Philly Sports Jabronis
Report From Philadelphia 76ers
Game Recap: 76ers 103, Nets 98
Snapshot: On a night marking the celebration of one the most memorable, distinct big men in franchise and NBA history, the 76ers’ (8-43) frontline of the present made its presence felt. The team received key contributions from its hard-nosed point guard, too. Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel combined for 40 points and 21 rebounds, while T.J. McConnell tied a career-high with 17 points, as the Sixers downed the Brooklyn Nets (13-39), 103-98, on Darryl Dawkins Tribute Night at The Center.
After the first quarter, the Sixers seemed to be in command. They limited Brooklyn to only five field goals in the opening frame, en route to building up a 24-12 advantage. The Nets answered in the second period, fighting to within two points by intermission.
The second half is where the back-and-forth tussle intensified. Brooklyn quickly leveled the score at 41 on its first possession of the third quarter. From there, the game would not be played outside of a two-possession margin for all but 25 seconds the rest of the way.
Down 94-91 with just over two minutes remaining in regulation, the Sixers summoned a decisive kick to the finish. McConnell set-up Noel for an alley-oop slam, cutting the Sixers’ deficit to a point. Following a pair of free throws, the Nets went back up by three, this time with 1:46 left. McConnell then was fouled. He missed his second attempt from the stripe, giving Okafor the chance to snag a pivotal offensive rebound, which ultimately yielded a Robert Covington three-pointer that turned the scoreboard in the Sixers’ favor, 97-96.
On Brooklyn’s ensuing trip down the floor, McConnell, filling in for the injured Ish Smith, delivered a clutch steal at mid-court. Noel was left open beneath the bucket, and threw down another jam, giving the Sixers a 99-96 lead with 21.9 seconds to go. The Sixers canned four free throws to clinch their first Atlantic Division triumph of the season.
Okafor turned in one of the most effective two-way performances of his young career. In addition to his game-high tying 22 points, he set a new career-high with 17 rebounds. That total also equaled the most for a rookie this season. Noel deposited 18 points, while producing four steals and three blocked shots. Hollis Thompson, who finished with 14 points, and Covington each generated nine points apiece in the tense fourth quarter.
Saturday’s match-up featured 16 lead changes and 12 ties, 14 and 10 of which, respectively, occurred in the second half.
Brett Brown Said – On the Sixers grinding out their 103-98 victory over the Brooklyn Nets:
“We feel like we’re giving something back to our fans. It was a close game, and situations all over the place. I think for the fans and our team to win a close game the way we did was excellent.”
Top Moment:
Behind by three points with 2:17 left in the fourth quarter, the Sixers were seeking a spark. T.J. McConnell, as he did in multiple instances on Saturday, channelled a little of Ish Smith’s passing repertoire, and gave Nerlens Noel an opportunity to punish the rim.
Robert Covington only hit two field goals on Saturday. Both came in the fourth quarter, with the second one being essential to the Sixers’ victory. Tom McGinnis described the action on the Sixers Radio Network.
McConnell’s defensive hustle and awareness allowed Noel to deliver an emphatic stuff that proved to be the difference in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter. Click here for McGinnis’ game call.
Notes and Quotes:
For the first time this season, between stints with both the New Orleans Pelicans and Sixers, Ish Smith missed a game due to injury. He sustained a left ankle sprain late in his 22-point performance against the Washington Wizards on Friday, and wasn’t able to go Saturday versus the Brooklyn Nets.
With Smith sidelined, Brett Brown gave the Sixers’ starting point guard nod to T.J. McConnell, the only player on the roster to appear in all 51 of the team’s games.
“Tremendous pride,” McConnell said of his durability. “I’m trying to do anything I can to help this team win, defensively and offensively.”
As simple as McConnell makes that approach sound, he hasn’t had it easy as of late. Nearly two weeks ago, in a January 24th loss to the Boston Celtics, McConnell went crashing into a set of sideline seats next to the Sixers’ bench as he chased down a loose ball. During the dive, the Pittsburgh native suffered a long, deep gash on his right shin. Aside from the black sleeve that currently covers the wound, McConnell has shown no signs of being affected by the injury, either physically, or while playing.
“You don’t see what I see with the actual cut that he has on his leg, because it’s all bandaged up,” said Brett Brown, before McConnell actually revealed the laceration a few minutes later. The cut was about five inches long.
Brown continued, “I showed my son, ‘This is a marine.’ This is one tough, tough, competitive person. He just, we all know, you see how he plays. We can all guess how he’s wired. It reflects his wound, playing through that. I think it’s just a level of toughness that you either have it or you don’t, and he has it.”
When told of Brown’s remarks, McConnell said, “That’s a pretty good complement. I’m just trying to play hard. I’m not really looking to be tough, but I’m just trying to play hard and spark our team any way I can.”
Brown considers durability not only a trait that benefits McConnell in the present, but could also help him down the road.
“It’s so much a part of the NBA landscape being able to play through injury and some level of pain,” Brown said. “It’s one of the things when people look to form a team, and you look to build something, and ultimately when you start allocating portions of salary caps and truly paying people, it comes into it a big way, what’s their health history. And I just think has shown, albeit in early days, a real toughness.”
With 17 points on Saturday, McConnell registered his ninth double-figure effort of the season.
Saturday was Darryl Dawkins Tribute Night, and pay tribute to Darryl Dawkins is exactly what the Sixers organization did. First, there was the commemorative apparel, from warm-up shirts to socks. T.J. McConnell fashioned the gear before the game.
Throughout the night, several heart-felt videos were displayed on The Center’s center-court screens. NBA commissioner Adam Silver appeared in one. Other videos featured former Dawkins’ teammates Julius Erving, Doug Collins, and World B. Free. Karl-Anthony Towns, the number one overall selection in this past June’s NBA Draft, spoke about the influences of Dawkins, a close family friend, as well.
During a halftime ceremony, Free and Bobby Jones reflected on the legacy of Dawkins, whose family was also on hand. “I love him, and I’m going to always miss him,” Free said.
Thaddeus Young, now with the Brooklyn Nets, got to know Dawkins over the course of his seven seasons with the Sixers. He reflected on their relationship prior to Saturday’s tip-off.
“We always shook hands, and it always felt like he was going to crush my hand,” said Young, laughing along with a group of reporters. “He’s definitely always a great guy. He always encouraged me to play through each and everything that was going on. He’s always continued to be there, and be one the of the guys I could talk to on the sidelines when he did come to the games, and he was around. He’s very, very encouraging, each and every moment.”
In Silver’s message, he recalled Dawkins’ “unique combination of grace and power…and infectious enthusiasm.”
Erving smiled while remembering Dawkins’ dunks that created “reigning glass” on the court.
Towns said Dawkins “always kept the energy flowing,” and that he tries to emulate Dawkins in his own life.
Dawkins passed away on August 27th, 2015. He was 58 years old.
Now in his ninth NBA campaign, Thaddeus Young is putting together his finest all-around season to-date. His 14.9 points per game is the third-highest average of his career, while his 9.1 rebounds per contest exceeds his next-closest average by 1.4. He’s also produced a career-best 24 double-doubles. His third in a row came Saturday, with 22 points and 10 rebounds.
“Just conscious effort and just trying my teammates possessions,” said Young, discussing his approach to this season, and in particular, his performance on the boards. “Just trying to rebound the basketball and trying to get us off to a good start, trying to get our point guards the ball as quick as possible so we can get our offense started, and being able to put ourselves in position to win games. That’s been my job, just go out there and be an energy guy, score the basketball of course, and just make plays.”
One of Young’s former head coaches has been admiring the power forward’s two-way production from afar.
“I always pay attention to Thad,” said Brett Brown. “He’s so elusive at that four-spot. He’s just so slippery and gets out of pick-and-rolls quick. His explosiveness is kind of draw-dropping when he puts his mind to it. Running the floor, he is so powerful of an athlete.”
Young, selected by the Sixers with the 12th overall pick of the 2007 NBA Draft, spent his first seven professional seasons with the team. He was dealt to the Minnesota Timberwolves in August of 2014. Minnesota then flipped the 27-year old to the Brooklyn Nets at last February’s trade deadline. Young signed a four-year deal with Brooklyn this past July.
“Brooklyn rewarded him with another contract,” Brown said. “He’s carving out a fantastic career, and has a lot more to give relatively. He’s still kind of young. Amongst it all, he’s a wonderful teammate and a great person.”
Reflecting on his tenure with the Sixers, which featured four playoff berths, Young said, “This is where it all started for me. There’s been some great and some fun years here.”
Next Up:
The Sixers continue a three-game homestand that leads them into the 2016 NBA All-Star Game break by hosting the Los Angeles Clippers (33-17), the fourth-best team in the Western Conference. Amidst some recent off-court turmoil, Los Angeles has played well, winning five of their previous six contests. This stretch was kickstarted by a two-point road victory versus the Indiana Pacers on January 26th, the same day news broke that Clippers’ All-Star power forward Blake Griffin fractured his right hand. How did Los Angeles’ leading scorer suffer the injury? He was out with a Clippers assistant equipment manager, and the two reportedly got involved in an argument that escalated to a point where Griffin threw a punch. He is likely to be sidelined for at least another month. Prior to the incident, Griffin had been averaging 23.2 points per game, the second-highest average of his six-year NBA career. Since Griffin’s absence began, Chris Paul has been generating 21.0 points per contest. Jamal Crawford has also increased his output, putting up 18.7 points a game. Los Angeles’ stop in Philadelphia will be the third on a four-game road trip. The Clippers beat the Sixers 130-99 at Staples Center on January 2nd.
