The Sixers are under three hours from tip-off against the Timberwolves at the Target Center in Minnesota. It's a winnable game for the Sixers, who are coming off of a heart-breaking loss at the hands of the Heat, after leading by 19 at one point. Here are some reactions from the coaches and players following Saturday's game:
Sixers head coach Brett Brown on the loss…
“I think it’s a cruel loss,” Brown said after his Sixers blew their largest lead of the season, 17 points, and fell to the Miami Heat, 96-91, Saturday night. “We were in position to get our first win, but we couldn’t get into anything [offensively] at the end of the game.
“I give credit to a veteran Miami team. Defensively, they were fantastic. We had a hard time finding a shot. We were in late [shot] clock a lot in the last five minutes. And it’s part of a cruel path that we are evidently going to have to take.” [CSNPhilly.com]
Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel comment on the defeat…
“We missed shots we were making earlier,” Sixers center Jahlil Okafor said. “We became stagnant.”
“We felt we had control the whole game,” Noel said. “It hurts a little more to lose like that.” [CSNPhilly.com]
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra on the Sixers development…
“It seems like everybody on their roster is athletic — from two through five (shooting guard to center), it seems like they are all 6-8, long, can run and put pressure on defenses,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Saturday. “Their speed, youth and quickness — we don’t want to get caught up in any of that.”
“[The Sixers] are developing. You can see their young players developing. They’re getting better, playing hard and competing every night.” [CSNPhilly.com]
Spoelstra on Sixers coach Brett Brown…
“He has a tremendous basketball mind,” Spoelstra said. “I have spent time with him in coaches meetings, and he is as passionate as can be." [CSNPhilly.com]
Brett Brown on the play of Robert Covington and Isaiah Canaan…
“It’s good to see Robert come back,” Brown said. “He has struggled and hasn’t played basketball in a while.
“I think Isaiah did a good job of balancing his point guard role and doing good things at off guard. We need that type of production from the bench. Those two guys gave us a great boost.” [CSNPhilly.com]
Dwayne Wade on the Sixers, outcome of the game…
“They’re an NBA team,” Wade said. “They’ve got guys who can play basketball, so you take nothing from them. But they’re not a better team than us, and not on your home floor.” [CBS Miami]
