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The Sixers’ ceiling is undoubtedly higher when their two All-Stars are available.
Still, they couldn’t have replaced Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid much better than they did Thursday night at the United Center. With that duo quarantined after exposure to an individual who tested positive for COVID-19, the Sixers passed the Bulls in their first game after the All-Star break, a 127-105 victory.
Tony Bradley scored 14 points on shooting 7-of-7 and had five rebounds and three blocks, while Matisse Thybulle tied his career record with five steals. Tobias Harris had 24 points on 8-of-15 shooting.
If Embiid returns a negative PCR lab test for coronavirus on Friday, he will be cleared to play in the Sixers’ game against the Wizards. The earliest Simmons could return to team activities is Saturday.
Here are three observations on the Sixers’ 25-12 win over Chicago:
Replacement starters shine
Bradley started for the first time since January 31 and made the most of the opportunity. He was ready and obviously ready to play in his first season, making a dunk after rolling to the rim after a dribble with Harris and the bench on a neat jump hook over Wendell Carter Jr.
We knew heading into this season that rebounding was a strong point for Bradley, but he showed Thursday that he also has some touch and offensive ability.
Embiid was watching and impressed by what he saw of Bradley.
“I love the support, especially with Tony,” said head coach Doc Rivers. “Tony has lost a good 25 pounds since the season started. He works every day on his body and his ability. Just because he doesn’t play doesn’t mean the other guys don’t realize what he’s doing. bank, everyone, was very happy for him while he played.
“Those first two baskets, Dwight (Howard) was running down the court celebrating, because they see the work. Fans can’t see the work that kids who don’t play (regularly) do. That was good tonight, for all of us. “
Thybulle, who started in Simmons’ place, was excellent from the jump, picking up four steals in the first quarter and interrupting almost everything the Bulls tried to do offensively. Zach LaVine didn’t score until Thybulle went to the bench. He had 19 points on shots of 7 of 16 in the game.
That Thybulle is able to control a star and at the same time create havoc away from the ball is still very impressive. The balance between being solid and going for the big plays has at times been tricky for Thybulle early in his NBA career, but there’s no question that he can do both when he’s at his best.
We’ve cited this stat several times, but it’s a good one: Entering this game, both Thybulle’s 3.2 steal percentage and 2.6 block percentage were comfortably better among all wings in the NBA, according to Cleaning the Glass. It is an outlier.
Not all performances have to tie into the March 25 trade deadline, of course, but we’ll just say that the Sixers appreciate Thybulle’s special defensive talents and see him as more than a decent young player, as they should. His ability to defend the top scorers on the perimeter is still projected to be invaluable in the playoffs.
Not that it was necessary for him to have a positive impact, but Thybulle’s jump was also falling off. He scored 13 points, the season high, on shots of 5 of 5.
Not 50, but not bad
When asked before the game what the Sixers expected from Harris, Rivers said, “Fifty points would be great, you know.”
That’s the amount Embiid scored the last time the Sixers played the Bulls, their career high, and it’s obviously not a realistic goal. Harris was well out of that rhythm in the first period, missing his first five field goal attempts, but did not lose any aggression. He made eight free throws in the first half, making seven.
Much of the Sixers’ offense comes from Simmons and Embiid, but Harris doesn’t seem to mind when more of the responsibility falls on his shoulders. Rivers knows he’s comfortable operating pick-and-roll and adept at consistently finding mid-range looks for himself, and Harris was good in both areas Thursday.
Despite the slow start, Harris had his way against No. 4 overall pick Patrick Williams, sporting the part of a veteran star. The Sixers didn’t need him to be out of this world for what they got from Thybulle and Bradley, but they credit Harris for leading the way offensively without Simmons and Embiid.
Rivers, who was upset Wednesday and missed the Sixers’ practice, also liked what he saw from Seth Curry, who scored 12 points on 5 of 15 shooting, seven assists and two steals.
“It was really encouraging,” he said. “He was obviously in bed during practice, but I saw him in the movie. He and Tobias set the tone yesterday. We had a tough practice yesterday. … In my day, everyone called it trash can practice in which you would practice for three or four hours and they would just take out a trash can until the first kid threw up, and then practice was over. You can’t do that these days. But we were tough, and I thought Seth and Tobias in particular set the tone. … and I thought that held true today. “
Strong second drive as Howard does his thing
The Sixers’ bench helped turn the tide in the second half of the team’s win over the Jazz before the All-Star break. Howard hit an unlikely triple during a productive flurry, helping give the Sixers a chance to beat Utah.
Led by an aggressive Furkan Korkmaz (16 points) and a physical, rim-rolling Howard, the second unit picked up where it left off in Chicago. Howard missed every opportunity near the rim, missed a dunk and threw the ball out of bounds on a play he thought he was fouled, but kept his strengths and was very effective.
When he plays well, Howard continues to be a nuisance to the opposition, and not just because of his usual off-the-ball pushes. He posted 18 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks, his best record of the season.
Although former Sixer Thaddeus Young scored 14 points in 17 minutes, proving difficult for Howard and Bradley at times, the Sixers bench edged Chicago’s by a 55-33 margin. Rivers used a nine-man rotation, and Tyrese Maxey didn’t show up until the game was decided in the fourth quarter.
“I think it shows that we have what we need to win,” Howard said. “We have to believe. We have a full roster of guys who are very talented and can help on both sides of the court. It’s just all about believing and I think for guys like Tony tonight, it shows him that he can compete and that he can. Play at a high level. You just have to keep working hard like you have been doing every day.
“I’m very proud of him, proud of this team and how we came out tonight, but we have to keep going. We celebrate tonight on the plane and when we land in Washington, it’s about what we have to do in Washington. I am very happy for this team and the success we have had, but we have to keep improving ”.
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