Rights To Ricky Sanchez: The Sixers Podcast

Joel Embiid was sick again, Kawhi Leonard hit shots that made us sick, Tobias Harris missed a lot of open shots, and Jimmy Butler played his ass off. All of that added up to a close game that saw the Raptors pull out down the stretch. The series is 2-2 heading back to Toronto. We also discuss JJ Redick not saying the name.

Greg Monroe’s missed layup was the most glorious moment of the Sixers’ postseason so far. Kawhi Leonard was robotic in his scoring excellence, but Joel Embiid was dominant on both sides of the court, Jimmy Butler glue guyed all over the place, and the Sixers ran the Raptors off the court. We wish Brett Brown could have been there to see it. We were right.

Joel Embiid had a tummy ache, but the Sixers came through with their best defensive effort of the year to even their series with the Raptors at 1-1. Ben Simmons had an elite defensive effort, Jimmy Butler became the fourth quarter finisher, and Brett Brown, who apparently coached the game, made some key adjustments that got the Raptors off balance and led the defense.

The Raptors looked like the sum of all fears for Sixers fans in the opener of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series. Kawhi Leonard was a monster on both ends, Pascal Siakam didn’t miss, and the Raptors defense swallowed up Embiid, Butler, and Harris. If the Sixers are going to win in seven games, they’ll have to lose three. We’ll talk about how they can win the other four.

The Sixers dismantled the Nets in Game 5, taking the series 4-1, wrapping up four straight after the panic of the first game loss. Joel Embiid looked spry, Ben Simmons and Jimmy Butler dominated on defense. The Sixers now face the Raptors, who were 3-0 in the season series in games that Kawhi Leonard played in. We look back at the Nets series and ahead to the Raptors.

It was the Joel Embiid game, it was the Jared Dudley game, it was the fight game, it was the Jimmy Butler ejection game, it was the Mike Scott hit a huge three game, it was the JJ Redick missed every three until he hit one three game, it was the Boban regression game, it was the Jonah Bolden still might not be playable game. It was the Sixers take a 3-1 lead in the series game. The Nets don’ have any fans.

Good takes! What a difference a couple of days makes. Ben “From Here” Simmons came in motivated and aggressive, Joel Embiid was hurting but had a monster third quarter, JJ Redick actually made a few shots, Boban Marjanovich hit a few more, and James Ennis saved the season as we all expected him to do. And who coached the Sixers in the second half? The 76ers are once again the best team in the NBA.

Well, we’re off to a suboptimal start. It wouldn’t be the Sixers if we didn’t start the playoffs with some ambiguity about the health of Joel Embiid and whether he’d be ready to play, some ambiguous comments from the owner about the coach, and equal parts confidence and fear that this is all going down in flames from all of us. Sixers lose to the Nets, It’s Ricky playoff time baby.

The Sixers will face the Nets in the first round of the playoffs, and the second playoffs of the Rights To Ricky Sanchez era. We preview the series against the Nets, and if it’s an easier path than the Magic. We also look back on yet another crazy Sixers season, and discuss two possible bannings of respected members of the NBA media.

The Sixers finally get back on the winning track, and are getting set for another playoff run. We look at alternate Sixers realities and if you’d feel more confident if fewer trades had been made this season. We also look back at the three year anniversary of the Hinkie resignation, Brett Brown’s multiple 50-win seasons, and some Zhaire, Shake and JaKarr Sampson discussion. Get your Lottery Party tickets here (less than 100 left). Listen to that song AU was talking about here. Subscribe to that guy who is surfing and helping animals on Patreon here.