Philly Sports Jabronis
By Doug Ammon, Sixers.com
Last night, it was the game winning assist, tonight it was the game winning shot. point guard Michael Carter-Williams again provided late-game heroics as the Sixers defeated the Indiana Pacers 93-92 at home on Saturday.
The victory was Philadelphia’s second straight, and their third win in four games. The squad was led by Tony Wroten, who finished with 20 points 6/17 FG) to go along with nine assists and four rebounds. His energy was infectious, and he got the crowd roaring with a ridiculous off the backboard alley-oop to high-flyer K.J. McDaniels during the fourth quarter.
“I swear, [our home court advantage] is insane,” said Wroten after the game. “The crowd we have is incredible. For them to come out on Saturday night, and us get them a win against a good playoff team like that, we had a lot of fun.”
Carter-Williams played another complete game, as he contributed 15 points (6/17 FG), nine assists, and five rebounds. He and Wroten combined for 18 of the 21 assists the Sixers finished with on the night.
Although Nerlens Noel only scored six points, he made his presence felt on the defensive end of the floor pulling down seven defensive rebounds (nine total) and blocking a career-high five shots.
Robert Covington (16), Henry Sims (11), and K.J. McDaniels (10) all scored in double figures, and Jerami Grant’s six points, seven rebounds, and three blocks were a welcomed sight off the bench. Saturday night may have been the Sixers’ most complete team performance of the season, as they kept their turnovers (17) below their season average, shot 45.8% from behind the arc, and held Indiana to 33.3% from the field.
The Philadelphia reserves were the real heroes of the night, as they outscored the Pacers’ bench 46-22. Role players like JaKarr Sampson (nine points on 4-for-4 shooting) and the aforementioned Grant were active and ready when their numbers were called upon.
When these two teams faced off on October 27 in their first game of the season, the Sixers allowed Roy Hibbert to go for 22 points. Saturday was a different story, as the team held the All-Star big man to just seven points on 3-of-8 shooting from the field. David West’s 28 points led all scorers, but he airballed the final shot of the game after some tough Sixers defensive.
All in all, it was another thrilling victory for the Sixers who seemed to have turned a corner in the New Year. After going winless at home for the entirety of the 2014 portion of their season, they now have won twice in one week in South Philly.
“What you’re seeing is a very simple system finally take shape and players getting clarity on basic rules,” said head coach Brett Brown. “By and large what we’re doing is taking a bunch of long athletes that are playing hard and getting to balls sooner than they did a month ago because they’re getting that first step and not thinking as much as they used to. I’m proud of their defense.”
Top Performers
Wroten: 20PTS/9AST/2STL
Carter-Williams: 15PTS/9AST/5REB
Covington: 16PTS
Sims: 11 PTS/9REB
Inside the Numbers: 12
It was a block party Saturday night as the Sixers tied their season-high in blocked shots with 12. Nerlens Noel led the way with a career-high five blocks, and Jerami Grant was close behind with a career-high three blocks. McDaniels (2), Aldemir (1), and Carter-Williams (1) were also guests at the party.
Up Next
The Sixers are back in action on Tuesday night at home as they host the Eastern Conference-leading Atlanta Hawks. Atlanta is the hottest team in the NBA right now and is riding a seven-game winning streak.
