In an essentially meaningless game on Wednesday night as both teams know their playoff seeding and their opponents at this point in time, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Toronto Raptors got into a bench war.
Both teams had their main pieces on the bench and they went deep into their second units to finish the game out. Whenever a player out on the floor had a big moment for either team, their corresponding players on the bench were up, running around, rooting for their teammates, and also getting into it with the opposition.
Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, Al Horford, and Josh Richardson were having fun with Toronto’s Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet in poking fun at one another while also rooting for their teammates.
“It’s fun,” said Horford. “We’re in this environment and we need to create our own energy at times and I can speak for the group that it just feels good when we have other guys that don’t play so much normally to be able to get out there and get some time and show what they have. They really stepped up it and it was just fun watching them go.”
Raptors bench vs Sixers bench@WorldWideWob pic.twitter.com/LxJk1jC8dH
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Furkan Korkma had 21 points off the bench, Raul Neto added 17, Matisse Thybule had 10, and Mike Scott had 12 while Norvel Pelle also had some big plays. All of that brings joy to the veteran Sixers.
“We’re coming together, we’re having different guys step up because we know we’re going to need everyone,” said Harris. “Tonight, we let the second unit handle business and we’re just bonding and that’s a great thing about this time together as a team. We truly understand that when the playoffs come with our team and our depth, that’s going to be needed throughout our run.”
Coach Brett Brown loves the idea of his team coming together, especially amid the chemistry issues that the team has had to endure throughout the season.
“There is an accumulated relational side, we’ve all expedited because we’re in the bubble on buses and restaurants in gyms and dormitories, if you will, together,” Brown explained. “I think that environment produces a chemistry that is hard to manufacture and so I think that the guys on the bench whether it’s our bench players showing that type of support that type of attitude. How can that not be a good thing?”
The Sixers will most likely be leaning on their bench a bit more on Friday when they take on the Houston Rockets in their final seeding game before the playoffs. [lawrence-related id=36769,36766,36760]