The early February struggles of the Sixers have taken a turn for the better with two wins at home. They continue to have the best record at home in the NBA, now 24-2.
Sixers vs. Grizzlies
After a stretch of four road games — all losses — the Sixers returned home for a 119-107 win over the Grizzlies on Friday.
Josh Richardson returned after missing two weeks with a hamstring injury. He played 15 minutes, finishing with four points and two rebounds. Joel Embiid only played the first half due to neck stiffness, but still had 10 points and led the team with 10 rebounds. Ben Simmons had an aggressive game on both sides of the ball, contributing 22 points and 10 assists.
The story of the night, though, was Furkan Korkmaz. He led the team in points, finishing with a career-high 34 while shooting 7-9 from three. This was the most points by a Sixers bench player since Allen Iverson back on March 1st, 2002.
Sixers vs. Bulls
The Korkmaz phenomena continued as he was crucial in the 118-111 win over the Bulls on Sunday. He scored 17 points in his first seven minutes of play — on his way to finishing with 31 — to lead the team again. Over the last five games, Korkmaz has been shooting 43.3% from three. His back-to-back 30+ point games have heavily influenced the energy of this team.
Three of the five starters finished in double figures, with Joel Embiid leading the way. After hearing some boos on Friday night, Embiid was more aggressive and energized. He had 28 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists. Ben Simmons continued his stellar play with a triple double — 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Tobias Harris had 14 points, hitting both of shots from deep. Amazingly though, Al Horford failed to score a point for the first time in his NBA career.
Glenn Robinson III played his first 12 minutes for the Sixers of the 2019-2020 season, finishing with 10 points, and already seemed to pair well with Richardson.
Up Next
The Sixers (33-21) will take on the Clippers (36-16) on Tuesday at 7 PM. This is the first time they will see Kawhi Leonard this season, bringing back memories of the now infamous “quadruple-bounce” incident. Can they continue to succeed in front of their home crowd?
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