The Philadelphia 76ers had a tall task on Thursday night. They had to go into the United Center and try and pick up a win over a tough Chicago Bulls team despite missing their star duo of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons who were in the health and safety protocols.
Any other team would wilt under the pressure of missing their two best players, but instead, the rest of the team stepped up and they went to work. They were led by Tobias Harris with 24 points, but six other players scored in double-figures and the team pulled out a win in Chicago.
“Listening to all the other guys, ‘Man, you guys are gonna be in trouble your first two’,” said coach Doc Rivers. “Well, we were not and we played great. I thought our defense was good. We didn’t turn the ball over, which I thought was huge, and you usually do when you have your two best offensive guys out. We just did a lot of things good and I thought we just played under control throughout the game.”
The Sixers got a huge lift from Tony Bradley who stepped in place of Embiid and he poured in 14 points on a perfect 7-for-7 shooting and he also had three blocks. It says a lot about the Sixers that they can turn to the rest of the team despite missing their best players.
“We understand that those two weren’t playing tonight so we have to play,” said Bradley. “You have to continue to play and find a way to win. Me, getting a chance to start, I just knew from the jump I got to me personally, I just got to bring energy, and I felt like everybody played with that same energy, just from the jump, so it was good.”
Not to be forgotten, Dwight Howard also hopped off the bench and he had 18 points and 12 rebounds off the bench. The fact that the Sixers got this type of play from their two backup big men in place of Embiid is a real boost to the team.
“I think it shows how deep we are as a team, how connected we are,” said Howard. “Missing our two best players, we still got the job done tonight. We believe in each other. We wish Ben and Joel was here, but I think they need some much-needed rest, and it’s good for them. I think we came out tonight with the right effort and energy.”
Matisse Thybulle earned the start in place of Simmons and he still continued his strong play on the defensive end, but he was big on the offensive end as well. The second-year guard out of Washington poured in 13 points and he knocked down three triples in the second half. That was a big reason why Philadelphia pulled away.
“It says a lot about the guys who are willing to step up and just staying ready,” said Thybulle. “I think I heard Dwight saying something about it, but just Tony being ready to step up and play a major role in a game like this is a really big deal. Just across the board, I think we did a really good job with that.”
The Sixers will now face the Washington Wizards on Friday where they hope Embiid will be able to return.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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