Tag: Nic Batum

Sixers understand matchup with Magic is biggest game of the year

The Philadelphia 76ers understand that their matchup with the Orlando Magic on Friday is the biggest game of the season.

CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers have new life. After looking like they would most certainly be playing in the play-in tournament at the beginning of April, the return of Joel Embiid has coincided with a 6-game winning streak that has positioned themselves to move into the top 6 and earn a playoff spot.

A matchup with the Orlando Magic on Friday now has a lot of playoff implications. The Sixers are just a game back of the Magic now and they own the tiebreaker as they have won the season series.

A win on Friday would move Philadelphia ahead of Orlando in the standings barring a win by the Indiana Pacers which would trigger a 3-way tie and the Magic would win that due to them leading their division.

“It’s maybe the biggest game of the year right now for us tomorrow,” said Nic Batum at practice on Thursday. “So we’re at home. I mean, we kind of have everybody back right now. We had a great practice today. You know the crowd’s gonna be into it tomorrow so it can be a good night for everybody.”

Just a few weeks ago, none of this seemed possible. The Sixers looked a bit out of it. It didn’t look possible that they would be able to move out of the play-in, but they have new life and they understand that heading into this battle with the Magic.

“This is the NBA,” Batum added. “Everything changes. Like, tomorrow’s gonna be different. So sometimes you just gotta keep working like I told you a couple weeks ago. You can’t give up, you gotta keep working. We never know. This thing might turn around and it’s kind of turning around right now. So I think the momentum right before the playoffs is great.”

For the Sixers, it would be best to get into the top 6 and climb into a playoff berth. That would give Embiid and others more time to rest and prepare for the rigors of the playoffs and get ready for everything they want to accomplish.

That’s why a win over the Magic is imperative on Friday.

“We need a big win tomorrow,” Batum finished. “It’s gonna be a tough game for sure because they just lost three in a row (note: Orlando has actually lost two in a row) and they need that game as well so they won’t give it to us, but hopefully, we’ll be ready for tomorrow.”

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Nic Batum impressed with how Joel Embiid looks as Sixers move forward

Nic Batum has been impressed with how Joel Embiid looks in his return from injury as the Philadelphia 76ers move forward.

PHILADELPHIA — In four games since he returned from a two-month absence due to a meniscus issue in his left knee, Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid looks like himself.

After scoring 37 points with 11 rebounds and eight assists in a 120-102 win over the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday, Embiid is averaging 30.0 points on 51.4% shooting. He has been fantastic and it gives the Sixers hope for a playoff run.

Nic Batum, a veteran who has seen it all in the NBA, isn’t concerned with Embiid’s numbers. He’s more focused on how he’s moving and the big fella has impressed him.

“I was like, ’I don’t really care about your numbers.’,” Batum said after the win. “I was like, ‘You look great,’ the way he moves. I think the first three games he played, he was trying to get back in shape, but still got his mental back, especially for his knee, but the way he moved today (Tuesday), you could see him doing back-to-back Eurosteps like he’s been doing the first three months.”

The Sixers still have work to do if they want to make the playoffs. They have to win these final two games against the Orlando Magic and the Brooklyn Nets while also receiving help from other teams in order to climb out of the play-in tournament.

With Embiid getting back to the level he was playing at before, Philadelphia has a terrific chance to do so.

“It depends on us,” Batum said of moving up. “We have to win games and can’t worry about the other guys. The only thing we can control is to win games.”

The Sixers will host the Magic in a big matchup on Friday night.

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Sixers impressed with Spurs rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama

The Philadelphia 76ers are impressed with San Antonio Spurs rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama.

The Philadelphia 76ers walked away with a 133-126 win over the San Antonio Spurs in double overtime thanks to the heroics of Tyrese Maxey. Philadelphia’s All-Star scored a career-high 52 points while playing nearly 54 minutes.

For the Spurs, rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama continues to impress. He had 33 points, 18 rebounds, six assists and seven blocks while shooting 11-for-20 from the floor and 5-for-10 from deep. A big blemish was nine turnovers, but Wembanyama was terrific.

“I’ve known that kid for a long time,” Nic Batum told reporters after the win. “Nobody’s shocked. The only thing is, I didn’t think he would do all that in Year 1. He’s a special man. There was a quote from (Gregg Popovich) that said something like this is his worst season. That is the scary part. This may be the worst Wemby we’re going to see for the next 15 or so years. So, I’m glad I won that one tonight. I don’t know how easy it will be to win again in the future.”

Wembanyama has a special blend of skill and size and he is looking to help San Antonio eventually turn things around and head back toward contention. He certainly has the size and skills and will look to continue to grow and improve.

He already has an understanding of how to succeed at the NBA level.

“Up there (pointing to his head), he knows,” Batum added. “He knows who he is, he knows what he can become, and he knows how to do it. He’s in the perfect spot for that. The entities, his entourage around him, he’s got everything around him set up to be great. Everything is set up for him to be who we think he can become, and now it’s just up to him.”

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Sixers happy with everything veteran Nic Batum brings to the table

The Philadelphia 76ers are happy with everything Nic Batum has brought to the table since the October trade.

The Philadelphia 76ers have needed everybody to step up while Joel Embiid continues to recover from his left knee meniscus injury. They normally rely on Tyrese Maxey, but he was missing on Sunday in Toronto so Philadelphia needed others to step up.

Kelly Oubre Jr. took over the scoring mantle with 32 points to lead the Sixers, but Nic Batum hopped off the bench and poured in 19 points while shooting 7-for-8 from the floor, including 5-for-6 from deep. He had two steals, six rebounds and two assists as he contributed on both ends of the floor.

“Nico usually differs a lot of offense to people, but I think everybody knows, I mean, he’s a good catch-and-shoot 3-point shooter,” coach Nick Nurse told reporters after the win over the Raptors. “I thought he had two really big steals, too at pretty key times where he read a play and he’s one of our best defenders so it was a really good game. It’s good to see him shoot more than two or three in a night. Like his shot number should be — I’d like to see him get five 3s up here and there.”

While Batum has been terrific as a 3-point shooter (41.7%) as a member of the Sixers, he also has been terrific on the defensive end. He isn’t as spry as he used to be, but he has been tough on that end of the floor. Philadelphia needs him to be a big factor in the playoffs.

“He’s great,” Nurse added of Batum. “Certainly a veteran player, super pro, and he’s really good defensively, right? I’m not sure people know that or are giving him credit for that. We put him on a lot of guys that get going during games and he really works hard and he’s 6-foot-8 or 9 doing that.”

Considering this is his 16th NBA season along with his experience internationally, Batum has much to offer a team with his veteran know-how and leadership. His play has been quite solid since being acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers in October, but that veteran experience has been a big help for Philadelphia as well.

“He’s gonna catch and shoot when he’s open and he’s a good shooter,” Nurse finished. “So, but locker room stuff, he’s very good. He’s been through a lot of games, both in the NBA and internationally. So it’s good to have that.”

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Nic Batum reflects on time with Clippers, blockbuster trade to Sixers

Nic Batum reflects on his time with the Los Angeles Clippers as well as the blockbuster trade to the Philadelphia 76ers.

PHILADELPHIA — The big trade between the Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Clippers in October featured James Harden being sent to his desired destination. It was a tumultuous summer for him and the Sixers, but he got what he wanted.

In the deal, the Sixers received a slew of draft picks and helpful players: Nic Batum, KJ Martin, Robert Covington and Marcus Morris Sr. Since the trade, Morris was traded at the deadline, and Covington has been dealing with a knee injury. Batum and Martin have played major roles, however.

As Batum returns to LA to face his former Clippers team on Sunday, he reflected on his time on the West Coast and the little over four seasons he spent there.

“Of course, it’s special to go back to a team you have good memories with,” Batum told Sixers Wire. “I have good memories there. So it’s gonna be special, for sure.”

With that being said, don’t expect some sort of revenge game from Batum. He just wants to play basketball and help the Sixers get a win.

“It’s just a regular game at that point,” he laughed. “It is. When you’re young, you’re like ‘Oh! Revenge game!’ Revenge game. What am I gonna do? Score 40?”

Considering Batum’s career-high is 35 points, it would be tough to see him scoring 40 at this stage of his career. So he does have a point!

During his time in Philadelphia, Batum has been a terrific piece. He is a respected veteran who knows when and where to space on the offensive end, provides stingy defense and makes the right decisions with the basketball. He has been a helpful addition.

While he has enjoyed his time in Philadelphia, the trade was a difficult considering everything that was going on personally for him.

“It wasn’t my choice!” Batum laughed when asked to reflect on the trade. “I didn’t ask to be here, but it’s good. … When you go to another team, you have to be a pro. I’m gonna do my job and it’s a good situation. I got traded to a good team and we’ve had some up-and-down injuries, but it’s a good situation.”

Batum has been the definition of a professional, and he has performed well in whatever role coach Nick Nurse asks of him. The ask on Sunday is a much-needed win over the Clippers.

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Sixers react to having big man Joel Embiid back at practice on Sunday

The Philadelphia 76ers react to having Joel Embiid back at practice on Sunday afternoon.

CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid returned to practice on Sunday for non-contact drills. The big fella continues to recover from a meniscus injury in his left knee and the subsequent surgery on Feb. 6.

Embiid participating in practice does not mean a return to the floor is right around the corner, but having the big fella do something in practice is a morale boost. His mere presence is a big positive as the team’s leader and unquestioned best player.

“He looked pretty good to me,” smiled Cam Payne. “For my first time seeing him, he looked pretty good, man. He attracts a lot of attention out here. So it’s probably gonna make our job a little bit easier.”

Payne, who was acquired from the Milwaukee Bucks at the deadline, has yet to play with Embiid on the floor. He needs to get some type of practice time with him as he gets integrated with the Sixers on the floor.

Philadelphia is 11-22 without Embiid, and they have missed him in a variety of ways. Obviously, the big fella averages 35.3 points per game. Any team misses that, but there is another area the Sixers miss him the most.

“I mean, when you have a team around one guy that pretty much like gravitates all around — I mean, of course, it’s tough to not play with him, but like I said, something that I’m so impressed by him this year was his playmaking,” Nic Batum said. “Yes, he’s scoring 35 points per game. That’s insane, but his playmaking, like the way he plays for the other guys is something that he got better. It’s something very underrated. It’s something I think we’re missing a lot.”

Embiid was averaging a career-high 5.7 assists on the season before the injury. Once he returns, one has to wonder how he will help Payne and Buddy Hield on this roster. Those guys will benefit greatly from the attention Embiid attracts on the floor and will make the offense flow so well.

With 15 games left, Philadelphia needs to continue to stay afloat until the reigning league MVP can return. As long as Embiid is on the floor, the Sixers will always have a chance.

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Sixers enjoying having no egos with Buddy Hield coming off the bench

The Philadelphia 76ers are enjoying not having any egos on the team with Buddy Hield moved to the bench.

NEW YORK — The Philadelphia 76ers have had guys go in and out of the lineup throughout the 2023-24 season. Coach Nick Nurse has had to look into different lineups all season long in order to get the Sixers to succeed when considering the adversity they have faced with the injuries.

In Sunday’s win over the New York Knicks, the Sixers moved Buddy Hield to the bench. The deadline acquisition had been starting in his first 13 games for Philadelphia and in an effort to jump-start him a bit, Nurse decided to have him come off the bench.

The move paid off as Hield scored 16 points and knocked down four triples in the win. This was nothing new for Philadelphia, though. The Sixers have had Nic Batum, Kelly Oubre Jr., and others move in and out of the starting lineup with no fuss and Hield is the latest to do so.

“That’s what I love about this team is there’s no egos,” said Batum after the win. “He’s (Nurse) gonna switch lineups and when all guys are back and Kelly’s in the lineup, sometimes he’s on the bench. Now starting, sometimes it’s me. Nobody cares though. Just go out there and play. There’s no egos.”

The Sixers will have to continue to adapt to new roles and new lineups as they move forward in their season. Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey will eventually return from their injuries. That is when everybody will once again have to change things up in an effort to help Philadelphia contend for a title.

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Coach Nick Nurse challenged Sixers to be tougher against Knicks

Coach Nick Nurse challenged the Philadelphia 76ers to be tougher against the New York Knicks on the road.

NEW YORK — The Philadelphia 76ers needed a win on Sunday. They couldn’t afford a fourth consecutive loss as they paid a visit to the New York Knicks to begin a 3-game road trip, two at Madison Square Garden.

The Sixers had dropped the first two matchups to the Knicks on the season as New York had invaded the Wells Fargo Center and beat the Sixers in many facets. The Knicks were just tougher than Philadelphia in every way.

That wasn’t the case on Sunday as the Sixers out-toughed the Knicks on their way to a 79-73 victory. Philadelphia held New York star Jalen Brunson to 6-for-22 shooting and the Sixers did a great job of battling which was a challenge from coach Nick Nurse.

“The last two games when they came to Philly, they were very, very physical on us,” said Nic Batum. “They kicked our ass twice, really. They were very, very physical. It’s not like sometimes you can miss a game. No, they went at us and they like really, really went at us. We needed to respond. That was Coach’s message this morning: ‘What are you going to do about it? They came to your house and punked us twice.'”

The Sixers were able to respond in a big way. Despite missing Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, De’Anthony Melton, and Robert Covington, the Sixers were able to get down and dirty defensively. They were gritty and they showed a toughness that’s needed in order to win in this league.

“We have to respond at least,” Batum added. “We’re missing Tyrese, we’re missing Joel, RoCo, and Melt. We’re missing a lot of key guys and we lost the last three…We had to get a response against a very good team, in a tough, tough place to play. Tuesday is gonna be another fight. After what happened in the previous two games and this one? It should be another fight.”

The Sixers will look to pick up another win on Tuesday with Nurse continuing to guide this group.

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Nic Batum continues to do anything Sixers ask of him to win games

Veteran Nic Batum continues to do whatever is asked of him to help the Philadelphia 76ers win games.

The Philadelphia 76ers are seeking consistent ways to win while Joel Embiid remains sidelined. They picked up an impressive win over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday thanks to the play of everybody up and down the roster.

While Tobias Harris, Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre Jr. will get the praise for the points they pumped in to keep the scoreboard moving, praise should also be given to Nic Batum.

The Sixers have asked Batum to play different roles since he returned from his hamstring injury. He has started, come off the bench, played some small-ball 5 and been used as only an inbounder at times. It’s all in an effort to help the team win.

He had seven points, 11 rebounds, three assists, and three steals in the win over the Mavericks while playing some small-ball 5. He was terrific on the defensive end and helped on the glass.

“Well, he is a unique player,” coach Nick Nurse told reporters about Batum. “Not only did he grab some rebounds, but he ran a bunch of those long bounce out to the corner ones down. He was the one running out there to get those.”

Batum was also helping Maxey beat the blitzing defense the Mavs employed. He flashed to the middle of the floor, grabbed the pass from Maxey out of the double teams and made the right decisions to help Philadelphia execute.

“Then there was a segment of the game where they were blitzing Tyrese and he got the ball in the middle and he hit Paul (Reed) for a dunk,” Nurse added. “He hit Kelly for 3. A few plays in a row, he got the ball in the middle and we scored on all of them. So good passer, smart player. It’s good to see him on the glass, too.”

Batum is going to play an important role for the Sixers as they move forward.

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Coach Nick Nurse provides update on Nic Batum, other injured Sixers

Coach Nick Nurse gave an update on Nic Batum and the other injured members of the Philadelphia 76ers.

CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers returned to practice on Wednesday to prepare for the final 28 games of the season following the All-Star break. The Sixers are 32-22 and fifth in the Eastern Conference as they head into this stretch run of the season.

The Sixers need to get healthy to make a serious run in the Eastern Conference. Not only will they need Joel Embiid (left knee meniscus) to return, but they also need Nic Batum, De’Anthony Melton, Robert Covington and Tobias Harris back on the floor.

Batum hasn’t played since Jan. 29 due to a left hamstring strain. Melton hasn’t played since Jan. 12 due to lumbar spine stress response, and Covington hasn’t played since Dec. 30 due to a bone bruise in his left knee. Harris missed the final two games before the All-Star break due to a left hip impingement.

“Yeah, everybody was in today,” said coach Nick Nurse after practice. “Everybody was in the full practice other than Covington and Joel, obviously.”

It appears that the Sixers will get at least one of Batum and Melton back from injury on Thursday against the New York Knicks. Philadelphia will need versatility on both ends of the floor.

“I think Nico looks pretty likely,” Nurse added. “Melt, we’ve probably just got to make sure he’s OK tomorrow morning. I’d say we’ll get one, maybe both, but one for sure.”

As far as Covington is concerned, the veteran out of Tennessee State doesn’t appear any closer to a return. Nurse is not sure when he will have him back on the floor.

“Not that I know of,” Nurse said of any Covington progression. “I did check with (VP of Athlete Care) Simon (Rice) today about where his status was, and he said probably return to play in like three weeks. So that’s out there a bit, but he did say that’s kind of what he thought today.”

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