The Philadelphia 76ers needed a big effort on Sunday. They needed to have a feel-good game following a slump where they lost five of their last seven games and had lost five straight on the road. So what better way to do it then on the defensive end?
The Sixers raced out to a 68-44 lead at halftime using their defense to fuel their offense and they led by as many as 31 to get the win. They forced Cleveland into taking tough shots and held them to 37.8% shooting on the day. The win helped Philadelphia get back on track and helped them salvage a game on the 3-game road trip.
Coach Brett Brown previously had said he believed the Sixers can turn it around and on Sunday, it was a good example of what he believed as he stated:
I thought defensively tonight, they came out with a sting. They were purposeful and we should be. You know, how people respond to losing, and trying to get back on track is always an interesting snapshot for all of us and I thought the guys were great. They came out with a sense of urgency. For the most part, they didn’t let up. I thought that our defense, sort of, paved the way for our offense.
The defensive effort helped fuel the Sixers on the offensive end as they shot 54.8% from the floor and they made nine of their 23 shots from deep. They were led by Tobias Harris who had 27 points and five rebounds.
Harris spoke on the offense after the win:
We had a lot of higher-percentage shots, which is around the rim. A lot of paint catches, a lot of fast-breaks that would generate through our defense. Anytime you get high-percentage shots and playing good defense, it’s a good combination.
Philadelphia will now look to take this effort and carry it with them on Wednesday as they return home to face the New York Knicks. [lawrence-related id=19418,19412,19383]