Philadelphia 76ers Robert Covington Kemba Killer, oh what a night!

Unsung hero Robert Covington delivered one of the best single game performances of the season, helping the Philadelphia 76ers to their 35th win of the season

The Philadelphia 76ers are deep in the hunt for a playoff spot now. As the season ticks down, each game’s individual significance grows larger and larger – like the shadows of forest trees as the sun sets. On the second of a four game road trip, the 76ers were reeling from a heartbreaking loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. The team needed to win at Charlotte.

At a critical stretch in the season, a pair of road losses would dishearten the playoff hopes of the team.  Win, and build some momentum back to press on. Lose, and a two-game losing streak would land the team in the midst of a lowing streak at the worst possible time. The team  needed a hero. One player to step up. One contributer to deny the Hornets or score for Philly. Apparently, that is all small forward Robert Covington needed to know.

Covington delivered career game

This was not just any ole game. It was a rematch against the same team in just four days. Four days previous, PG Kemba Walker torched the Philadelphia 76ers for 31 points in 38 minutes. And this game found the 76ers limping in dazed after a shocking loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. Shocking in that the 76ers held seperate 20 point and 19 point leads in the game, only to lose by a disappointing 118-110 final score.

So heading to Charlotte, the Philadelphia 76ers did not want a repeat performance.  Charlotte had lost their three previous contests, but to the finest teams of the NBA Eastern Conference. Losses at Boston, Philadelphia, and Toronto had dealt a serious blow to Charlotte’s own hopes for post-season play. Now, with the team at home, Hornets’ fans hoped familiar settings would help the team turn it around.

Slow JoJo plus hot Howard

The game was a topsy turvy event. Hornets center Dwight Howard scored a season high 30 points. And for the first three quarters, Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid did not have much going for him.

Eventually Embiid did turn things around. In fact, he ended the game with 29 minutes, 18 points five rebounds and four assists. Still for much of the game, he struggled. And that left the door open for the Hornets to sneak in a home win.

Kovington Kemba Killer

All the Hornets needed was another big game from Kemba Walker.  After all, the Hornets point guard had just earned his second NBA All-Star designation. Beyond that, he emerged from the All-Star break averaging over 26 points a game. Surely he could be counted on for another 30+ point night against Philadelphia, right?  Just one more huge game in a streak of huge games.That big game never happened. Why?

Robert Covington was the reason. The unsung hero of head coach Brett Brown’s defense, his play makes few headlines.  But he gets the headlines on this one. Huge game deserves a huge headliner.   And he delivered one of his best ever.

Mr. 3-and-D Covington, thank you

For 35 minutes, Hornets point guard Kemba Walker could only manufacture five points on 1-9 shooting from the floor and an 0-5 night from three-point range. Even Kemba’s free throws came in at 3-6 for 50 percent. A player averaging 23.0 points, 38.6 percent from the perimeter and 84.3 percent on free throws could only get five points.

That isn’t just a random bad performance for Kemba Walker. His track record has down nights, but on this evening, he fell into a hole and never quite climbed out. And on a night where the Philadelphia 76ers were vulnerable, Covington’s defense was impervious.

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Unsung invisible stats

That doesn’t show up on Robert Covington’s stat sheets. In fact, in the NBA, the entire defensive performance of any player is more subjective than statistically objective based. But the stats did show some of the defensive dominance of Covington in this one. We know that Covington did generate two steals and two blocks.

But if you saw the game, you could see the constant proximity of Covington to Kemba. He stuck to him like a shadow. And the results on defense propelled Covington on the offensive side of the court. The optics of Covington’s defense stood out on a night when offense took center stage.

Covington not just defensive player

Undrafted Robert Covington has been one of the less touted players for the Philadelphia 76ers in his career. As the NBA continues to push points per game and three-point shooting as a byproduct of the Golden State Warriors “Splash Brothers”, Covington has walked the path less travelled. He is from the Coach Brown old-school, where “3-and-D” is the premium role.  On a team with fast-pace, lots of ball movement, and perimeter shooting, defense is an unspoken theme.

Notsomuch so for head coach Brett Brown. You can bet he is heavily invested in ensuring defense is on the minds of his players.  But that defense is just part of the equation. Covington has offensive potency as well.

Covington clinic night

On a night where he shined defensively, he nova’d offensively. His 22 points emphasized the true nature of his performance. He hit on 5-9 from three point range,  and 7-11 from the floor to help him lead the team in scoring.  Now that the NBA playoffs loom large on the horizon, it’s important for players to peak.

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We’d identified Ben Simmons as a key to strong post season play.  We had identified RoCo even earlier, but on the offensive side of the court. Now Covington is begining to peak as well. That is an important step to post-season readiness.  As the Philadelphia 76ers starters begin to fourish this late, there is every reason to expect a carry-over into a playoff scenario. That bodes well for this Philadelphia 76ers team. But even moreso, it is an indication to the rest of the NBA not to take the 76ers lightly.