Tag: Tony Bradley

3 observations: Ben Simmons returns, Sixers rout Spurs at home

With Ben Simmons returning to the floor, the Philadelphia 76ers were able to rout the San Antonio Spurs at home.

The Philadelphia 76ers were returning home on Sunday to face the San Antonio Spurs with some good news and some bad news. The bad news is, obviously, the loss of Joel Embiid for a few weeks with his bone bruise. The good news is, Ben Simmons and 3,100 fans returned and the Sixers seemed to have a bounce in their step.

Philadelphia led by as many as 42 on their way to an easy 134-99 win at home. The Sixers were definitely energized by having some of their passionate fan base return to the Wells Fargo Center as they came out and held a 33-22 lead after one quarter.

Tobias Harris led Philadelphia with 23 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists, Seth Curry had 21 points, Danny Green had 16, and Simmons had 14 and nine assists in 26 minutes after missing two games due to the health and safety protocols. Furkan Korkmaz had 16 points, Dwight Howard had eight and eight rebounds, and Matisse Thybulle added 10.

Here are the observations in this one:

Sixers impressed with the play of the big men in road win over Bulls

The Philadelphia 76ers were impressed by the effort they received from their big men in a win over the Chicago Bulls.

The Philadelphia 76ers were in need of some help from the rest of the team as they were severely undermanned without Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons who were in the league’s health and safety protocols due to contact tracing. So, coach Doc Rivers and the Sixers turned to little-used Tony Bradley to give the team a lift.

Bradley got the start in place of the big fella and he had 14 points on 7-for-7 shooting and he had three blocks. The team also received 18 points and 12 rebounds from veteran Dwight Howard off the bench in an effort that the team really needed from him. The two big men were terrific all night long.

“Yeah, they were fantastic,” said Rivers. “32 points, 17 rebounds I think, five blocked shots, they just played with great energy. I thought both of them played within themselves. We fell into something offensively that we thought that we can be successful at. They kept doing it. They kept finding the ball guys kept finding them. So, really happy for both of them.”

Bradley was the one who really set the tone from the beginning. The young big man from North Carolina really gave the team a spark from the jump and that is exactly why Howard has a special nickname for him.

“I thought Tony Bradley, I call him the battery pack, he had his battery pack out there tonight he was the Energizer Bunny,” laughed Howard. “He came out, got some good blocks, good rebounds, good putbacks, he finished around the basket, I thought he had an amazing game. He sparked us tonight so I’m real proud of the young fella. He got a start and he played great.”

For Philadelphia to be able to get such a big game from both Bradley and Howard, it is a confidence boost for the team. It lets them know that they understand how to win on the rare occasion when their star players can’t go.

“Just feel good I wasn’t planning on doing that,” smiled Bradley. “I guess I just wanted to, from the jump, just bring energy and effort so I feel good. I don’t know what else to say.”

Bradley was playing so well that Embiid even stated that the team should build around him now.

“That’s good,” laughed Bradley. “For him to have the support and for him to say that is funny especially from Joel. I appreciate it.”

The Sixers will now head to the nation’s capital to take on the Washington Wizards on Friday where the hope is that the big fella can return.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Doc Rivers, undermanned Sixers react to impressive win over Bulls

Doc Rivers and the Philadelphia 76ers give their reactions to an impressive win over the Chicago Bulls.

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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3 observations: Tobias Harris, shorthanded Sixers rout Bulls on the road

While missing their star duo, Tobias Harris and the Philadelphia 76ers rout the Chicago Bulls on the road.

The Philadelphia 76ers were looking to start the second half on the right foot as they invaded the United Center getting set to take on the Chicago Bulls. They had to do so while missing their star duo of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons in order to get it done and the last time these teams matched up, Philadelphia needed all 50 points from Embiid to win the game.

In this one, the Sixers got some production from everybody and they were able to come away with a 127-105 win over the Bulls. Tobias Harris led seven players in double figures with 24 points and four assists as he took on the offensive load in this one.

Tony Bradley had a big game with 14 points on 7-for-7 shooting and he also had three blocks in the performance while starting for Embiid, Matisse Thybulle had 13 points and five steals, Dwight Howard added 18 and 12 rebounds off the bench, while Furkan Korkmaz added 16. Seth Curry had 12 points and seven assists and Shake Milton added 10 and he had eight rebounds.

With that said, here are the three observations from an impressive win:

Joel Embiid wants Sixers to build around Tony Bradley with big game

Joel Embiid wants the Philadelphia 76ers to build around Tony Bradley.

The Philadelphia 76ers are currently in Chicago taking on the Bulls to begin the second half of the season. They had to do so while missing their star duo of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons as they continue their process through the league’s health and safety protocols.

In Embiid’s place, the Sixers turned to Tony Bradley who has had a modest season averaging just 3.9 points and 4.2 rebounds while being the team’s third center on the roster. It is understandable why his numbers are not that high.

On Thursday, Bradley has been playing very well with 14 points on a perfect 7-for-7 shooting and he also has five rebounds and three blocks. The team’s star center then went to Twitter and he now wants the team to build around Bradley.

Philadelphia is playing well as they lead Chicago 89-75 holding it down while missing their two best players. They will have to continue to play strong to be able to secure this win.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Philadelphia 76ers player grades for the month of February before break

Here are the player grades for the Philadelphia 76ers for the entire month of February.

There is still one more game in the month of February for the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday when they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers at home, but there is enough of a sample size to give everybody a grade for their performance for the month.

The Sixers are still playing well as they sit at the top of the Eastern Conference at 22-11 and they will send Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Doc Rivers to the State Farm Arena in Atlanta for the All-Star game. Embiid will be a starter, Simmons is a reserve and Rivers will be coaching Team Durant in the game.

With that said, here are the player grades for the month of February:

Sixers give their reaction to Doc Rivers winning Coach of the Month

The Philadelphia 76ers react to coach Doc Rivers winning the Coach of the Month award.

The Philadelphia 76ers ended January at the top of the Eastern Conference at 15-6 and that amount of success brings individual accolades. The Sixers had a lot of members of their team worthy to win some awards and that is what they did.

Doc Rivers brought home Coach of the Month for December/January for his work on his first month of the job. He has done a terrific job making adjustments on the fly and he has done a great job of getting the most out of his players.

Despite winning the award, Rivers was indifferent to the news.

“Not much reaction, to be honest,” he said. “It’s nice, obviously, but all it means is that your players are playing well, your staff is doing well, and you’re probably healthy. I don’t make much of them, to be honest, but I’d rather have them than not, I guess because that means that your team’s playing well and you’re doing some right things.”

Seth Curry, another newcomer to the team alongside Rivers, was happy to see his coach take home the award.

“We got the best record in the league right now in the Eastern Conference,” he said. “We got off to a good start and when you win games everybody gets the accolades on the team. Coach of the Month is just a direct correlation of a team’s record. He’s done a good job of getting us locked in early in the season and we’re getting better as the weeks go on.”

The biggest thing Rivers has done is hold everybody accountable, which was an issue under former coach Brett Brown. He wants everybody to be locked in when the time comes and he has done a great job of making sure the team understands the message.

“I think he holds everybody accountable,” Curry added. “He gives us a good balance of giving us freedom on the floor and holding us accountable for our play on both ends of the floor. Everybody’s shaping into their roles and we’re learning what it takes to win on a nightly basis so it’s been a lot of fun to start the season.”

Another newcomer to the Sixers is young big man Tony Bradley and he even got a start from Rivers in the last game Embiid missed. He is a player looking to find his way in the league and Rivers has helped him with that.

“To me, I think it’s a system of what he’s implementing in what he’s telling us to do, coaching wise,” said Bradley. “He’s been doing it for a long time and coaching for a long time, so we have complete trust in what he’s doing. I think it’s paying off and it’s working. Congrats to coach.”

Now, the Sixers are heading into February with a matchup with the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday looking to keep their success going.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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3 observations: Tobias Harris leads the way as Sixers storm back vs. Pacers

With the team missing Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris stepped up to lead the Philadelphia 76ers past the Indiana Pacers.

The Philadelphia 76ers found themselves in a tough situation as they were down 97-82 in the fourth quarter on the road against a very good Indiana Pacers team. Without Joel Embiid, this one looked like another loss coming their way.

Instead, Tobias Harris and the rest of the team put on a terrific effort and they stormed back to win it 119-110 to get their first win of the season without Embiid in five tries. Harris had 27 points with 10 coming in the fourth quarter and eight rebounds to lead the way.

Ben Simmons added 21 points, seven assists, and six rebounds, Dwight Howard played well off the bench giving 11 points and 15 rebounds, and Furkan Korkmaz played a key role in the comeback with 17 points.

Here are the observations following a thrilling win:

Philadelphia 76ers player grades for the season at the 20-game mark

We are giving each player on the Philadelphia 76ers a letter grade for their performance to begin the season.

The Philadelphia 76ers are at the 20-game mark which means just a bit more in a shortened 72-game season. Obviously, there is still a ton of basketball left to be played and a lot to sort out before the playoffs begin, but the Sixers are off to a terrific start that has fans excited.

After a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, they sit atop the Eastern Conference at 14-6 and they are squarely in the hunt to reach the NBA Finals along with top dogs in the East. For the sake of efficiency, we focus on the players who have played a significant amount this season, enabling us to judge them on their play.

With that said, here is the report card at the quarter mark of the season:

Doc Rivers explains decision to go to Tony Bradley over Dwight Howard

Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers explains why he went with Tony Bradley instead of Dwight Howard in the second half.

The Philadelphia 76ers did not have Joel Embiid on Monday and it cost them as they fell to the Detroit Pistons 119-104 on the road. It was just a poor effort all-around for them and they did not take advantage of facing the worst team in the East.

Without Embiid, coach Doc Rivers turned to veteran Dwight Howard who has excelled in a bench role. However, his minutes as a starter continue to be tough sledding for him and the team fell to 0-4 without the big fella on the season.

Howard had five points and three rebounds and was a minus-17 at halftime as he had a tough time fitting in with Ben Simmons and the other starters. Meanwhile, Tony Bradley hopped off the bench and contributed six points and six rebounds and he was a plus-3.

Therefore, Rivers turned to Bradley to start the second half rather than Howard. After the loss, the coach was upset he did not turn to Bradley to start the game due to Howard’s success with the bench unit.

“I just like Dwight with the second group,” said Rivers. “I was kicking myself because I wanted to do that, because Tony hasn’t played a lot. I didn’t start the game and I really thought it was should have done it to start the game and I outthought myself on that.”

The hope is that Embiid will return on Wednesday against the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers. They will certainly need him to go defend Anthony Davis in order to come away with a win.

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