Tag: KJ Martin

Sixers will lean on Kyle Lowry ahead of play-in matchup vs. Heat

The Philadelphia 76ers will lean on Kyle Lowry ahead of their play-in matchup with the Miami Heat.

CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers will play host to the Miami Heat in the play-in tournament on Wednesday in the 7 vs. 8 matchup. The winner will be the No. 7 seed and take on the New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs. The loser will have to prepare for another play-in game on Friday.

The Sixers will, obviously, depend on Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey to get the job done against the Heat, but Kyle Lowry will be a factor.

“I think in general, I would lean on him, as I do with some of the other vets,” said coach Nick Nurse at practice on Monday. “Obviously, with our little bit longer relationship, I probably have a little bit more conversations with him just because of the comfort factor. He knows a lot of what I’m thinking and I know what he’s thinking a little bit. We go over some of that stuff.”

Lowry had been with the Heat for 2 1/2 seasons before joining Philadelphia in February. He knows how Miami operates, and he was with the Heat on their run from the play-in to the finals in 2023.

“Certainly, in this, he knows this team very well,” Nurse added. “He’s played for them, right? So he knows the personnel and he knows some inner workings of things that he thinks they might do. We’ve been talking about those this morning.”

At this stage of the season, everybody knows what everybody runs. It’s no secret. Especially, with film and other scouting, but Lowry will be able to give the Sixers an idea of how to slow the Heat.

“Obviously, having Kyle, he’s been in that system,” added KJ Martin. “He knows guys’ tendencies and stuff like that. Obviously, we watch film on and off so just having him on the court, playing there for a couple years, it helps.”

The Sixers and the Heat will match up at 7 p.m. EDT on Wednesday in Philadelphia.

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Sixers discuss challenges of facing Jimmy Butler, Heat culture, zone defense

The Philadelphia 76ers discuss the challenges of defending Jimmy Butler, the Heat Culture, and attacking Miami’s zone defense.

CAMDEN, N.J. — The host Philadelphia 76ers take on a big challenge in the 7 vs. 8 play-in tournament game on Wednesday against the Miami Heat. The Sixers and the Heat split the season series between the two teams, but the Heat are a battle-tested bunch.

The Heat have the ability to rise in the toughest moments and come out successful. They were in the play-in tournament in 2023, emerged as the No. 8 seed and made an incredible run to the NBA Finals. Led by Jimmy Butler, Miami presents a huge challenge.

“He’s a physical player, but if you let him kinda just get to spots where he wants to get to, it’s hard,” KJ Martin said of defending Butler. “So just putting bigger guys. Like, obviously like me, Nico (Batum), or Kelly (Oubre Jr.), whoever, we’ll make it harder for him.”

A big key to Butler’s game is getting to his spots and using his basketball IQ to bait players into fouls. If the Sixers aren’t smart with their defensive schemes and principles, it could be a long night.

“Him not just being able to bully guys and get to the line and stuff like that so limiting his free-throw attempts and staying solid,” Martin added. “Staying down on pump fakes and stuff like that so I think we should be good.”

Miami fell to the Denver Nuggets in the finals, but it was a run nobody will forget. As long as Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro are healthy, the Heat will be a tough bunch.

“I can remember about my last 12 games with them, and they’re always hard-played, super intense, physical games,” added coach Nick Nurse. “So that’s OK. That’s what we think we are, too. We want to go out there and scrap with you. Sometimes you’ve got to get ready to do it right from the jump against these guys. Obviously, they’ve got a bunch of other things. Bam’s a great player, Jimmy’s a great player. They’ve got unbelievable complementary pieces.”

Nurse is right. While the Heat have those three guys leading the way, they can also turn to Duncan Robinson, Terry Rozier, Caleb Martin and others who all find ways to contribute to winning. It’s the “Heat Culture” they are always preaching down in Miami.

“They’ve got some guys coming back,” Nurse added. “Their health issues are improving. Herro’s back playing. Robinson’s a great shooter. Rozier’s into the fold and explosive. So tons of talents and tons of scoring options that you’ve got to keep your eye on. There’s lots of matchups that we have to play. We just have to prepare for it all.”

The Heat also play a a great deal of zone defense. In a one-game scenario, a zone defense can really throw a wrench into any team’s plans.

“I guess it’s a 2-3, but they pull those wing guys way up,” said Nurse. “They really try to keep the ball from going to the corner, because of how high they pull their wing guys up. There’s certain things that they’re willing to live with that I think fall into an analytical mindset, but it’s a little different. You don’t (typically) see the wing guys covering up so high and their communication is really good. They’re really talking about who’s going where, talking through cutters. They really seem to do a good job of getting matched up in it.”

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KJ Martin enjoying the thrills of being in a playoff race with Sixers

KJ Martin is enjoying the thrills of being in a playoff race for the first time in his career with the Philadelphia 76ers.

MIAMI — The Philadelphia 76ers are in the middle of trying to climb out of the play-in tournament and get into the top 6 in the Eastern Conference to clinch a playoff spot. With five games left in the regular season, the Sixers are 1.5 games back of the Indiana Pacers for No. 6.

KJ Martin, who was acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers in the James Harden deal back in October, played a key role in Thursday’s 109-105 win over the Miami Heat. His defense, physicality, and work on the glass helped spark Philadelphia’s comeback win on the road.

After three seasons with the rebuilding Houston Rockets to start his career, this is the first time Martin has been involved in the thrills of what a playoff race can bring to the table. It has all been so new for him, but he has been enjoying it thus far.

“It feels great,” Martin told Sixers Wire. “Playing for something, playing for a goal, which is to win a championship. I know the past couple of years, they’ve been in the playoffs. Obviously, they came up short so we have another opportunity this year.”

The Sixers do have another opportunity in the 2024 playoffs. They will likely be a lower seed, but Philadelphia will have Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey leading the way while the other players play their role to a T.

The Sixers will feature a different group of players heading into the postseason than they have in the past, but guys like Martin and others are going to play a role. There is a chance for Martin to play in the rotation once the playoffs roll around.

“We have a bunch of new guys on the team,” Martin added. “Obviously, a different team than they had last season, their last playoff run so we’re trying to figure it out, get everybody healthy, and make a run.”

The Sixers will face the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night.

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Sixers highlight play of Kelly Oubre Jr., others in key road win over Heat

The Philadelphia 76ers highlight the play of Kelly Oubre Jr. and the supporting cast after a critical win over the Miami Heat.

MIAMI — The Philadelphia 76ers picked up a 109-105 win over the host Miami Heat on Thursday that brought them within a half game of Miami for seventh in the Eastern Conference standings. With five games left, the Sixers need every win if they are to move up in the East.

The box score Thursday night shows Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid were dominant. Maxey had 37 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds. Embiid had 29 points. The Heat had no answer for them.

However, other guys stepped up and gave the Sixers a boost. Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 18 points, including seven in the fourth quarter, and KJ Martin and Paul Reed turned in huge defensive efforts to slow Miami.

“We were down eight or so with five or six minutes to go and Kelly made a couple of huge plays and kind of jump-started us back in there and then I just thought we were playing good defense for a long time,” said coach Nick Nurse. “We just couldn’t grab a rebound. We were really busting our butts to play, but we just couldn’t get a rebound and then we finally started getting some. I thought Paul Reed and KJ were huge. They were just trying really hard and snatched a few of those away.”

Oubre jump-started the Sixers on the offensive end: He had a couple of tough looks fall. His offensive charge allowed Philadelphia to begin pulling away from the Heat.

“He was big time,” Tyrese Maxey said of Oubre. “He was big time. I think early in the game, Joel had it going, I had it going a little bit, and I just told him it’s gonna come a time we’re gonna need you to hoop. They’re gonna start loading up on the boat for us and it’s your time to go out there and be aggressive and do what you do, and he did that.”

Martin and Reed also led a defensive charge that held the Heat to one field goal over the final 8:19 of the game. Kevin Love knocked down a fadeaway to put Miami up 99-93, and the Heat didn’t make another field goal until a Terry Rozier triple with 45.5 seconds left.

“KJ Martin, Paul Reed, it was huge,” added Maxey. “I mean, what they did on defense and when we zone and we went man, and they got a bit rebound as well. I told P-Reed you gotta go get them and he was gonna get them all. So that was huge. That was big time and then Joel came in and finished it out.”

The Sixers gained the critical win over the Heat. Now, they gotta take care of business against two struggling teams, the Memphis Grizzlies and the San Antonio Spurs, to finish the trip.

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Sixers have to find a way to slow down Zion Williamson to beat Pelicans

The Philadelphia 76ers have to find a way to slow down Zion Williamson in order to have a chance against the New Orleans Pelicans.

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers will get back at it on Friday when they play host to the New Orleans Pelicans, and if they’re going to have a chance to win the game, they have to find a way to slow down Zion Williamson.

With the Sixers missing Joel Embiid to protect the basket, they are going to have a tough time really slowing down Williamson in the paint. In four career games against the Sixers, he’s averaging 33 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists. He had 33 points, eight rebounds, and six assists to lead the Pelicans to a win over the Sixers back in November.

“Just on defense load into the ball,” KJ Martin said of defending Williamson. “Obviously, he’s strong and he likes to shoot gaps so you just have to be in and get out to the 3-point shooters. They’re a good team. He’s a guy that can get downhill and obviously put some shooters around him like Trey Murphy. So you just have to do both. It’s a tough task for sure, but we’re capable for sure.”

To Martin’s point, New Orleans has shooters such as CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, Brandon Ingram, and others to surround Williamson. The challenge for Philadelphia in terms of defending Williamson and keeping him out of the paint is even tougher when considering they have to get out to shooters and close out on them as well.

“I don’t know how much he (Williamson) weighs, but he’s up there for sure and he’s super strong and athletic,” Martin added. “So to game plan, you just kind of have to load up and get the ball out of his hands and get back out and get the shooters, and if he gets it in the post or whatever, you just gotta be physical. So you got to live with him going right and whatever happens, happens.”

Tip off from the Wells Fargo Center is set for 7 p.m. EST.

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Nick Nurse sees rotation opportunities for KJ Martin, Ricky Council IV

Philadelphia 76ers coach Nick Nurse believes there is a rotation opportunity for both KJ Martin and Ricky Council IV.

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers have dealt with numerous injuries that have opened the door for other players to earn minutes for coach Nick Nurse.

An example of that has been KJ Martin. With Tobias Harris missing two games in a row, the Sixers have turned to Martin and he has stepped up with two solid games showing off his defensive versatility as well as his basketball IQ on the offensive end.

Over the course of the final two games before the All-Star break, Martin has defended the likes of Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro as examples which is something Nurse likes.

“He’s obviously got a unique skill set,” Nurse said of Martin. “Underneath the basket cutting, he’s obviously a guy we can throw a lob to, we can play some screen-and-roll with him as well as a roller just because of his athleticism. He can offensive rebound a bit. Very versatile on defense, too. He can guard a lot of different positions. He’s got great strength and athleticism and he’s kind of a utility guy on offense depending on who else is out there, but defensively, he’s pretty versatile.”

Martin, along with rookie Ricky Council IV, has taken advantage of the opportunities presented. Both forwards have a lot of size, athleticism, physicality, and a confidence within themselves that will eventually force Nurse to give them a look in the rotation.

“I think that just looking at the roster, there is some opportunity there for both him (Council) and KJ,” Nurse said. “Just now things have kinda shifted in the other direction. We’ve got lots of 1s and 2s, right? Maybe not as many 4-type guys. Obviously, we’ve got Tobias there, but who’s gonna be the backup 4? I think there’s a legitimate case for either one of those guys.”

Nurse is right. When Harris comes back from his left hip impingement, he will obviously get the bulk of the power forward minutes. However, Martin and Council will get the backup minutes coming off the bench.

“I think they both played very hard and certainly played like they weren’t afraid and they competed and made some plays,” Nurse added after Wednesday’s loss to the Miami Heat. “They’re on the glass. They’re finishing. They’re taking rhythm shots when they come to them so I think they both athletically showed they can hang. Compete level, showed they can hang, so we’ll see how it all plays out.”

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KJ Martin shows off defensive versatility in Sixers’ win over Cavaliers

KJ Martin stepped up in a big way for the Philadelphia 76ers in an impressive road win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Philadelphia 76ers had to turn to others to step up when they paid a visit to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday. The Sixers were already down Joel Embiid, De’Anthony Melton and Nic Batum from the starting lineup. Then they lost Tobias Harris due to a left hip impingement.

The Sixers turned to KJ Martin. The athletic, versatile forward received his first start of the year, and he rose to the occasion. He had 10 points and eight rebounds and he defended multiple players, including Donovan Mitchell to Evan Mobley.

The Sixers needed Martin’s production in a 123-121 win.

“Evan Mobley, we played against each other in high school so I played against him a lot,” Martin told reporters after the win. “Obviously, my past couple years in the league — Donovan Mitchell also, I played against him a bunch of Utah so I remember stuff they like to get to. Obviously, they become better every year, but just the basic stuff and just me using my quickness and my size helps me a lot.”

Martin may only stand 6 feet, 6 inches, but he has a great deal of strength. He’s barrel-chested and can bother his opponents in different ways. Against the Cavs, he used his skills the right way when depending on the matchup.

“Obviously, against Evan Mobley, I felt like I had more strength on him and then Donovan Mitchell, I have more size on him,” Martin explained. “So I just tried to use my body, put my arms up.”

The win on Monday was an impressive one for this group. The Sixers needed it as they try to find their footing without the injured Joel Embiid. They have one game left on Wednesday against the Miami Heat before the All-Star break.

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Nick Nurse explains decision to start KJ Martin after Sixers road win

Nick Nurse explains the decision to start KJ Martin after the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Philadelphia 76ers coach Nick Nurse had a tough decision in front of him as his team prepared to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night. The Sixers were missing Tobias Harris due to a left hip impingement and Nurse had to figure out who to start in his place.

He decided to turn to 6-foot-6 KJ Martin who hadn’t started all year. He is also an unlikely source of production against a hulking frontline from the Cavaliers. It was a bit of a surprise decision, but it paid off in a 123-121 win over the Cavs on Monday.

Martin had 10 points and eight rebounds and made a ton of big hustle plays all night long to help Philadelphia pick up a critical win.

“He’s like the most veteran guy left at that position,” Nurse told reporters after the win. “So it could have been probably him. Could have been Ricky (Council IV), but we could have started four guards and maybe went with Cam Payne, but they’re so big and I thought he was the right decision with experience in the league.”

The decision clearly paid off. Martin is one of the more athletic players in the league and he works his tail off. His work ethic, basketball IQ, and heart make up for his lack of height and it certainly helped in the win in Cleveland.

“I thought he played very well,” Nurse added. “I thought Ricky played awesome again. Those guys really did a good job defensively at the end of the game.”

The Sixers will now head home to host the Miami Heat on Wednesday before heading off into the All-Star break.

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Sixers to start KJ Martin in place of injured Tobias Harris vs. Cavaliers

KJ Martin will start in place of the injured Tobias Harris for the Philadelphia 76ers against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Philadelphia 76ers will pay a visit to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday to conclude a 2-game road trip and they will be a bit short-handed as they invade The Land.

The Sixers will once again be short-handed as they already knew they would be without Joel Embiid, De’Anthony Melton, Nic Batum, and Robert Covington, but they will now be down yet another starter.

Tobias Harris is out against the Cavaliers due to a left hip impingement and Philadelphia will start KJ Martin in his place. This will be the first time Martin has started all season.

Martin will start alongside Tyrese Maxey, Buddy Hield, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Paul Reed.

On the season, Martin is averaging 3.0 points and 1.3 rebounds in 36 games with the Sixers. He will have a big challenge on his hands dealing with Cleveland’s size advantage in the form of Evan Mobley and Jarett Allen in this one.

Tip off from Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse is set for 7 p.m. EST.

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Sixers feeling ready they can step up, win without leader Joel Embiid

The Philadelphia 76ers are feeling ready and confident that they can step up and win games without the injured Joel Embiid.

CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers are faced with the challenge of winning games without Joel Embiid. The big fella must undergo a procedure to repair a meniscus injury in his left knee, and he is expected to miss an extended period.

The Sixers are 4-10 without Embiid on the season, but they remain confident that they can win games without the reigning league MVP. They believe they have players capable of stepping up and getting the job done without him.

It’s a matter of going out there and doing it.

“You got to figure it out,” said KJ Martin. “I mean, he’s the reigning MVP. Obviously, he’s a big part of what we’re doing and stuff like that, but at the end of the day, we’re all still NBA players and you got to be prepared if guys go down. We just got to play.”

Embiid was averaging 35.3 points per game, and the Sixers relied on him to do so much for this group nightly. At this point, Philadelphia has to hope it can stay afloat until he returns — if he returns.

“You can’t replace Jo,” added Jaden Springer. “He’s the MVP. That’s Joel Embiid, but I feel like we all got the same mindset, and we’re gonna go out there and compete with each other and give it all we got. We feel like we’re capable of beating anybody. So going out there playing hard and playing the right way. I feel like we’ll be just fine.”

Every team has a “next man up” mentality. However, there is no emergency plan for losing an MVP like Embiid.

“Obviously, it’s unfortunate,” Martin added. “We all want him to get back healthy as quick as possible, but we don’t want him to rush back and not be fully healthy and injure his knee even more so you got to figure it out. Guys got to step up and that’s what it is at the end of the day.”

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