Category: 76ers

Sixers forward Tobias Harris reacts to recent offensive struggles

Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris reacts to his recent offensive struggles after a loss to the Orlando Magic.

Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris has a reputation of being a scorer. In the Sixers two previous games, that notion couldn’t be further from the truth.

In Tuesday’s win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Harris scored eight points on 4-for-17 shooting including a dreadful 0-for-11 from deep. His saving grace was his clutch play down the stretch in the win.

In Wednesday’s 112-97 loss to the Orlando Magic, Harris followed that up with eight points on 4-for-13 shooting and 0-for-3 from deep. If you’re adding that up at home, that’s 8-for-30 from the floor and 0-for-14 from deep for a guy the Sixers are counting on to provide scoring from the wing position.

In Harris’ defense, he is playing through a cold after coach Brett Brown revealed his illness on Tuesday. However, Harris isn’t using it as an excuse as he stated:

Not any…If I can walk out there I am playing.  I am under the weather yeah, but at the end of the day, if I go out there and play I believe I can go.

Harris is a rhythm shooter. He’s a guy who is much better in catch-and-shoot situations rather than creating his own shot. The only way for a player to find his rhythm again is to continue to shoot no matter how many times he misses. So while the 0-for-14 from deep combined in the previous two games is an eyesore, it’s important that he continues to keep shooting.

He added:

As long as I am not making shots I am not in a rhythm.  That’s it.  Obviously, it is easier said than done, but I am going to find my rhythm and once I do, those shots are going to be there and they are going to be able to be made.  Until then, I will watch film and see the looks that I can get, see the easy ones that I can get to, but when they are not going for me, sometimes I try to get to the free throw line obviously.  In the fourth quarter, I thought there were two questionable whistles…a travel and an offensive so those are two turnovers that kind of affected the fourth quarter.  I just have to find a rhythm that’s it.

Philadelphia will continue the road trip on Friday when they face the Oklahoma City Thunder. Maybe that will be the game where Harris can finally bust out of his slump. [lawrence-related id=19247,19232,19222]

Sixers coach Brett Brown on Tobias Harris: ‘We need him to score’

Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown says the Sixers need Tobias Harris to score the basketball.

The Philadelphia 76ers brought back Tobias Harris for a reason and that was to provide some scoring and shooting from the wing position. He hasn’t lived up to that expectation in the previous two games.

After an eight point effort in Tuesday’s 98-97 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Harris followed that up with another night where he struggled scoring another eight points and he shot 4-for-13 in a 112-97 loss to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. He is shooting a combined 0-for-14 from deep in the two contests.

Heading into the season, coach Brett Brown stated that the Sixers need Harris’ shooting. On Wednesday, Brown reiterated that comment:

I think it’s just human nature. He wants to please. He wants to shoot the ball. He wants to score. We need him to score. We needed Al (Horford) and we needed Tobias to score. We had a drought in the last period and we had a long night in that regard offensively. It consistently reminds me of two things. One, it always in any level of team that you have, it takes longer for offense to catch defense. And two, during that spell you better guard. You better guard. It’s the only insolation that you have if you’re going to miss shots at the rate that we’ve been missing shots. And, so be it.

The season is long. The team is only 11 games into a season where they have championship expectations so it is still very early to make any assumptions about the deal the Sixers gave to Harris.

Brown added:

I cut this thing up into thirds in my head and in my heart. I think it’s going to take until past Christmas to find the rhythm beat to what we’re doing. I look forward to a having a consistent rotation with Joel (Embiid) in the mix, in the meantime I give Orlando credit. I thought they did a great job defensively and we did not respond after a back-to-back.

The Sixers have had a rough time trying to figure out the rotation and it’s been tough to really settle down on a rotation with Embiid being in-and-out of the lineup and the recent injury to Ben Simmons. Once the team settles down, that can give an opportunity to Harris to really find his groove again. [lawrence-related id=19232,19222,19150]

Sluggish Sixers fall to Magic 112-97, ends two-game win streak

The Philadelphia 76ers fall to the Orlando Magic on the road.

The Philadelphia 76ers were looking to build off a modest two-game win streak they built at home following a three-game losing streak to end a road trip. Heading back on the road, they weren’t able to find the groove as they fell to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday 112-97 to begin a three-game road trip.

Josh Richardson led Philadelphia with 19 points to go along with six rebounds and five assists, Ben Simmons had 18 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, and Al Horford returned to score 14 points and pull down eight rebounds. The Sixers shot 8-for-30 from deep following an 8-for-38 effort on Tuesday night.

Philadelphia only shot 13 free throws all night compared to 34 for the Magic and it seemed as if the Sixers were just a bit sluggish on the night. Except for Simmons who was able to get inside a few times.

On the Orlando side, Nikola Vucevic led the way with 25 points and 12 rebounds taking advantage of the fact the Sixers did not have Joel Embiid in order to rest him and Aaron Gordon added 18 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists.

It was a case of the Sixers just looking a little tired. They were on the second night of a back-to-back following a battle with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday and they just weren’t able to finish it. They will now focus on the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday. [lawrence-related id=19232,19222,19150]

Sixers big man Joel Embiid to miss Wednesday’s matchup with Magic

Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid will miss Wednesday’s game with the Orlando Magic on the road.

The Philadelphia 76ers are looking to win three games in a row on Wednesday, following a three-game losing streak, as they head into Orlando to face Markelle Fultz and the Magic. They will have to battle on Wednesday without one of their leaders and their best player.

The Sixers will be without superstar Joel Embiid on Wednesday in Orlando due to a scheduled rest day. The big man did have 27 points and 16 rebounds while throwing down the go-ahead dunk late to help Philadelphia knock off the Cleveland Cavaliers 98-97 on Tuesday, but with Wednesday being the second night of a back-to-back, the Sixers will rest him due to his load management plan.

The Sixers did not have Al Horford on Tuesday in the first night of the back-to-back and he is expected to return on Wednesday. This is what to expect with Embiid throughout the season. This is nothing new and it will be expected throughout the season. They want to deliver the best version of Embiid to the playoffs in April.

In other injury news, Trey Burke is listed as questionable after missing Tuesday’s game and the team will send Jonah Bolden down to the G League to join the Delaware Blue Coats.

The Sixers and the Magic tip-off at 7:00 p.m. EST from the Amway Center in Orlando. [lawrence-related id=19150,19207,19200]

Cavs coach John Beilein on Sixers guard Trey Burke: ‘I love him’

Cleveland Cavaliers coach John Beilein has nothing but respect for his former student, Philadelphia 76ers guard Trey Burke.

When the Philadelphia 76ers hosted the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night, it was a normal November matchup for almost everybody involved. For two men, it was much more than a regular-season game.

Cavaliers coach John Beilein is fresh off 12 seasons as head coach for the University of Michigan and he coached Sixers guard Trey Burke for two seasons and the two of them had a lot of success during their time together in Ann Arbor. Burke was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team and he improved on those numbers in a big way in his sophomore season as he was named the Player of the Year in the Big Ten as well as taking home both the Naismith and Wooden Awards.

The Cavs coach had nothing but praise for him:

He’s good. He’s got a great in-between game. He really is a guy who has a lot of courage when he plays, he’s not afraid to make or take the tough shot. He did it so many times for us. This is so unique to be able to do this. I love him, he was the National Player of the Year, a three-star recruit got the Wooden Award, and he’s had a good pro career, but he’s a young guy right now. He still has a lot of good basketball left in him.

Burke has a lot of respect for Beilein as he was the one who really grew and developed him into an NBA player.

I think just the accountability. He held each player accountable, to the same standards, he didn’t treat no one special. He didn’t treat this guy better than that guy or this guy. Everyone was held to the same standard, the same level, of accountability. I think that’s what got the respect from his players and he trusted us, we trusted him as well.

The 2013 NCAA Tournament run was a highlight for both Beilein and Burke during their Michigan careers as they went all the way to the title game before coming up short to Louisville. During the run in the Sweet 16, Michigan trailed the Kansas Jayhawks by 10 with roughly two minutes remaining before the Wolverines went on a run to tie the game with Burke draining one from a few feet behind the three-point line to force overtime to lead them to win.

It was great. It’s still one of the memories that will always be in mind, it’s something that will never fade away. I watch it from time-to-time, I get reminded of it a lot, a lot of people send it to me all the time. Sometimes, you just sit back and you say ‘that was you who did that’ and that was a crazy game. Just being down 10 points with two minutes left, people think those games are over, but you’ve got proof right there that the game is never over until you finish. A lot of lessons to be taken from that game, but it felt great to be a part of it.

Even with Burke in the NBA, the two of them remained in contact over the years and they speak even more now that Beilein is in the NBA with Cleveland.

We reach out to each other from time-to-time. He’s just as busy as I am now. He was that busy in college so when we get the opportunity to touch base, we do.

With Burke bouncing around from team-to-team, he hopes to find a home in Philadelphia for a long time. [lawrence-related id=19121,19093,19074]

Sixers vs. Magic Preview: Sixers look to make it three wins in a row

The Philadelphia 76ers start a three-game road trip with the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.

The Philadelphia 76ers have answered their three-game losing streak with back-to-back wins at home and now will head back out on the road on Wednesday. The Sixers were able to squeak out a 98-97 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night despite a poor shooting night and they will look to keep the momentum going on the road.

The Orlando Magic have had an underwhelming start to the season; they are off to a 3-7 start after making a playoff appearance in the 2018-19 season. Coach Steve Clifford has made the change to put former Sixers No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz into the starting lineup. It will be Fultz’s first regular-season matchup with his old team after a preseason game in October.

It’s now time to break down the Sixers and the Magic with a game preview that includes the works:

How to watch Sixers vs. Magic

  • Date: Wednesday, November 13
  • Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
  • Location: Amway Center Orlando, FL
  • TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia

Injury report

  • Sixers: NOT YET SUBMITTED
  • Magic: NONE

Storylines

Shooting woes

The biggest fear surrounding the Sixers has come to life. They had a rough night shooting the ball on Tuesday, going 8-for-38 from 3-point range. But they showed resilience, not only in winning the game but that they can win in other ways when shooting is cold, with Josh Richardson explaining:

I mean, we play hard. That’s all you can really say about it. Guys were showing a lot of toughness down the stretch even when things weren’t falling for us. It’s going to be plenty of nights like that. Like this is not going to be the last night where we have a tough night shooting, so you’ve just got to learn how to fight through it.

Tough Tobias

Tobias Harris had the worst shooting night of everybody — going a dreadful 0-for-11 from deep on Tuesday. Coach Brett Brown revealed that he was playing with a stomach virus that limited his energy and focus.

Despite all of that, Harris made some big plays down the stretch to help Philadelphia to a win. It earned him the praise of his teammates, with Richardson stating:

Tobias is a tough guy. He’s hard to shake. He’s hard to fluster and he was vocal the whole game and he kept shooting. I commend him for that. I was telling him to stay aggressive and to shoot his shots so I’m proud of him for fighting through that.

Prediction

The Magic have had a rough go of it, but they are a talented bunch. All-Star Nikola Vucevic has given Joel Embiid some issues in the past and Evan Fournier is always a threat to get hot from deep. Jonathan Isaac is one of the serious up-and-coming players in the league and Aaron Gordon is versatile. It will take a lot from the Sixers, who will get a boost with the return of Al Horford, to come back on the second night of a back-to-back and get a win. It will be a nice test for them.

Pick:Sixers win in another close game.

Sixers vs. Magic season series

Game 1 (Nov. 13):

Game 2 (Dec. 27):

Game 3 (April 5): 

[lawrence-related id=19200,19189,19164]

Brett Brown is wary of Sixers playing with fire: ‘It’s a blowtorch’

Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown says his team’s play with fire has a “blowtorch” like feel.

The Philadelphia 76ers are a team playing with high expectations in the 2019-20 season. They have visions of the Larry O’Brien trophy dancing in their heads after a flurry of moves in the offseason. The team is off to a 7-3 start, but it has not been pretty.

They had to rally from double-digits, squeak out close games, and barely get past lesser teams, but they somehow find a way to win. The biggest example was on Tuesday night when they had to rally and hold off the Cleveland Cavaliers 98-97 to win the game.

Winning these close games is impressive, but it’s not always ideal. Coach Brett Brown is wary of what his team is doing late in close games:

It’s a blowtorch and it is violent. You’re just watching that game unfold, and you can’t make some of that up. I’m the coach, so I have to figure it out. Some of those turnovers certainly were head scratching. I do give our guys credit for not crumbling. We knew that if we needed to do anything, it was play defense and defense we played.

The Sixers did make enough plays down the stretch to win the game and at the end of the day, that’s all that matters, but this is the NBA where any team can win on any given night. They just need to keep their head up and continue to play, but it is a dangerous game they’re playing.

Josh Richardson stated:

You are going to win some of those, hopefully more than you lose, but I understand that in the NBA it is hard to win. There are going to be games where you don’t come out on top. For me, I think it’s good for us to experience this. To play with this pace and then to slow it down when things get tough, we have a good foundation to lean on and we are all for it.

The Sixers will now head to Orlando on Wednesday to face the Magic as they look to win a third straight game. [lawrence-related id=19189,19181,19170]

Joel Embiid says Sixers are ‘nowhere close’ to their potential offensively

Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid believes the Sixers haven’t reached their potential on offense just yet.

It was not pretty at the Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday night. The Philadelphia 76ers put up a ton of bricks on their way to an 8-for-38 shooting night from deep, including a combined 1-for-19 from Tobias Harris and Josh Richardson, but yet the Sixers came out on top 98-97 over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Sixers are still trying to find their way and learn each other as they were without veteran Al Horford who was out for a scheduled rest day. The lack of playing time together continues to lead to a lack of cohesion, but according to Joel Embiid, there’s light at the end of the tunnel:

Pretty new team. The starting lineup is pretty new if you ask me. Tobias got here last year, late, so it’s basically been me and Ben(Simmons) in the starting lineup. So we’re still figuring out how to play with each other and I don’t think we’re nowhere close to our potential offensively.

He’s absolutely right in that statement. Despite Harris’ shooting struggles, it is hard to continue seeing him shoot at such a low rate and the same goes for Richardson. Having Horford back in the lineup always helps and Furkan Korkmaz has continued to play well. There is the offensive potential here to do big things. They just need to put it all together.

Now on the defensive end, they held Cleveland to their own struggles from deep as they shot 5-for-21 from beyond the arc and they were held to 97 points. Until the offense can figure it out, they will have to rely on the defense as Embiid added:

Defensively, I thought the last couple games have been fine defensively. Offensively, we just got to, you know, that starts with me. I haven’t been efficient. I’ve been turning the ball over so I’ve got to go back to being efficient and taking care of the ball again.

This team has only played 10 games and they’re sitting at 7-3. When stepping back and seeing that and taking into consideration that they have been missing pieces of the lineup for most of those games, it’s tough to get a really good assessment of how good this team can be.

Richardson has preached patience in the past. That is one thing that the fans of Philadelphia have a tough time with. [lawrence-related id=19181,19170,19164]

Multiple Sixers have high praise for Tobias Harris’ toughness vs. Cavs

Multiple Philadelphia 76ers praise Tobias Harris for his toughness in a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

It was not easy for Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris on Tuesday night. He shot a ridiculous 4-for-17 and an awful 0-for-11 from deep and he heard the boos from the Philadelphia faithful. Yet, he made some big plays down the stretch to help the Sixers rally for a 98-97 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday.

What those fans did not know is that Harris was playing through a stomach virus and coach Brett Brown did not know that he was going to play until just about three hours before tip-off. It was an off night for Harris, but his play down the stretch was clutch for Philadelphia.

Joel Embiid, who led the way with 27 points and 16 rebounds had praise for Harris.

It says a lot. He’s going to battle through stuff. Like I said, shots are going to fall and they’re not sometimes. When it matters, he showed up.

Richardson, who also had a tough night shooting it as he shot 1-for-8 from distance, also had some big words for Harris’ toughness:

Tobias is a tough guy. He’s hard to shake. He’s hard to fluster and he was vocal the whole game and he kept shooting. I commend him for that. I was telling him to stay aggressive and to shoot his shots so I’m proud of him for fighting through that.

At the end of the day, the Sixers will need Harris to shoot the ball much better going forward. They aren’t paying him $180 million to go 0-for-11 from deep, sick or not. He came into the night shooting 28.6% from deep and that will surely go down after this performance.

Philadelphia will now head south to Orlando to face the Magic to start a three-game road trip. [lawrence-related id=19170,19121,19093]

Josh Richardson acknowledges it won’t be ‘last night’ Sixers struggle

Philadelphia 76ers guard Josh Richardson says that Tuesday won’t be the last night the Sixers have an off night.

The Philadelphia 76ers are going against the current NBA trend of speed and shooting and on Tuesday night, it showed off their style in a big way. They shot the ball a putrid 8-for-38 from deep and were still able to somehow pull away with a 98-97 win over the pesky Cleveland Cavaliers.

Tobias Harris shot a ghastly 0-for-11 from deep and Josh Richardson shot 1-for-8 from deep. That’s two guys in the starting lineup expected to make shots from the perimeter shooting a combined 1-for-19. Yet, they were able to come out with a win and that’s all that matters at the end of the day.

Richardson stated:

I mean, we play hard. That’s all you can really say about it. Guys were showing a lot of toughness down the stretch even when things weren’t falling for us. It’s going to be plenty of nights like that. Like this is not going to be the last night where we have a tough night shooting, so you’ve just got to learn how to fight through it.

Fight through it they did. They were missing star power forward Al Horford and they had to dig deep to battle through that plus the woeful shooting. Joel Embiid was the team’s leading three-point shooter as he knocked down three from distance, yet they still won. It’s a positive sign for them.

Our team has resilience. I think that we fought through a lot of adversity with our offense not going the way we wanted it to, but we pulled it out at the end. We got stops down the stretch when we neeed it.

The Sixers will now hit the road in Orlando to face Markelle Fultz and the Magic. [lawrence-related id=19164,19154,19143]