that he built 0:06:36.839 --> 0:06:40.040 with Shake, how it started and how it's continued on today. 0:06:40.080 --> 0:06:47.480 So take a listen to Tyrese here. I met him 0:06:47.480 --> 0:06:50.720 so long ago. I met him my junior year in 0:06:50.760 --> 0:06:53.400 high school, I think, and just because I was a 0:06:53.400 --> 0:06:55.640 fan of his game and my dad coach at SMU, 0:06:55.720 --> 0:06:57.520 so I was at the games all the time, and 0:06:58.440 --> 0:07:01.000 you know, and I'll go and either at practicing different 0:07:01.000 --> 0:07:03.359 things like that because I'm a fan. Because he was, 0:07:03.440 --> 0:07:05.679 you know, older than me. It's funny, like you'd always 0:07:05.680 --> 0:07:07.280 take men this win. You know, he'll talk to me 0:07:07.560 --> 0:07:09.440 or tell me what he saw in the picking roll, 0:07:09.560 --> 0:07:11.119 tell when he saw in the game. I just messed 0:07:11.120 --> 0:07:13.080 with him, buy how well he played the night before. 0:07:13.560 --> 0:07:15.800 But in my posts, should come home and tell me 0:07:15.840 --> 0:07:18.040 he was like, you know, this dude's gonna be really good. 0:07:18.200 --> 0:07:20.160 And just watch how players off to picking all his 0:07:20.240 --> 0:07:22.680 pacing different things like that. Um, we do have a 0:07:22.720 --> 0:07:24.800 lot of totally different games. He's a little bit slower 0:07:24.840 --> 0:07:27.000 and I'm a little a little bit running around fast, 0:07:27.080 --> 0:07:29.440 but you know it's it's great now. I'm just streaming 0:07:29.440 --> 0:07:31.480 proud of him. Um, he's doing this thing right now 0:07:31.640 --> 0:07:33.680 and he's been big. But this whole road trip and 0:07:33.880 --> 0:07:36.200 even before that, he stayed right. He's been a different 0:07:36.280 --> 0:07:39.280 role starting not playing, coming out to bench playing, have 0:07:39.400 --> 0:07:42.040 to score big moments and just gotta really appreciate the 0:07:42.040 --> 0:07:46.080 guy like that worked out with him, or play one 0:07:46.080 --> 0:07:48.880 on one while you were maybe stalling high school. That that 0:07:48.840 --> 0:07:51.880 that ever happening long in college? No, because you know, 0:07:52.400 --> 0:07:54.200 you don't want to. I don't want to be a 0:07:54.200 --> 0:07:55.840 part of them trying to hurt, you know, and mess 0:07:55.840 --> 0:07:58.040 around and actually hurt somebody, and that could you know. 0:07:58.600 --> 0:08:00.920 But I did watch a lot of practice because there 0:08:00.960 --> 0:08:02.720 was only like what thirty minutes away from my house, 0:08:02.960 --> 0:08:04.440 so I would go up there and watch practice with 0:08:04.520 --> 0:08:07.080 my dad and UH coach Jankovic. I appreciate them let 0:08:07.080 --> 0:08:08.920 me come in and sit in on it. UM. I 0:08:09.000 --> 0:08:12.680 think one because it UM enhanced your basketball IQ being 0:08:12.720 --> 0:08:14.680 able to sit in through college a college practice in 0:08:14.720 --> 0:08:16.520 high school and you can go back to your teammates 0:08:16.520 --> 0:08:18.440 and tell them what you see, what you saw and 0:08:18.840 --> 0:08:20.760 you kind of execute with your high school teammates. It's 0:08:20.760 --> 0:08:23.800 not as easy, but it's definitely fun. But um, but yeah, 0:08:23.840 --> 0:08:25.960 and that's probably the biggest thing with us. We didn't 0:08:25.960 --> 0:08:28.320 play much one on one, but he was like a 0:08:28.320 --> 0:08:32.720 big brother. You mentioned he told ye like when you 0:08:32.720 --> 0:08:36.760 were playing, what work was he kind of using his lace, 0:08:37.200 --> 0:08:40.520 you know, his past. I don't know. I think he 0:08:40.640 --> 0:08:44.040 was just like because he felt like he knew that 0:08:44.080 --> 0:08:46.600 I had I guess, potential or talent, and he just 0:08:46.600 --> 0:08:48.360 told me to stay ready. He's like, you just never 0:08:48.440 --> 0:08:51.400 know what happens. You never know this this league. Guys 0:08:51.440 --> 0:08:53.760 get hurt sometimes, Like we don't want anybody get hurt, 0:08:53.800 --> 0:08:55.440 but guys get hurt. And you got to step right 0:08:55.480 --> 0:08:57.880 in and step up. And there was games where, um, 0:08:58.400 --> 0:09:00.520 you know, some people have to sit out because low management, 0:09:00.559 --> 0:09:02.600 different things like that. And there's games where he would 0:09:02.600 --> 0:09:03.679 talk to me, is all right, look it's one of 0:09:03.720 --> 0:09:05.840 them games like let's go and I'll go right in 0:09:05.920 --> 0:09:08.599 and be myself. And when you have somebody like that, 0:09:08.640 --> 0:09:11.480 who's in the rotation, who's playing every night, who's at 0:09:11.559 --> 0:09:14.679 that time, was like a really really good six man 0:09:14.760 --> 0:09:16.720 for our team, and he was like a microwaves score. 0:09:17.080 --> 0:09:18.640 When you have a guy like that who's older than 0:09:18.679 --> 0:09:21.000 they have the confidence to you, it builds confidence in yourself. 0:09:21.320 --> 0:09:23.160 So I've just been trying to do the same thing 0:09:23.240 --> 0:09:26.040 with everybody. I know, I'm younger than most, but trying 0:09:26.040 --> 0:09:29.040 to give them them confidence because the confidence that a 0:09:29.040 --> 0:09:31.000 lot of people don't have it themselves. If you gave 0:09:31.080 --> 0:09:33.800 them the confidence, then thinking they can perform a lot better. 0:09:33.840 --> 0:09:41.120 So that tyres Maxie talking last night about Shake Milton 0:09:41.240 --> 0:09:44.120 and the years long relationship that they have. Matt, I 0:09:44.160 --> 0:09:46.640 know that we had covered it previously. The two of 0:09:46.720 --> 0:09:49.160 us have talked with both Tyris and with Shake about 0:09:49.160 --> 0:09:50.960 their relationship. But how cool is it now to see 0:09:51.000 --> 0:09:54.360 the two of them really bonding, playing together and being 0:09:54.400 --> 0:09:56.840 so successful with it so that this can become a 0:09:56.920 --> 0:10:00.280 much bigger story than it was perhaps when when Reas 0:10:00.320 --> 0:10:03.240 joined the team a few years back. To me, it 0:10:03.320 --> 0:10:07.160 just says a lot about this mantra that Tyrese shared 0:10:07.240 --> 0:10:10.040 coming from Doc Rivers and the coaching staff on media day, 0:10:10.080 --> 0:10:14.800 the wee season thing and adapting to different roles throughout 0:10:14.880 --> 0:10:17.959 the season. So Tyrese is averaging about seventeen points per 0:10:18.000 --> 0:10:20.920 game off the bench in the last couple on this 0:10:21.040 --> 0:10:24.720 road trip back at the end of November when Maxi 0:10:24.840 --> 0:10:28.360 went down and Shake Milton was starting. For a nine 0:10:28.440 --> 0:10:31.480 game period he averaged about twenty points per game. And 0:10:31.520 --> 0:10:33.920 then he goes back to a bench roll and can 0:10:33.960 --> 0:10:38.520 still make consecutive buckets at important junctures of games, like 0:10:38.600 --> 0:10:42.040 he did against the Blazers, finishing with ten points and 0:10:42.120 --> 0:10:46.319 had some key baskets in that game. And it's always 0:10:46.320 --> 0:10:49.520 good to hear guys talk about their friendships and how 0:10:49.559 --> 0:10:53.840 long it goes back. And I appreciate the story that 0:10:53.960 --> 0:10:56.439 Rich Hoffman did right for the athletic. You gave him 0:10:56.440 --> 0:10:58.680 a shout out by the way, a fellow Fordham Ram 0:10:58.720 --> 0:11:01.800 like myself, so shout out to But Rich wrote in 0:11:01.840 --> 0:11:06.680 that story that the microwave nickname comes from Sixers athletic 0:11:06.679 --> 0:11:10.160 trainer Kevin Johnson, who said that Shake Milton reminds him 0:11:10.200 --> 0:11:14.319 of former Detroit Piston the microwave Vinnie Johnson. So a 0:11:14.360 --> 0:11:17.160 little bit more background on that, But Shakes a guy 0:11:17.200 --> 0:11:20.800 that's had different nicknames over the years. He was actually 0:11:20.880 --> 0:11:23.240 in the G League his rookie year, they called him 0:11:23.240 --> 0:11:26.760 money Train. I'm not still sure of the origin of that. 0:11:26.840 --> 0:11:31.600 I have to do that that had to be Norbell Pell. Yeah, 0:11:31.640 --> 0:11:34.400 so around that time when they were calling Shake Money Train, 0:11:34.720 --> 0:11:37.120 they would a lot of his Bluecoats teammates when Shake 0:11:37.160 --> 0:11:40.119 was on a two way contract, would comment on Instagram 0:11:40.120 --> 0:11:42.520 with just like a money emoji and a train emoji. 0:11:43.040 --> 0:11:46.520 But then the microwave nickname. Tyrese Maxie has said it 0:11:46.559 --> 0:11:49.959 a lot, George Niang has said it this year, and 0:11:50.080 --> 0:11:54.280 of course his social media handles are Sniper Shake too. 0:11:54.320 --> 0:11:56.880 So he's a guy with many nicknames. But I think 0:11:56.920 --> 0:12:01.600 Shake actually not his given first name Molik, So I 0:12:01.679 --> 0:12:04.400 love it, Matt, what a history of nicknames for Shake Milton. 0:12:04.440 --> 0:12:08.000 This is the content you come to Twitter spaces for. Yeah, 0:12:08.040 --> 0:12:11.320 there's a lot of different things you could refer to 0:12:11.360 --> 0:12:15.640 Shake Milton as, but him and Tyrese Maxie most recently 0:12:16.120 --> 0:12:19.319 both adapting to their roles when they have this theme 0:12:20.040 --> 0:12:23.959 of a wee season. I think they're great examples of 0:12:24.400 --> 0:12:29.760 just that. Absolutely. I love how they chronicled and Matt, 0:12:29.840 --> 0:12:31.560 we talked about this last time, but when the guys 0:12:31.600 --> 0:12:34.360 interviewed one another in LA they sort of alluded to 0:12:34.400 --> 0:12:37.240 the fact that when Tyrese was a rookie, which we 0:12:37.280 --> 0:12:39.360 just heard him speak about, he didn't play a lot, 0:12:39.520 --> 0:12:42.000 and Shake went through a stretch that season where he 0:12:42.040 --> 0:12:45.160 also didn't play a whole lot, especially last year, didn't 0:12:45.200 --> 0:12:47.680 have an opportunity to play all that much because of injuries. 0:12:47.720 --> 0:12:50.160 So the way that they have taught each other how 0:12:50.200 --> 0:12:52.920 to stay ready, and you of course point immediately back 0:12:52.920 --> 0:12:56.240 to both of them having thirty nine point performances during 0:12:56.240 --> 0:12:59.240 a period of time where they weren't expected to be 0:12:59.440 --> 0:13:03.120 as active as they were Shake of course versus the Clippers, 0:13:03.120 --> 0:13:05.800 and then tyrese later on when a lot of players 0:13:05.800 --> 0:13:08.760 were out in his rookie season against the Denver Nuggets. 0:13:08.760 --> 0:13:10.480 So there are a lot of parallels between the two 0:13:10.480 --> 0:13:12.520 of them, and it's been really cool to see them 0:13:12.600 --> 0:13:15.559 bond and play together so well. Doc Rivers talked about 0:13:15.559 --> 0:13:18.520 them pregame, the way that they have very different demeanors. 0:13:18.559 --> 0:13:21.640 Tyres a lot more demonstrative. You can hear his voice 0:13:21.720 --> 0:13:24.960 pretty consistently at practice. Shake is a little bit more demure, 0:13:25.000 --> 0:13:28.760 a little bit less loud. He keeps himself very even keeled. 0:13:29.400 --> 0:13:32.120 But Doc said he appreciates the way that when they 0:13:32.200 --> 0:13:35.160 hit the court together, when they spend time together, they're 0:13:35.400 --> 0:13:38.520 very very similar, even though they display differently. So a 0:13:38.559 --> 0:13:42.240 cool little subplot in this mid season stretch for the 0:13:42.280 --> 0:13:44.240 seventy six ers. Matt, I don't know if you're ready 0:13:44.240 --> 0:13:46.320 to move on, but if you have any other topics 0:13:46.360 --> 0:13:49.040 you want to cover this morning, let's dive in. I'm 0:13:49.040 --> 0:13:55.840 sorting through various questions and comments and I well, let's 0:13:55.880 --> 0:14:01.240 go back because some came in earlier today or even 0:14:01.280 --> 0:14:06.520 earlier in the week. Joseph said, Jojo unstoppable. James has 0:14:06.559 --> 0:14:11.840 been sensational. You did mention that combination of players and 0:14:11.880 --> 0:14:15.160 how important they were. Again, so what have you seen 0:14:15.880 --> 0:14:18.760 from I mean, we've talked about it on recent episodes, 0:14:19.200 --> 0:14:22.440 but their pick and roll and you actually tweeted towards 0:14:22.440 --> 0:14:24.480 the end of the game. I don't want to miss 0:14:24.560 --> 0:14:27.520 quote it, but just how special Joel Embiid has been. 0:14:27.560 --> 0:14:31.240 I think it was right after that high arcing end 0:14:31.240 --> 0:14:35.520 of shot clock fadeaway that in yeah, that he's somehow made. 0:14:35.640 --> 0:14:40.080 So when they are on it is incredible to watch. 0:14:40.160 --> 0:14:43.240 And they've been on a lot lately, and they're almost 0:14:43.240 --> 0:14:45.280 just getting started though, because when we think about how 0:14:45.320 --> 0:14:48.200 this season has gone along James missing time with injury, 0:14:48.280 --> 0:14:51.120 Joel missing time with injury last season, of course they 0:14:51.200 --> 0:14:53.440 only had less than half of the year to get 0:14:53.440 --> 0:14:55.920 to know one another, and each of them endured some 0:14:56.000 --> 0:14:58.920 bumps and bruises during that time as well. So cool, 0:14:59.120 --> 0:15:01.120 really cool, and of course Knockwood, but to see them 0:15:01.440 --> 0:15:04.000 have this healthy stretch together to start to get to 0:15:04.040 --> 0:15:07.960 know one another. Shake Milton called James Harden a wizard 0:15:08.000 --> 0:15:10.040 with the basketball a few weeks ago, and then last 0:15:10.120 --> 0:15:13.280 night Tyrese Maxie said the same, discussing the way in 0:15:13.440 --> 0:15:16.000 the ways, the many ways in which James can find 0:15:16.040 --> 0:15:18.720 his teammates regardless of where they are. Tyrese's quote from 0:15:18.800 --> 0:15:21.040 last night, James is just a wizard with the ball. 0:15:21.080 --> 0:15:23.000 He knows exactly where guys are going to be. He 0:15:23.120 --> 0:15:25.080 and Joel have a connection. It took some time, but 0:15:25.120 --> 0:15:29.400 when they're clicking, it's clicking. And sort of the trope 0:15:29.400 --> 0:15:32.160 that we've now heard from Matisse Thybal, from George Niang, 0:15:32.280 --> 0:15:34.800 from Tyrese, from Shake is that James is able to 0:15:34.840 --> 0:15:36.880 find them on the court, whether or not he's looking 0:15:36.920 --> 0:15:39.680 at them or for them. It almost takes time for 0:15:39.760 --> 0:15:43.680 these other players to adjust to understanding that James knows 0:15:43.720 --> 0:15:46.200 where they are, even if even if they don't think 0:15:46.200 --> 0:15:48.600 that he does. And that's been something really special to see. 0:15:49.080 --> 0:15:51.800 Of course, we've talked a lot about turnovers this season, 0:15:51.800 --> 0:15:55.080 and sometimes those situations result in turnovers, but not because 0:15:55.400 --> 0:15:58.520 James isn't finding someone. It's because someone isn't expecting James 0:15:58.600 --> 0:16:01.400 to find them. And it's been really cool to see 0:16:01.400 --> 0:16:05.000 them sort of limit those turnovers, developed that chemistry, and 0:16:05.080 --> 0:16:08.040 last night it was certainly on full display. A couple 0:16:08.080 --> 0:16:12.600 more thoughts on the Portland game, because I want to 0:16:12.720 --> 0:16:16.360 emphasize the fact that the Trailblazers only scored thirty four 0:16:16.400 --> 0:16:19.680 points in the first half. I know they clawed their 0:16:19.680 --> 0:16:22.840 way back into it, but an impressive start to the 0:16:22.840 --> 0:16:27.080 game for the Sixers at fifty seven to thirty four 0:16:27.400 --> 0:16:30.160 after two quarters. And there was a stretch early in 0:16:30.200 --> 0:16:35.400 the second quarter where the bench was reacting pretty demonstratively 0:16:36.200 --> 0:16:38.760 in favor of what was going on because Mantraz Harold 0:16:38.800 --> 0:16:43.240 had a big alley conversion from George Niang, Matis Thibel 0:16:43.320 --> 0:16:45.160 had a steal and a dunk, and he was smiling 0:16:45.200 --> 0:16:47.400 on his way back down the court. So from your 0:16:47.440 --> 0:16:50.480 perspective at the game, it seemed like that was a 0:16:50.520 --> 0:16:53.840 great example of where this team chemistry is at right now. 0:16:54.080 --> 0:16:56.280 If the vibes are good when you think about the 0:16:56.760 --> 0:16:59.320 stretch over these last couple of months, starting with that 0:16:59.440 --> 0:17:02.440 Lakers game to kick off the seven game homestand at 0:17:02.480 --> 0:17:06.760 home in which the Sixers won all seven. If I'm 0:17:06.840 --> 0:17:10.600 not mistaken, Matt Murphy, Yeah, since that first Lakers game 0:17:10.680 --> 0:17:13.400 and running us all the way up until last night 0:17:13.600 --> 0:17:17.360 against the Trailblazer, with the Sixers have only lost four games. 0:17:17.960 --> 0:17:21.520 They are developing Zach Low this morning, it's called it 0:17:21.600 --> 0:17:24.479 Philly's quiet dominance, and I think that that's sort of 0:17:24.480 --> 0:17:27.120 what this team is doing right, staying a little under 0:17:27.119 --> 0:17:30.360 the radar, still working things out, understanding that they can 0:17:30.400 --> 0:17:32.960 get a lot better. I'll read a Doc Rivers quote 0:17:33.000 --> 0:17:36.000 on exactly that Doc said following the game. I think 0:17:36.000 --> 0:17:38.800 we're good, and I think we can be really really good, 0:17:38.840 --> 0:17:40.800 but there's a lot of work left to do. So 0:17:40.880 --> 0:17:42.480 if this is what the team looks like with a 0:17:42.520 --> 0:17:45.760 lot of work still to do, Matt, it's exciting, right, 0:17:45.800 --> 0:17:48.080 and you kind of want to be that quietly dominant team. 0:17:48.119 --> 0:17:49.840 You kind of want to fly under the radar a 0:17:49.840 --> 0:17:51.720 little bit. We've talked about the Bucks in the Celtics 0:17:51.760 --> 0:17:54.600 all year long, but to be up in that company now, 0:17:55.200 --> 0:17:57.080 especially considering I know we've said it a lot, but 0:17:57.160 --> 0:18:00.640 especially considering the injuries early in the season. Very impressive 0:18:00.680 --> 0:18:03.560 stuff and a lot of exciting basketball is still to come. 0:18:05.080 --> 0:18:08.159 I'm getting some more questions, and there's a couple that 0:18:08.200 --> 0:18:11.040 I want to get to. But there's one from Wednesday 0:18:11.080 --> 0:18:14.840 that is from Nate who said Harden his first in 0:18:14.920 --> 0:18:17.360 assists per game and Embead his second in points per 0:18:17.359 --> 0:18:20.119 game this season. The reason I want to get to 0:18:20.160 --> 0:18:22.680 this is because it's pretty easy answer. I think we've seen. 0:18:23.000 --> 0:18:25.760 We've seen Harden have his games and Embid have his games, 0:18:26.080 --> 0:18:28.359 and even great nights from both of them together. Do 0:18:28.400 --> 0:18:31.440 you think the success of both players each game are 0:18:31.480 --> 0:18:34.240 imperative to make a deep playoff run, or rather a 0:18:34.240 --> 0:18:36.399 whole team effort. I would say yes, it's imperative for 0:18:36.440 --> 0:18:38.080 both of those guys to play really well. But to 0:18:38.080 --> 0:18:41.040 the point about the assist rankings and the points rankings, 0:18:41.200 --> 0:18:44.400 and Bead's right there with Luca don Chich and then 0:18:44.400 --> 0:18:48.040 Harden has to meet that seventy percent of games played threshold, 0:18:48.119 --> 0:18:51.800 but he would be above Tyrese Haliburton and everybody else, 0:18:51.920 --> 0:18:56.720 and through Thursday's games, and beat is only at he's 0:18:56.760 --> 0:18:59.200 at thirty three point six points per game, and don 0:18:59.280 --> 0:19:01.520 chit's just thirty three point seven. So it's as close 0:19:01.520 --> 0:19:09.280 as it gets through Thursday, January nineteenth, and Justin said, hey, Matt, 0:19:09.320 --> 0:19:11.560 I want Joel Embiid and Lebron James to be All 0:19:11.600 --> 0:19:15.359 Star teammates. What do you think. I'm looking at the 0:19:15.440 --> 0:19:19.960 voting to see where everybody stands, and Joel Embiid on 0:19:20.000 --> 0:19:23.280 the latest returns not in the would not be in 0:19:23.320 --> 0:19:25.920 the starting lineup because of the three front court spots. 0:19:26.240 --> 0:19:29.840 But Kevin Durant is injured right now, Jannis Durant, Tatum 0:19:29.880 --> 0:19:32.680 and Bead and then of course there's the draft, so 0:19:32.720 --> 0:19:36.399 you can look at different combinations of players and what 0:19:36.480 --> 0:19:39.960 would be fun together. But Justin wants to see Mbad 0:19:40.119 --> 0:19:43.000 and Lebron. I think that would be a good one 0:19:43.080 --> 0:19:46.600 right off the top. Do any other combinations of players 0:19:46.680 --> 0:19:48.639 jump out to you when they have the All Star Draft? 0:19:49.240 --> 0:19:51.200 I mean, look, you gotta you gotta hope that they 0:19:51.200 --> 0:19:53.159 can be teammates, but you also know it would be 0:19:53.200 --> 0:19:55.320 fun to see them faced off. I mean, Matt, we're gonna, 0:19:55.480 --> 0:19:57.399 I'm sure talk about it down the road, but we 0:19:57.480 --> 0:19:59.199 got to make sure that Joel is a starter in 0:19:59.240 --> 0:20:02.200 that All Star Game. He's just been so dominant. He's 0:20:02.200 --> 0:20:04.399 a two time runner up for the MVP Award and 0:20:04.480 --> 0:20:07.960 continues to get better. I'm looking forward to your All 0:20:08.000 --> 0:20:11.960 Star coverage, but yeah, the two of them playing together 0:20:12.000 --> 0:20:15.720 in that situation could be really dangerous and just another 0:20:15.720 --> 0:20:20.800 opportunity to continue developing this chemistry. Lebron's the Western Conference 0:20:21.400 --> 0:20:25.080 leading vote getter right now, over six and a half 0:20:25.160 --> 0:20:29.760 million votes as of the last or the third fan returns. 0:20:29.800 --> 0:20:33.160 But you really can't go wrong with any of these combinations. 0:20:34.280 --> 0:20:37.040 I'm just trying to think if any other combos jump 0:20:37.040 --> 0:20:38.719 out to me. I think Stephen Curry in an All 0:20:38.760 --> 0:20:42.120 Star Game is incredible to watch. He had a casual 0:20:42.200 --> 0:20:44.960 half court shot against the Celtics in the Warriors last 0:20:44.960 --> 0:20:47.000 game at the end of the first half, and he 0:20:47.080 --> 0:20:50.600 like practices those and makes them all the time. Luca 0:20:50.680 --> 0:20:52.520