Philly Sports Jabronis
Report From Philadelphia 76ers
Game Recap: 76ers 113, Suns 103
Snapshot: Most times this season, when Brett Brown and the 76ers (7-39) have discussed a need to improve their effort, they’ve delivered. Tuesday night at The Center was the latest example. On the heels of a showing two days earlier that didn’t sit well with head coach and players alike, the Sixers responded with a sound 113-103 victory over the Phoenix Suns (14-32). The win was the Sixers’ third in their last five outings, and earned them a two-game season series sweep over Phoenix for the first time in five years.
Facing the sixth of nine teams he’s now played for in his relatively brief NBA career, Ish Smith turned in a close-out performance versus the Suns. After Phoenix closed to within seven points with under four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Smith set up Nerlens Noel for a clutch 17-foot jump shot. From there, the point guard went on to score his squad’s next six points. The Sixers’ margin wouldn’t dip below double-digits for the rest of the game. In all, Smith generated 10 of his team-best 20 points in the final period. He handed out nine assists as well.
As pivotal as Smith was in helping finish off the Suns, Robert Covington was equally as important in ensuring the Sixers got off to a promising start. The third-year wing stroked three of his five three-point field goals in the first quarter. He tallied 19 points in all.
Down Jahlil Okafor and JaKarr Sampson, who were both sick and unable to play, the Sixers received balanced contributions from across their short-handed roster. In addition to Smith and Covington, four other players netted at least 10 points. Nerlens Noel provided an impact defensive effort, generating a team-high nine rebounds and three blocks to go along with his 14 points. Nik Stauskas produced a well-rounded box line that featured 15 points, four rebounds, and four assists.
Phoenix was paced by Archie Goodwin’s season-high 26 points. Forward Alex Len manufactured his fifth double-double of the campaign, collecting 16 points and 12 rebounds.
Brett Brown Said – On the Sixers following up Sunday’s loss to the Boston Celtics with a 113-103 triumph over the Phoenix Suns:
“We wanted to respond differently, and we did. I thought the toughness our guys showed…we reminded ourselves of what was most important, and to give a performance that’s energy and effort-based to the fans in the city of Philadelphia.”
Top Moment:
Despite the Sixers building their lead to as many as 19 points in Tuesday’s tilt, Phoenix refused to back down. With three and half minutes to go, and their margin sliced to seven points, the Sixers were tasked with executing an in-bounds play with less than five seconds on the shot clock. If the Suns were to have one more push left, the timing felt right for them to make it. Such a run, however, never materialized. Ish Smith lobbed a perimeter pass to Nerlens Noel, who confidently stepped inside the arc and stroked a jump-shot from the left elbow. His deposit shifted momentum back in the Sixers direction, and gave them a little more breathing room down the stretch. Noel entered the night with just 10 made field goals beyond 16 feet from the rim.
http://www.csnphilly.com/basketball-philadelphia-76ers/highlights-noel-n…
Notes and Quotes:
Maybe it’s just that time of year. About an hour and half before the Sixers’ match-up with Phoenix, Brett Brown announced that both Jahlil Okafor and JaKarr Sampson were battling sickness, and wouldn’t be able to suit up. Okafor was diagnosed with gastroenteritis, while Sampson was dealing with an upper respiratory infection. Furthermore, Brown revealed that Jerami Grant was under the weather, too.
“Just sort of a general flu,” said Brown about the virus passing through his team. “ I don’t know, [if] it was just weather or time off, I don’t know. But it has crept into the point where Jahlil couldn’t travel.”
While Brown ruled Okafor out for Wednesday’s game at Detroit, Sampson’s status for the trip hadn’t been determined as of Tuesday’s tip-off. Brown recognized that in order for the Sixers to have a shot at sweeping their two-game series against Phoenix, the Sixers would need other players to step up.
“You learn all the time with opportunity that somebody can put their hand up and hold that mantle for a little while,” Brown said. “We’ll just sort of react to the game, and who’s playing well, and how we’ll best match-up, and somebody will emerge. I think somebody will put their hand up even with the lack of depth that we have.”
Nik Stauskas, making his second appearance since returning from a left shoulder injury, echoed those sentiments.
“Just I think everyone just has to be a little more ready, even the guys that maybe have not been in the rotation,” said Stauskas, who started for the first time since getting hurt on January 10th versus the Chicago Bulls. “Just continuing to stay ready, knowing that their name, their number might get called on to play more minutes. That’s just the mindset that everyone has to take.”
Stauskas was one of several Sixers to rise to the occasion. He notched 15 points. Hollis Thompson came off the bench to tack on 13 points, while Richaun Holmes, also in a reserve role, pitched in with six points and six rebounds.
Tuesday morning, the Sixers revealed a previously unreleased exterior rendering of their future headquarters, currently under construction in Camden, New Jersey. The computer-generated image displayed two separate buildings united by a single campus. One building will be devoted solely to basketball operations purposes, while the second will house other departments belonging to the organization, such as finance, marketing, and ticket sales. The Sixers also published recent photographs taken from the construction site.
Brett Brown was excited to see new, tangible evidence of a project to which he has contributed.
“To sit down with architects and people from all over the world…we’ve looked at all the professional sporting clubs here in America, and try to pick and choose what we think reflects our values, and build it accordingly,” Brown explained. “If we value sports science, well then that side of the building better be A-plus and it better be special with dry and wet areas, and it is. It’s off the charts great. It is world-class, it is cutting edge, it is elite. And to be involved in its infant stages was an exciting part of me taking this job.”
In addition to the practical functions of the training complex, Brown is also a fan of the aesthetic qualities the facility will feature.
“I love space, I love natural light, I like flow of the building,” Brown said. “We all sort of figure out where we live in our own homes, and what qualities we like, and those sort of things stand out for me. I think some of the natural features of the building, with wood and that type of environment along with just the world class equipment, and design of the basketball court, as far as the space goes, we’re not on top of each other with the hoops. It’s just very, very well planned out. We’re really proud of it.”
Upon its completion, the Sixers’ training complex will cover 125,000 square feet, making it the largest such facility in the NBA.
Ish Smith woke up earlier than usual on Monday morning, eager to get a head start on putting the Sixers’ 20-point loss to Boston from the night before in the rearview. After a purposeful practice, the point guard believed he and the Sixers were prepared to bounce back against Phoenix. Smith’s instinct was right, as he assumed a crucial role in leading the Sixers’ to their second win over Phoenix this season.
Smith spent the 2013-2014 campaign, his fourth in the NBA, with Phoenix, logging 70 appearances with the club. His role on that year’s team, which came up one game short of qualifying for a Western Conference playoff berth, left a lasting impression on one player in particular.
“Man, one of the best teammates I had,” said Markieff Morris, a Philadelphia native, of having the opportunity to compete with Smith two years ago. “Truly professional guy. Always having a great day, always working hard, always leading by example. He was probably the best teammate I had.”
Morris, who posted eight points and seven rebounds Tuesday, appreciated that Smith not only made an effort to get to know Morris on the court, but develop a friendship as well.
“Me and him, we were close off the court also, so it was easy,” Morris said. “I think it’s kind of easy to play with guys on the court when you’re close off the court. We just broke the game down, whether we were on the bench or in the locker room watching film.”
Smith said Monday that he stays in touch with both Morris, and Morris’ twin brother, Marcus, who also played for Phoenix during Smith’s one-season stint in the desert. Marcus Morris is now a member of the Detroit Pistons, the next opponent on the Sixers’ schedule.
Next Up:
The Sixers complete their 10th back-to-back set of the season on Wednesday, heading to the Palace of Auburn Hills for a 7:30 PM EST match-up versus the Detroit Pistons (24-21). In their second year under veteran head coach Stan Van Gundy, Detroit has made solid strides. Prior to joining the Pistons, Van Gundy had qualified for the playoffs in each of his seven full seasons in the NBA. Van Gundy inherited a 29-win team when he arrived in Detroit in May of 2014. Despite guiding the Pistons to a three-win improvement in his first campaign, Van Gundy currently has the club on pace for its first playoff berth in seven years, and first winning season in eight years. Guard Reggie Jackson has delivered on the five-year free agent contract investment he received from the Pistons over the summer, averaging career-highs of 19.2 points and 6.6 assists per game. Fourth-year center Andre Drummond has remained a low-post force. As of Tuesday, he not only paced the NBA with 15.2 rebounds per game, but also topped the league with 37 double-doubles. The Sixers fell to Detroit, 112-95, at The Center on December 11th, the lone pairing between the squads this season.
