A late 10-0 run pushed the 76ers (32-17) over the edge Wednesday at The Center in their 122-120 win against the San Antonio Spurs (27-22).
More than a few Sixers came up big.
Ben Simmons had a triple-double (21 pts, 10 reb, 15 ast), Joel Embiid scored 33 points and grabbed 19 boards, JJ Redick and Landry Shamet each had four-point plays in the fourth quarter, and Wilson Chandler blocked a DeMar DeRozan layup that could’ve changed the outcome of the game.
The Sixers are now 21-5 at home, and 9-3 in the month of January -- tied for the best record in the league in 2019.
As the dust settled, here’s what was said:
When Marco Belinelli hit a 3-pointer to put the Spurs up 120-112 with 2:48 remaining, the Sixers’ night could have been over. Instead, Belinelli’s shot would be the Spurs’ final scoring play. Brett Brown described what changed in the final minutes:
With solid contributions on a nightly basis, Wilson Chandler (6 pts, 2 reb, 2 stl, 1 blk) has been a quiet but steady force this season. Brown was sure to give Chandler his props Wednesday:
After recording his eighth triple-double of the season, Simmons said his team - which has now won five of its last six - is only getting better:
Brown worked under Spurs’ Head Coach Gregg Popovich in San Antonio from 2002-2013. Postgame, Popovich gave credit to his friend’s team:
Speaking of poise, Landry Shamet has performed like anything but a rookie in recent weeks. Wednesday night, the 26th overall pick in the 2018 draft delivered 14 points, two assists, and three steals off the bench. Ever-modest, Shamet described his mindset postgame:
Shamet (11.1 ppg over his last 10 games) is often found working out alongside fellow sharp-shooter and veteran JJ Redick in practice. Redick (19 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast) described the significance of Shamet’s recent performances: