Defensive lessons learned from Sixers closing out the Spurs
In the final possessions of the game it was the Sixers defense that brought them victory, a change in pace from where they were earlier in the season when leads slipped away and defense faltered late.
The 76ers beat the San Antonio Spurs, 122-120, at home on Wednesday night, but just 150 seconds before the final buzzer sounded, the Sixers were trailing by eight points.
In the final possessions of the game, it was the Sixers defense that brought them victory, a change in pace from where they were earlier in the season when leads slipped away and defense faltered late in games. On several Spurs possessions down the stretch, the Sixers executed their defense perfectly, allowing their offense to come off turnovers and stops.
“They didn’t score a point from that point on, they didn’t score a point,” Brett Brown said after the game. “It all stemmed from our defense.”
DeMar DeRozan saw multiple defenders through the night, but at the end of the game, Brett Brown put his trust in Wilson Chandler, who kept a hand in DeRozan’s face, preventing him from extending the Spurs' lead.
Then, with just over two minutes left to play, Ben Simmons led a break on the other and threw down a dunk that would be the start of a 10-0 Sixers run to close the game.
“We could have quit and gave up, you know, we were down eight," Chandler said. “But we stopped them like five straight times down the court and that gives credit to our team and how far we’ve come in a short time.”
On the Spurs' next trip down the floor, LaMarcus Aldridge had the ball at the left elbow and tried to catch Joel Embiid with a pump-fake, but Embiid was not biting and stood his ground, arms outstretched. With nowhere to go after picking up his dribble, Aldridge dished off to DeRozan, who was headed toward the basket. But Embiid already had him in his sights and blocked DeRozan’s shot at the basket.
Simmons came away with the rebound, leading another break, and passed to rookie Landry Shamet, who sank a corner three with ease. Just like that, the Sixers are down just three points with 1:44 to play.
DeRozan once again was looking to pick things apart as Aldridge came up to screen Embiid, who switched onto DeRozan and pushed him baseline. He denied DeRozan any chance at a shot and forced him to make a tough pass to Derrick White, who missed a pull-up three with Shamet’s hand in his face. JJ Redick then completed a four-point play on the other end after getting fouled by Rudy Gay on a three. The Sixers took the lead, 121-120, with a minute left.
“We just couldn’t get one bucket to keep us ahead and try to pull it out,” DeRozan said.
Next, Marco Belinelli was looking for an entry pass to Gay, whom Chandler had picked up on a switch. Chandler was all over him and Belinelli threw the ball away trying to get it to Gay near the baseline.
The NBA’s last two-minute report called Chandler’s contact on Gay an “incorrect non-call,” meaning Chandler should have been charged with a personal foul for wrapping up Gay. But during the game there was no call, which is what matters.
The Spurs played better defense on the Sixers' next possession, forcing a shot-clock violation. Again, it was up to the Sixers defense to keep things on their side, and again it was DeRozan who was driving in for the bucket. Chandler stayed in front of DeRozan, blocking him at the rim. Simmons picked up the rebound and rushed down the court. The ball was in Corey Brewer’s hands when the Spurs fouled with 1.1 seconds left.
“I think Wilson was maybe the main reason we won the game,” Brown said. “When you go back and you see Wilson Chandler play tonight, defensively he was great on a bunch of people and I trusted the physicality that he brought to the table.”
After Brewer made good on his second free-throw attempt, bringing the Sixers lead to 122-120, the Spurs called timeout to advance the ball. There was almost zero question of who the Spurs were going to try to inbound to with Belinelli on the floor.
The Sixers switched everything as Belinelli wrapped around the court trying to get the ball on the strong side above the arc and Simmons was right there with him, deflecting the inbound pass and sealing the win.
“It started off defensively, and pushing the ball in transition and finding shooters,” Embiid said. "It was big-time, but it started off with our defense.
As the team heads out on a four-game West Coast trip that begins Saturday in Denver, defense is going to be the key to getting wins against some of the league’s best teams.
Prioritizing positioning, staying on the ground, forcing players away from the basket, aggressive switching, denying passes, and letting the defense dictate the offense should be the main takeaways from Wednesday night’s win, and the Sixers will want to take note of everything that happened in the last couple of minutes against the Spurs.