Last night’s win against the Hornets was just more proof as to how this team has improved leaps and bounds from last year. The Hornets have been pretty good as of late, winning 12 of their last 15, but they had to get past the Sixers to get number 13. The Sixers have been getting better all around, and the Hornets had to find out the hard way.The Sixers second half defense was impeccable, after being outplayed on offense in the first. The Hornets were up as much as 16 points late in the first half, but only led by six at halftime. The Sixers held the Hornets to 3-17 shooting in the 3rd quarter. We all know that the one thing that will always keep you competitive in games is defense, and to see it already instilled in such a young team is great.
The defense last night allowed our shooters to get more looks, enter Robert Covington and Hollis Thompson. Covington didn’t have the best first half, but that was a different story in the second as he scored half of his 22 points in the 3rd quarter. Covington finished the game 5-10 from 3 point range, and Hollis Thompson was matching him off the bench. He finished with 18 points and went 3-6 from downtown.
The defensive effort paired with the efficient shooting is a dangerous combination to have. After the game, Gerald Henderson shared some words about how hard the Sixers played, "They just played harder than us. We didn't come with the effort at all. They're going to bring effort every night. You have to match that." These players are starting to take notice of how hard the Sixers do in fact play night in and night out. They truly don’t stop playing until the buzzer sounds, and they keep pushing even when down by a lot. Who would’ve thought the Sixers were going to come back last night. I just didn’t see it happening. Al Jefferson played great and had 18 points and 9 rebounds, but Nerlens Noel kept getting in his face in the second half. Noel had another stellar defensive performance racking up 12 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocked shots. He’s a force down low and there is no question about that. He just keeps getting better and better.
Hard work, great defense, and light out shooting ended up giving the Sixers their fourth straight home win. The Sixers won this one by a score of 89-81, handling every aspect of the Hornets game in the second half. It is by far one of their best performances to date. I love seeing these young guys get the job done on a nightly basis, but no player’s effort compares to Brett Brown’s perseverance in my eyes. He has stuck with it and is finally seeing the results. The guy loves coaching and the players love playing for him which is a great foundation to build on. I am very excited to see what the future has in store.
The Sixers will take on one of the top teams in the league tomorrow when they take on the Warriors at home. Tip-off is slated for 7 o clock.
