WEBVTT - The BroadCast: Playoffs Pod - 4/16/2018 ~ Robert Covington, Sixers.com Head Honcho 0:00:01.040 --> 0:00:05.960 It's time to talk Sixers, baby bet sevens between the 0:00:06.040 --> 0:00:08.920 Lake and that he rocks the room. Here on the 0:00:08.960 --> 0:00:13.720 broadcast the official podcast of Sixers dot Com. Here's the Steel, 0:00:13.920 --> 0:00:17.160 Mike Cummington three bottels of the Year, pet good, Robert 0:00:17.200 --> 0:00:21.960 Cumming getting parts in another three. Now. Here's today's episode. 0:00:22.800 --> 0:00:26.080 Playoff Game Day a number two in the City of 0:00:26.280 --> 0:00:29.880 Brotherly Love and Delaware Valley seventy Sixers and the Miami 0:00:29.960 --> 0:00:32.960 Heat set for Game two of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal 0:00:33.040 --> 0:00:36.080 series down at the Center later on Monday night at 0:00:36.159 --> 0:00:40.360 eight o'clock. Brian Seltzer from Sixers dot Com saying, what's up? 0:00:40.880 --> 0:00:43.680 Thank you once again for checking out a postseason pot 0:00:43.840 --> 0:00:47.199 edition of the podcast. Coming up on this episode, we're 0:00:47.240 --> 0:00:50.919 gonna sit down with my boss and a great guy, 0:00:51.159 --> 0:00:54.880 a man who knows his NBA, basketball and all things 0:00:55.040 --> 0:00:58.120 round ball related. That would be the head of seventy 0:00:58.120 --> 0:01:02.120 Sixers digital media operations, Charlie Widows, and we'll spend a 0:01:02.160 --> 0:01:05.080 few minutes with Robert Covington talking about the Sixers big 0:01:05.120 --> 0:01:08.400 win on Saturday nights, his defense and that of his 0:01:08.480 --> 0:01:11.640 teammates as well. Before we get started, a reminder that 0:01:11.640 --> 0:01:13.640 to subscribe to the podcast. All you got to do 0:01:13.720 --> 0:01:17.120 is head to a couple of different places, among them iTunes, 0:01:17.280 --> 0:01:21.520 Google Play, Stitcher, or a SoundCloud type in Sixers podcast network, 0:01:21.760 --> 0:01:23.920 and that will take you to where you need to go. 0:01:24.520 --> 0:01:27.200 There's no doubt about it that it was a welcome 0:01:27.240 --> 0:01:29.520 to the moment type moment for the seventy Sixers the 0:01:29.560 --> 0:01:32.839 fan base on Saturday night at the Center one thirty 0:01:32.840 --> 0:01:36.479 one oh three a dominant win and ended up being 0:01:36.480 --> 0:01:39.400 for the Sixers against the Miami Heating game that got 0:01:39.400 --> 0:01:44.839 off to a really testy, chippy, physical and whistle filled start, 0:01:44.920 --> 0:01:48.320 but the Sixers defense catalyzed a breakout seventy four points 0:01:48.320 --> 0:01:50.560 showing in the second half and was off to the 0:01:50.600 --> 0:01:53.440 races from there. Eighteen three pointers for the seventy Sixers, 0:01:53.800 --> 0:01:56.279 tying a team record and setting a new playoff record 0:01:56.640 --> 0:01:59.920 for the franchise. It was all good stuff. A man 0:02:00.000 --> 0:02:03.000 who was not only the longest tenured Sixer but someone 0:02:03.040 --> 0:02:06.000 who had a vital role in Saturday's victory, none other 0:02:06.000 --> 0:02:09.880 than Robert Covington, played twenty six minutes, was most tellingly 0:02:09.919 --> 0:02:13.359 a plus twenty nine points two or four from outside 0:02:13.360 --> 0:02:17.080 the arcs, seven rebounds, four assists, three block shots, and 0:02:17.160 --> 0:02:20.520 a menace defensively, doing a little bit of everything to 0:02:20.760 --> 0:02:23.200 disrupt the heat in the second half and get the 0:02:23.200 --> 0:02:26.640 Sixers on the right track. After shoot around on Monday 0:02:26.680 --> 0:02:29.520 at the seventy six or Training Complex, and Camden had 0:02:29.560 --> 0:02:32.040 the chance to spend a few minutes with the Pride 0:02:32.040 --> 0:02:35.799 of Tennessee State cover before we talk about some specifics. 0:02:35.840 --> 0:02:39.200 What was Saturday night like for you in particular? You've 0:02:39.200 --> 0:02:41.280 been waiting for a playoff game with this team for 0:02:41.280 --> 0:02:43.040 such a long time and it ended up being a 0:02:43.040 --> 0:02:46.400 pretty good night. It was a static you know for me, 0:02:46.600 --> 0:02:49.800 you know, my energy was going. I knew from the 0:02:49.840 --> 0:02:51.280 beginning of the game that you know, you can go 0:02:51.480 --> 0:02:53.160 my one up. You know, I had a lot more 0:02:53.240 --> 0:02:55.720 energy than I expected. You know, just an atmosphere of 0:02:55.840 --> 0:02:57.840 being there, being in playoffs, you know, it was an 0:02:57.840 --> 0:03:00.120 extra boost and you know that kind of helped my know, 0:03:00.160 --> 0:03:02.760 my productivity for the night. And it was just overall, 0:03:02.880 --> 0:03:04.440 you know, just being in that moment, just you know, 0:03:04.440 --> 0:03:07.359 playing that well, it was a blessing. You know a 0:03:07.400 --> 0:03:09.120 lot of people get to experienced stuff like that, you know, 0:03:09.240 --> 0:03:12.320 being you know a kid that you know has a 0:03:12.680 --> 0:03:14.880 incredible story, you know, just to be a part of 0:03:14.919 --> 0:03:18.120 that and you know have a major impact. I just 0:03:18.120 --> 0:03:19.920 to test me, just hard work and you know, the 0:03:19.960 --> 0:03:22.400 feeling was it was amazing. You are one of the 0:03:22.800 --> 0:03:25.520 leaders of the defensive unit for the Sixers team. What 0:03:25.680 --> 0:03:28.200 happened in the second half that really helped you, guys 0:03:28.200 --> 0:03:30.360 and turn things around. We've seen what we did. You 0:03:30.400 --> 0:03:32.799 know they the first half at halftime, you know, the 0:03:32.800 --> 0:03:35.440 way they was getting easy shots and easy buggets. You know, 0:03:35.520 --> 0:03:37.360 we just had to be more maniacal and defense, and 0:03:37.480 --> 0:03:39.600 you know we had to face it. You know, I 0:03:39.640 --> 0:03:43.800 think the just the adrenaline from everything. At first, the 0:03:44.000 --> 0:03:46.800 kind of was, you know, up and down a little bit. 0:03:46.840 --> 0:03:48.560 But you know, once we settled down and they got 0:03:48.600 --> 0:03:50.640 you know, INSI our principles and everything. You know, it's 0:03:50.640 --> 0:03:52.400 a lot better than That's what we say be locking anymore. 0:03:52.640 --> 0:03:54.840 In particular, even if you look back at the regular season, 0:03:54.840 --> 0:03:57.280 you've had some success on an all start that Miami 0:03:57.320 --> 0:04:00.320 has important dragage. What's been your approach with him? Just 0:04:00.400 --> 0:04:02.440 been watching a lot of film, you know, getting a 0:04:02.440 --> 0:04:04.880 lot of his tendencies down and knowing that you know 0:04:04.960 --> 0:04:07.120 his way, he way he plays within the offense. You know, 0:04:07.120 --> 0:04:09.200 I've been watching a lot of film. I watched the 0:04:09.280 --> 0:04:13.240 game from Saturday three times. Um, just you'll continue to 0:04:13.280 --> 0:04:15.960 see like how my involvement and what I did to 0:04:16.080 --> 0:04:17.679 you know, help our team in so many different ways, 0:04:18.000 --> 0:04:19.800 you know, and watch how other guys you know it's 0:04:19.800 --> 0:04:21.880 playing as well and just seeing their their team scy 0:04:21.960 --> 0:04:24.760 as a unit. You know it. That's that's what you know, 0:04:24.920 --> 0:04:27.360 part of taking the next step is and um I 0:04:27.400 --> 0:04:29.479 think you know the ways that I built with you know, 0:04:29.520 --> 0:04:32.320 coach parers and everything, just you know, taking to another 0:04:32.360 --> 0:04:34.680 knots just this this series. So you know, just have 0:04:34.760 --> 0:04:37.240 to be more locked in because the States game, you know, 0:04:37.360 --> 0:04:39.040 cost you a lot in the playoff. See you like that. 0:04:39.160 --> 0:04:41.640 You know, every every mistake counts, you know, so they 0:04:41.720 --> 0:04:43.359 just got to be, you know, really locked in. And 0:04:43.360 --> 0:04:46.880 that's what I've been doing. Mindset confidence to the group 0:04:46.920 --> 0:04:50.479 going into game at number two. Oh, sky high, sky 0:04:50.520 --> 0:04:52.880 high confidence on the whole nother level, just based off 0:04:52.880 --> 0:04:54.960 of how good we've been playing. And then you know 0:04:55.000 --> 0:04:57.760 we've we've seen the little adjustments that they can potentially make, 0:04:57.839 --> 0:04:59.760 and you know we're prepared for it. So we just 0:04:59.760 --> 0:05:02.400 got continue to go out and play away. Thank you, rap, 0:05:02.480 --> 0:05:06.640 thank you. That was Robert Covington sharing thoughts going into 0:05:06.640 --> 0:05:09.760 game number two of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. And now 0:05:09.800 --> 0:05:13.359 we shift to a location where I usually gravitate for 0:05:13.440 --> 0:05:17.280 all wisdom on things seventy six ers, NBA basketball, college 0:05:17.320 --> 0:05:21.560 basketball hoops. Otherwise the office of the boss man. Charlie Widows. 0:05:21.560 --> 0:05:24.800 What's up, Boss? What's going on? Excited to be talking 0:05:24.800 --> 0:05:27.600 about game two after game one? I figured by now 0:05:27.600 --> 0:05:29.039 you'd know the lay of the land that once we 0:05:29.120 --> 0:05:31.720 hit the record button on the podcast machine, and I 0:05:31.720 --> 0:05:33.600 know you have a vested interest in the series that 0:05:33.640 --> 0:05:35.760 you're watching game one for on your television. Right now, 0:05:35.760 --> 0:05:38.480 we need to mute the volume or do we leave 0:05:38.480 --> 0:05:40.560 the volume up? Is with your iron Eagle announced a 0:05:40.680 --> 0:05:43.120 Donovan Mitchell jam What a start to that guy. So 0:05:43.160 --> 0:05:45.479 we're talking about Utah, Oklahoma City, which one of my 0:05:45.480 --> 0:05:51.320 favorite Western Conference series. The beginning that after Westbrook opened 0:05:51.360 --> 0:05:53.120 up with a huge dunk, the run that Utah went 0:05:53.160 --> 0:05:56.560 on when Donovan shot four for four was pretty incredible. 0:05:57.480 --> 0:05:59.279 Credit to the Thunder for winning that series or that 0:05:59.320 --> 0:06:02.480 game though. Is he your second favorite series overall? I 0:06:02.480 --> 0:06:07.400 think so yeah. I mean I would have loved a 0:06:07.520 --> 0:06:10.160 full strength San Antonio Golden State series. Like I'm sure 0:06:10.200 --> 0:06:13.600 a lot of people, but yeah, it's just what a 0:06:13.640 --> 0:06:17.159 contrast of styles Utah and Oklahoma City and both teams 0:06:17.160 --> 0:06:20.880 are so close. Yeah, I think this is my second 0:06:20.920 --> 0:06:24.960 favorite one. What about you? Definitely on the intrigue factor. 0:06:24.960 --> 0:06:26.960 But I'm keeping my eyes on some of the teams 0:06:27.040 --> 0:06:29.760 in the Eastern Conference. Yeah, I mean, we just watched here, 0:06:29.880 --> 0:06:32.599 we watched Indiana Cleveland. I think that's a pretty compelling series, 0:06:33.320 --> 0:06:36.080 even for me still this stage, I know, perhaps not 0:06:36.120 --> 0:06:39.840 for others. Toronto, Washington, Yeah, definitely, yeah, Yeah, I mean 0:06:39.880 --> 0:06:43.680 I think the East teams a little more up for grabs, 0:06:43.839 --> 0:06:46.640 and granted we have such a we're so close to 0:06:46.839 --> 0:06:49.400 one of the teams that's vying for it when I 0:06:49.400 --> 0:06:51.960 think a lot of people think Houston and Golden State 0:06:51.960 --> 0:06:56.680 are probably the ones fighting for the West. Yeah. Um, 0:06:57.200 --> 0:06:59.520 I just you know, for people who really love the sport, 0:06:59.600 --> 0:07:02.280 this true is the not really going down on them 0:07:02.320 --> 0:07:04.239 by saying this the golden time of the year. Aware 0:07:05.000 --> 0:07:07.960 it's night after night, you get to follow actions, see 0:07:07.960 --> 0:07:12.280 what's involved, and especially if they're not having been postseason 0:07:12.360 --> 0:07:16.080 basketball in Philadelphia for six years, you walk into the 0:07:16.080 --> 0:07:19.920 center Saturday night. You feel it, you see it, you 0:07:20.000 --> 0:07:22.880 hear it. It's just it is what everyone says. It 0:07:22.960 --> 0:07:27.320 is a totally different level. Yeah, and Brett Brown said 0:07:27.880 --> 0:07:29.960 there's only one other arena that he's been to in 0:07:30.000 --> 0:07:31.480 his I don't know how many years he's been in 0:07:31.480 --> 0:07:34.520 the league, fifteen or so that even can compete. That's 0:07:34.560 --> 0:07:39.840 Golden State six or fans brought it on Saturday, and 0:07:39.880 --> 0:07:41.840 I was thinking about it. I really think this is 0:07:42.640 --> 0:07:46.960 maybe the best kind of like symbiotic relationship between fans 0:07:46.960 --> 0:07:51.840 and players players to say, our fans are gonna bring it, 0:07:51.880 --> 0:07:55.160 we know it, and the fans expect, have come to 0:07:55.200 --> 0:07:57.360 expect this level of performance from the players and this 0:07:57.520 --> 0:07:59.760 level of passion from the players, and they deliver it. 0:08:00.040 --> 0:08:02.400 I mean, both are just like totally in sync with 0:08:02.440 --> 0:08:07.200 each other. It's pretty crazy. I remember, so I grew 0:08:07.240 --> 0:08:10.720 up in LA and my dad got Clipper season tickets 0:08:10.720 --> 0:08:12.600 a long time ago, and he was saying he remembers 0:08:12.640 --> 0:08:15.000 their first trip to the playoffs and what that felt 0:08:15.040 --> 0:08:18.400 like with Chris Paul, and he was, you know, there 0:08:18.440 --> 0:08:21.720 was this kind of like new confidence that Clipper fans 0:08:21.760 --> 0:08:24.440 had because they had a team that they really believed in. 0:08:24.840 --> 0:08:26.720 But it wasn't like this. I mean, there were still 0:08:26.760 --> 0:08:28.640 like you'd get to the end of games and I 0:08:28.680 --> 0:08:31.720 remember feeling like very unsure if the Clippers could pull 0:08:31.720 --> 0:08:33.400 it out, even if they were the more talented team. 0:08:33.760 --> 0:08:38.000 Whereas this is there's just such confidence again and the 0:08:38.040 --> 0:08:39.880 fans of the players and players of the fans. We 0:08:39.960 --> 0:08:42.559 heard Covington saying during the interview that the team's confidence 0:08:43.040 --> 0:08:45.640 and you can't blame it right now is sky high. 0:08:45.720 --> 0:08:47.360 That was his quote. And the way that they're going 0:08:47.360 --> 0:08:50.400 about this winning streak, a chance to tie a continuous 0:08:50.400 --> 0:08:52.920 franchise record in Game two against Miami if they get 0:08:52.920 --> 0:08:56.120 an eighteenth straight. They've just been rolling past teams, Steve 0:08:56.240 --> 0:08:58.120 rolling teams, And I know that people want to say, well, 0:08:58.120 --> 0:08:59.920 the schedule was this, and then we've talked about this 0:09:00.400 --> 0:09:03.040 outside of the podcast for him. But A you play 0:09:03.080 --> 0:09:05.560 who's on the schedule. B When you trounce teams on 0:09:05.559 --> 0:09:08.880 the schedule, that's something else. And quite frankly, like it's 0:09:08.920 --> 0:09:10.840 not like it was totally sisters of the Poor on 0:09:10.840 --> 0:09:13.040 the schedule. They had to take on Denver playing for 0:09:13.080 --> 0:09:16.520 something at the time, Minnesota, Cleveland, Milwaukee, and now it's 0:09:16.520 --> 0:09:18.760 a playoff series, right, No, And I've heard I think 0:09:19.120 --> 0:09:23.040 it's it's hard. You can't blame people for from Afar 0:09:23.240 --> 0:09:26.640 looking at the schedule and saying the Sixers had the 0:09:26.800 --> 0:09:28.480 easiest slate at the end of the year, just like 0:09:28.480 --> 0:09:29.959 they had the hardest late at the beginning of the year. 0:09:30.520 --> 0:09:32.160 And I remember talking to people from the Bucks when 0:09:32.200 --> 0:09:35.240 they came in the Calves, a bunch of other teams 0:09:35.240 --> 0:09:37.840 who kind of even the Heat, A couple of friends 0:09:37.840 --> 0:09:41.520 from the Heat who who had these assumptions like, you know, 0:09:42.200 --> 0:09:44.839 the Sixers have have beaten up on bad teams, but 0:09:45.200 --> 0:09:47.719 we think we have something that they is gonna is 0:09:47.720 --> 0:09:50.640 gonna slow them down. And I think it's easy to 0:09:50.679 --> 0:09:52.280 look at the schedule strength of the schedule, and it's 0:09:52.280 --> 0:09:55.319 also easy to look at individuals and break the game 0:09:55.320 --> 0:09:58.719 down to individual matchups or strengths and weaknesses. The thing 0:09:58.760 --> 0:10:00.880 that the Sixers do that people don't even really it's 0:10:00.920 --> 0:10:03.120 like they're not counting on any individual. They're counting on 0:10:03.160 --> 0:10:09.360 a system that is so diversified. And I mean, you 0:10:09.400 --> 0:10:11.440 can't just pick one thing and stop it, you know. 0:10:11.480 --> 0:10:13.200 Like I remember talking to a friend from the Heat 0:10:13.200 --> 0:10:15.760 who was like talking about how how dangerous they've been 0:10:15.760 --> 0:10:17.679 when they go small, and we've talked about this, but 0:10:17.920 --> 0:10:20.920 the sixers go small too. They're just not small like 0:10:20.920 --> 0:10:24.400 they go small in in you know, in terms of 0:10:24.440 --> 0:10:27.360 skill level that way, where they're not throwing out a 0:10:27.360 --> 0:10:30.600 traditional big who can't shoot, but that they're still six 0:10:30.640 --> 0:10:33.480 ten across the board almost. We'll get to the key 0:10:33.640 --> 0:10:36.040 x Ando's takeaway in a moment from Saturday, but just 0:10:36.240 --> 0:10:39.480 whole experience for you. What was the biggest thing that 0:10:39.480 --> 0:10:42.280 that you walked away from the arena with on Saturday night? 0:10:43.880 --> 0:10:47.160 It was rocking, like everyone said. I mean, I think 0:10:48.120 --> 0:10:49.840 there was at the beginning of the year, like it 0:10:49.840 --> 0:10:51.400 took a little while for fans to get settled in 0:10:51.440 --> 0:10:55.600 their seats. It definitely struck me that I think there 0:10:55.720 --> 0:10:59.320 was twelve minutes left on the pregame clock and fans 0:10:59.320 --> 0:11:04.040 will already standing and chanting and full. The arena was full. Um, 0:11:04.160 --> 0:11:06.640 the eight o'clock staring helped. The Saturday helped, but I 0:11:06.679 --> 0:11:09.680 think the people are just so into it. Um any 0:11:09.800 --> 0:11:14.199 who rather probably did rather? Yeah, Um, you know, sometimes 0:11:14.240 --> 0:11:16.240 you have to remind yourself Joel is still not playing 0:11:16.480 --> 0:11:18.960 and the fans are still this excited, And I really 0:11:18.960 --> 0:11:20.600 do have to remind myself it's at a point now 0:11:20.600 --> 0:11:24.000 where that's not even really yeah, and it probably sounds crazy, um, 0:11:24.080 --> 0:11:25.720 and it won't be this way forever, but you just 0:11:26.000 --> 0:11:27.560 you wake up in the morning and you're thinking about 0:11:27.559 --> 0:11:29.360 different things about what could go onto the game, and 0:11:29.440 --> 0:11:32.600 it's like him not being there right now, quite frankly, 0:11:32.720 --> 0:11:36.480 isn't a foremost concern. No, um, And I had to 0:11:36.480 --> 0:11:39.160 remind myself. I think the Cleveland game Dario didn't play either, 0:11:39.440 --> 0:11:41.920 Is that or JJ didn't play. One of them didn't play. 0:11:42.480 --> 0:11:44.320 Let's go to the tape. I think it was JJ 0:11:44.320 --> 0:11:48.200 didn't play against Milwaukee. I think they were without Dario 0:11:48.240 --> 0:11:50.880 in that game. Yeah, uh, he didn't. No, he came 0:11:50.920 --> 0:11:52.400 back in the Cleveland game, but he was he was, 0:11:52.760 --> 0:11:53.880 but he was kind of out of it. I mean 0:11:53.920 --> 0:11:57.080 he wasn't even himself and I just won for nine game. 0:11:57.240 --> 0:12:01.480 Yeah right. Um. Again, another they're like if you if 0:12:01.480 --> 0:12:04.880 you zoom in on that wind streak. Another thing, you know, 0:12:04.920 --> 0:12:07.120 Joel missed a bunch of games. They weren't put perfectly 0:12:07.160 --> 0:12:09.760 healthy and they still played that well. Um. Yeah, I 0:12:09.760 --> 0:12:13.120 mean the atmosphere was electric, and you know, I think 0:12:13.200 --> 0:12:16.080 the first half not to get two into the exit 0:12:16.080 --> 0:12:17.599 of the nose yet. But like the first half is 0:12:17.640 --> 0:12:22.160 kind of how you expect, right, you know, Miami can 0:12:22.240 --> 0:12:25.359 muck it up, and they're really tough and they execute 0:12:25.559 --> 0:12:28.800 their game plan, especially defensively, and the first couple of 0:12:28.800 --> 0:12:30.680 possessions were like, oh my god, you know, they picked 0:12:30.720 --> 0:12:34.520 JJ's pocket, they got a little physical, Um, we weren't 0:12:34.520 --> 0:12:38.320 finishing around the rim, and um you know that that 0:12:38.400 --> 0:12:40.520 was kind of like what you feared about this team. 0:12:40.800 --> 0:12:43.720 And then the rookie point guard I think kind of 0:12:43.760 --> 0:12:46.000 like got the Sixers out of it, which just he 0:12:46.240 --> 0:12:49.480 refused to be denied. And then they continue to just 0:12:49.520 --> 0:12:51.520 play their game, which is sharing the ball, and some 0:12:51.559 --> 0:12:54.200 shots start to fall and then boom, it's a I 0:12:54.200 --> 0:12:56.080 could not believe. I looked up and they were up 0:12:56.080 --> 0:12:59.320 by twenty against this team. Another wind streak in which 0:12:59.320 --> 0:13:02.079 the Sixers and a win in the wind streak where 0:13:02.120 --> 0:13:05.840 they just opened things up tremendously. Yeah, you know, it's 0:13:06.559 --> 0:13:08.720 it seems like, yeah, I think with Simmons first three 0:13:08.720 --> 0:13:12.880 shots where Missus kept him a little bit farther out 0:13:12.920 --> 0:13:14.640 than probably he'd liked, but then it was like he 0:13:14.679 --> 0:13:17.920 had that one dunk that set him and everything else 0:13:18.120 --> 0:13:22.040 in motion, And obviously we've been focusing on this and 0:13:22.080 --> 0:13:24.000 just talking about stuff that we've done on the website 0:13:24.000 --> 0:13:27.560 and social and all that. But the real tactical X 0:13:27.600 --> 0:13:29.439 and O decision that was made in that game was 0:13:29.480 --> 0:13:32.640 to start the third quarter with arsni Elusovan. For as 0:13:32.760 --> 0:13:35.680 much attention and curiosity I think there was about well, 0:13:35.720 --> 0:13:38.360 how would Brett Brown do in his first playoff game 0:13:38.400 --> 0:13:40.080 as a head coach, I think Goda spoke to a 0:13:40.080 --> 0:13:42.560 broader theme of the game that for the first timers 0:13:42.600 --> 0:13:44.920 going through a playoff game for the first time, whether 0:13:44.960 --> 0:13:48.720 it was Brett some of his assistants, guys like obviously 0:13:48.760 --> 0:13:53.199 Ben Simmons, Daria Scharch, Robert Covington, Mark hell Foltz, didn't 0:13:53.200 --> 0:13:55.280 seem like the moment was too big. No. Yeah, And 0:13:55.720 --> 0:13:58.000 as much as from a six Ers perspective, you can 0:13:58.000 --> 0:14:00.520 say Miami's a tough matchup, like they may not have 0:14:00.559 --> 0:14:03.160 the most high end talent, but they're so well coached, 0:14:03.160 --> 0:14:08.080 they're so deep, etc. From the other side, the Sixers 0:14:08.120 --> 0:14:10.080 are really tough matchup for them because, as you said, 0:14:10.360 --> 0:14:12.920 as we talked about, we can go small to match them, 0:14:12.960 --> 0:14:18.880 and the small isn't small. Still long, Eric Spoelstra is awesome, 0:14:18.920 --> 0:14:21.480 Like you never want to under underestimate Eric Spoelster. But 0:14:21.480 --> 0:14:25.120 I think if he were honest, he'd probably say Brett 0:14:25.160 --> 0:14:27.960 Brown is pretty good too. I mean, Brett Brown is 0:14:28.000 --> 0:14:30.720 thinking a couple steps ahead just like he is. Not 0:14:30.760 --> 0:14:32.680 to say one's better than the other area, but like 0:14:32.880 --> 0:14:36.520 they're playing the same game, they're both playing chess, and 0:14:36.600 --> 0:14:40.040 so I think that adjustment was pretty easy. And especially 0:14:41.360 --> 0:14:45.360 you know, without Joe playing, you could argue that their 0:14:45.360 --> 0:14:48.280 best lineups are probably Ben and four shooters or Marquel 0:14:48.320 --> 0:14:50.720 and four shooters, and they have that, and those are 0:14:50.720 --> 0:14:52.520 also those also happened to be most of their more 0:14:52.560 --> 0:14:56.000 experienced players when you can get Urson, Marco JJ on 0:14:56.040 --> 0:14:59.040 the floor at the same time. And we talked about 0:14:59.080 --> 0:15:03.560 this earlier today. But Ington, I just I don't think 0:15:03.560 --> 0:15:07.040 his number nearly showed how impactful he was. No, it 0:15:07.120 --> 0:15:09.800 was amazing. I mean, you can go on the statstonem 0:15:09.960 --> 0:15:12.280 dot com and look up deflections in the game, and 0:15:12.280 --> 0:15:14.440 he didn't have it. He wasn't credited for a single deflection, 0:15:14.480 --> 0:15:16.600 which to me was I mean, I kind of feel like, 0:15:16.640 --> 0:15:18.880 in my mind's eye, you can remember various plays where 0:15:18.880 --> 0:15:21.040 he you know, got a hand in there to scrape 0:15:21.040 --> 0:15:23.840 a ball away in one spot or did something disruptive. 0:15:24.640 --> 0:15:27.080 He has really throughout now the five times that the 0:15:27.120 --> 0:15:29.280 Sixers and the Heat have played each other between the 0:15:29.280 --> 0:15:32.080 regular season the playoffs, put go on drug. It's the 0:15:32.120 --> 0:15:36.200 All Star under wraps taking him away fourteen from the 0:15:36.240 --> 0:15:40.560 field in Saturday's game. But it's it's interesting to hear 0:15:40.640 --> 0:15:43.800 Brett talk about how things have gone stylistically for the 0:15:43.840 --> 0:15:48.400 Sixers since Joel hasn't been available, which amazingly now more 0:15:48.400 --> 0:15:51.760 than half the winds and the windstreak have come without Joel, right, 0:15:51.800 --> 0:15:54.280 And it's philosophically it's a lot of the same stuff 0:15:54.320 --> 0:15:56.160 that you hear him talking about anyway, playing with pace, 0:15:56.520 --> 0:16:00.560 shooting threes, locking in defensively, but it has gone to 0:16:00.600 --> 0:16:02.600 a different type of format. Like you just said, it's 0:16:02.600 --> 0:16:05.720 like Ben, get inside, draw the crowd and then orbit 0:16:05.720 --> 0:16:09.240 four shooters around you. Yeah, and I mean one of 0:16:08.840 --> 0:16:12.320 the odds of you know, all four of those guys 0:16:12.400 --> 0:16:15.120 not being on in a given game, right, as we've seen, 0:16:15.200 --> 0:16:18.440 not real great well. And so they play with pace 0:16:18.480 --> 0:16:20.920 and that they push everything makes missus. They get the 0:16:20.920 --> 0:16:23.400 ball up into the half court but I've also noticed 0:16:23.440 --> 0:16:26.880 just how fast they play in the half court. JJ 0:16:27.040 --> 0:16:30.840 and Marco coming off screens at full speed, and JJ 0:16:30.960 --> 0:16:33.080 gets going to his right, Marco gets going to his left, 0:16:33.440 --> 0:16:35.720 and they're ready to score off of that, and then 0:16:35.720 --> 0:16:41.440 there's other actions. And again, like because the Sixers have 0:16:41.480 --> 0:16:45.240 a good game plan and because they're they're long, Miami 0:16:45.320 --> 0:16:48.680 has to make these choices where they're playing Tyler Johnson 0:16:48.840 --> 0:16:53.040 or Wayne Ellington, who like certainly can shoot. They can 0:16:53.040 --> 0:16:56.080 definitely shoot, but can they chase those guys around screens? 0:16:56.840 --> 0:16:59.360 Can they guard one on one in mismatches? And the 0:16:59.400 --> 0:17:03.840 answer is no, So they really have to and then 0:17:03.840 --> 0:17:07.520 they can't really get there other than Ellington and I 0:17:07.520 --> 0:17:10.080 guess Olenik, who's a different, different kind of thing, but 0:17:10.400 --> 0:17:12.920 they can't get these shots off against the Sixers length. 0:17:13.840 --> 0:17:17.399 That's where Covington comes in. I don't know what his 0:17:17.800 --> 0:17:20.280 on off numbers were. I mean I assumed they were great. 0:17:20.520 --> 0:17:25.000 He was plus twenty. That's where you go, right, you 0:17:25.000 --> 0:17:27.040 know that old saying like what he does doesn't show 0:17:27.080 --> 0:17:28.520 up in the in the stack on but it does. 0:17:28.600 --> 0:17:31.440 He was plus twenty. It's also interesting when you've looked 0:17:31.440 --> 0:17:33.600 at what's been happening with the Sixers, not just in 0:17:33.600 --> 0:17:36.040 the playoff game last Saturday, but during this winning streak. 0:17:36.160 --> 0:17:39.560 Is how when you want to have a conversation about 0:17:39.600 --> 0:17:44.560 a player in an isolated, individual vacuum. You know, that's understandable, valid, 0:17:44.600 --> 0:17:47.520 everyone does it, But then you also have to account 0:17:47.520 --> 0:17:50.159 for how a fit could come together. And with guys 0:17:50.160 --> 0:17:53.159 like Marco Belinelli and Orson Eliosova, they were on a 0:17:53.200 --> 0:17:56.040 team that was going into the final week of the 0:17:56.080 --> 0:17:59.240 season on track to finish the poorest record in the 0:17:59.280 --> 0:18:01.800 Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Hawks, and now here they are, 0:18:01.840 --> 0:18:04.240 and they are two vital contributors to a team that 0:18:04.280 --> 0:18:05.919 people are saying could make a run as far as 0:18:06.200 --> 0:18:09.400 who knows, not just the Eastern Conference finals, the finals, Yeah, David, huge. 0:18:09.400 --> 0:18:12.359 And it's another reason why I think a lot of 0:18:12.400 --> 0:18:16.600 the Eastern Conference teams that the Sixers have played, you know, 0:18:16.800 --> 0:18:20.119 they have kind of underestimated the team that they're seeing now, 0:18:20.119 --> 0:18:21.520 whether it was in Milwaukee in the last day of 0:18:21.560 --> 0:18:27.000 the season, Miami, who played the Sixers at in Miami. 0:18:27.040 --> 0:18:29.600 The two losses were just at the beginning when those 0:18:29.600 --> 0:18:31.840 guys came and they weren't quite the focal points of 0:18:31.840 --> 0:18:36.240 what they are now they make a huge difference, huge difference. 0:18:36.320 --> 0:18:39.600 And now, like, like, don't get me Justin Anderson played 0:18:39.640 --> 0:18:42.480 some pretty good basketball at points this year before he 0:18:42.520 --> 0:18:46.040 got hurt both times. Now he's like the fifth wing 0:18:46.119 --> 0:18:48.399 off the bench. I mean, they're just so much deeper 0:18:49.040 --> 0:18:51.959 and they can mix and match with matchups. Now, you know, 0:18:52.080 --> 0:18:55.119 maybe Anderson, I don't know, maybe he doesn't get too 0:18:55.160 --> 0:18:57.119 many minutes in this series, but who knows, if they 0:18:57.200 --> 0:18:59.399 win this year, maybe he comes in play next series 0:18:59.560 --> 0:19:03.440 with a certain matchup. So not only are Arson and 0:19:04.200 --> 0:19:07.880 Marcos so valuable just for obviously the shooting and spacing, 0:19:07.920 --> 0:19:10.760 but they also just make the depth so much better. 0:19:11.119 --> 0:19:13.919 Evolution to the bench. Big storyline six is being a 0:19:13.960 --> 0:19:17.639 third quarter team, huge storyline down the stretch of the season, 0:19:18.560 --> 0:19:21.840 and JJ Reddick playing some of the best, most productive 0:19:22.040 --> 0:19:25.159 offensive basketball of his twelve year career. I mean, it 0:19:25.200 --> 0:19:28.080 seems like he's totally flicked the switch. And I feel like, 0:19:28.119 --> 0:19:30.960 at least for me, it's very easy too at times 0:19:32.119 --> 0:19:34.919 set the bar very high for Reddick and not be 0:19:34.960 --> 0:19:37.239 always impressed by the numbers that he puts up. But 0:19:37.840 --> 0:19:39.680 you know, because you're, like, he's the veteran you gave 0:19:39.760 --> 0:19:41.879 him the deal, you gave him. He's been around before, 0:19:41.960 --> 0:19:46.080 but he really has been fantastic. And second half twenty 0:19:46.119 --> 0:19:49.280 three points another example of him stepping up rise in 0:19:49.280 --> 0:19:53.920 the occasion. Yeah, I mean, you tell me. The number 0:19:53.920 --> 0:19:56.080 one question was like, if Miami punches you in the mouth, 0:19:56.119 --> 0:19:59.200 how do you respond? Right? And that's what happened. Yeah, 0:19:59.240 --> 0:20:00.960 the first half was definitely a punch. That was a 0:20:00.960 --> 0:20:04.920 punch um physically literally At some points, you know, there 0:20:04.920 --> 0:20:08.440