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Sixers steal the celebrity status in Los Angeles

Tony Cutillo|

The Sixers traveled to Los Angeles with the intention of showing the national audience their own version of “Showtime.” And they did just that… at times. They still left us with some of the same concerns, however.

For example… if we only had a bench. This statement was being read loud and clear when Brett Brown had to bring his starters back in with 4:05 left in the game to prevent an interesting ending. We just can’t close! This is the one takeaway from this contest that continues to stump our growth. There are a few options out there approaching the trade deadline and Elton Brand is sure to make a move. Let’s just hope he gets this team someone soon.

On the flip side, the Lakers’ bench injected some energy into the game leading to a 16-0 run in the first half, but it still wasn’t enough. From LeBron cheering from the sidelines to Luke Walton searching for answers on the bench, the Lakers gave the ball up too much and the Sixers made them pay with a 121-105 victory.

One of the things everyone was waiting to see was the insertion of Jimmy Butler back into the starting five. Word before the game was Brown would use a few different rotations that involve JB running the point. Well, it’s about time. Butler was excited by the news and the team seemed to excel with him at the point. How do you take some pressure off your young and budding superstar? You give the ball to a veteran to relieve some pressure. Nice job, Brett.

Now onto some fun stuff and interesting tidbits:

JB is back and seems to have a his own signature “Light the Match” type of celebration with Amir Johnson’s approval.

 

Joel Embiid continues to make “Moves Like Jagger.”

 

JB was the ultimate recipient of numerous alley-oops. It’s almost like the Lakers forgot he was on the court!

 

JoJo and Jimmy go back to the schoolyard and play a game of hot potato.

 

Don’t look now, but Ben Simmons is starting to get comfortable down on the post.

 

JB’s defense has been better than advertised. His switches up top and his full-court chase downs show the desire he has to win. His energy level gets injected right away to the game flow.

 

Favorite Fultz tweet of the night!

 

Is LeBron drinking wine or an undercover bottle of Red Stripe?

 

The Sixers had four different players (Simmons, Embiid, Butler, McConnell) with at least six assists each.

 

This was the fourth straight game Philadelphia scored 30 points or more in the first quarter. Opening each game with tremendous energy has allowed them to jump out to early advantages. They are averaging 30.7 points in the opening 12 minutes, second in the league to Golden State.

Joel Embiid scored 28 points and grabbed 11 rebounds from his usual spot in the middle, but Butler and Simmons looked reborn in their new roles. Butler had 20 points and six assists from the point, and Simmons scored 19 while playing the stretch 4. This could be the key to the Sixers’ success. If the team is going to compete for the crown, it’s going to take all of the “Big 3” to be on point. #HereTheyCome

 

As always you can stop by my Facebook page (FantasySportsAddiction) or tweet me (@TCutillo23) for questions or some nice fantasy debates. E-mail me at [email protected]. You can listen to The Heat Ratio (@TheHeatRatio) podcast every Wednesday at 12 P.M. on Wildfire Radio, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts here.

I can also be heard weekly via the internet stream live at WengRadio every Monday at 4:00pm EST for a weekend sports wrap. But most importantly, you can catch me here at Pi!

For fantasy purposes, all my articles are predicated upon a PPR-based system.

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