Philly Sports Jabronis
By Max Rappaport, Sixers.com
With the Sixers arriving in Philadelphia at about 3am Tuesday morning after icy conditions delayed their flight home from Cleveland, less than 14 hours remained until the team had the take the floor for the first of two meetings with the Denver Nuggets this season.
The game marked the Sixers’ fourth in five nights and came on the heels of a two-game road trip in which they battled back from 20 points down twice only to fall just short against the two hottest teams in the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers. It would have been understandable for the Sixers to come out a bit flat, for their tired legs to allow the Nuggets, coming off two off days, to jump out to an early lead. But head coach Brett Brown and his Sixers had other plans.
Philadelphia shot a scorching 68.4% from the floor and 4-for-5 from beyond the arc in the first quarter, ending the frame up 34-28. In the second, their hands stayed hot, as they scored 27 and held the Nuggets to just 12 points on 5-of-26 shooting en route to a 61-40 halftime lead. A solid third quarter from Denver and a 7-0 run to start the fourth quarter brought the Sixers’ lead down to 10, but Philadelphia was able to hold the Nuggets at bay, notching their third consecutive home win and their 11th of the season, 105-98.
“It’s good for our guys,” Brown said of playing a condensed schedule over the past week. “There’s a mental toughness on how you back up back-to-back. To come here at home and have that margin and have that lead and watch different people contribute to that lead, full credit to them. It’s a great thing for the city to watch our young guys grow before their eyes.”
Each of the Sixers’ 10 previous victories had been fueled by strong play on the defensive end. Only once had the team scored over 100 points in a regulation win, and their average point differential in triumphs was 94.6 to 86.9.
Tuesday’s game coupled that defensive intensity with inspired play on the offensive end, as the team shot 44.3% from the floor, 11-for-27 (40.7%) from long range, and 32-of-42 (76.2%) from the charity stripe. Twenty-six of their 31 made field goals were assisted, with point guard Michael Carter-Williams leading the way in that category with 12 helpers. He also contributed 15 points (4/12 FG) and eight rebounds, falling two boards shy of his fourth triple-double of the season, a number that would have given him sole possession of first place in the league this year.
But swingman Hollis Thompson perhaps had the most impressive showing of any Sixer. In 31 minutes off the bench, he scored 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting and 4-of-6 from deep. He began the game a perfect 7-for-7 from the floor, knocking down threes both contested and open, and even hitting a turnaround fadeaway with a hand in his face at the end of a shot clock during the second quarter. After hitting the shot, he shrugged his shoulders and laughed while jogging to the other end of the floor.
“I think we came in and did a good job of executing,” Thompson said after the game. “We were moving the ball and the team responded… I think we know that we have to come out every night and play hard and that’s why we have been winning.”
Wing Robert Covington put together another strong performance, finishing with 17 points (4/12 FG, 2/7 3P), eight rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 29 minutes. Center Nerlens Noel added 10 points (3/6 FG), eight rebounds, two blocks, and a steal in 27 minutes, fellow rookie JaKarr Sampson notched 11 points on 3-of-4 shooting to go along with three steals in 18 minutes, and K.J. McDaniels contributed 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting, three rebounds, and a blocked shot in 18 minutes off the bench.
The Nuggets were led by Danillo Gallinari, who scored 22 points on 5-of-11 shooting in 26 minutes off the bench. Wilson Chandler added another 19 points on 7-of-15 from the floor and 5-of-10 from distance, Ty Lawson dished out 14 assists to go along with five points (1/4 FG) and six boards, and two steals. Arron Afflalo scored 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting in the first quarter, but finished with 15 points on 5-of-15 from the floor.
Up Next
The Sixers are off until Friday, when they’ll travel to Boston to take on the Celtics for the third of four meetings with the Atlantic Division rival this season. Tip off is set for 7:30pm (EST).
