PLAYER GRADES: Philadelphia 76ers 118, Minnesota Timberwolves 109
The Philadelphia 76ers completed their season sweep of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In what ended up being a tight contest, both the Philadelphia 76ers and Minnesota Timberwolves were treated to a raucous environment in the Toyota Center. Timberwolves fans mercilessly booed Jimmy Butler in his return, while Sixers fans — courtesy of the Rights to Ricky Sanchez Podcast — unleashed chants from the upper deck.
The Sixers were hot out of the gates, using a barrage of early three-pointers to take a 38-20 lead after 12 minutes. Tobias Harris and Jonah Bolden were hot from the get-go, giving the Sixers a much-needed boost in Joel Embiid‘s absence.
It was Bolden who ended up starring all night. Brett Brown made a concerted effort to keep him matched up with Karl-Anthony Towns, which yielded unexpectedly positive results. Bolden was able to avoid foul trouble until late in the game.
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Using his length, Bolden was able to contest Towns on defense. On offense, he ended the game 5/7 from three-point range, flashing his upside on offense. It was his best game in a while, cementing his case for minutes in the second unit.
The Sixers were also elevated by Ben Simmons‘ performance, especially in the second half. After getting blown out in the first two frames, Minnesota made a strong comeback effort in the third and fourth quarters. Simmons often helped stem the tide.
He was physical around the rim, bullying his way to 20 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists — one shy of another triple-double. His five turnovers were a bit much, but he’s been overwhelmingly better in that department recently.
Minnesota used a strong effort from their bench to keep the game within reach down the stretch. Anthony Tolliver, Gorgui Dieng and Cameron Reynolds all scored in double digits. Those three also combined to go 6/7 from three-point range.
Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns scored 24 and 21, respectively, but Towns was the more imposing force down the stretch. It took him considerable time to find rhythm, though, largely due to Bolden’s defensive performance.
A. <strong>31 mins | 19 pts | 8 reb | 3 ast | 1 stl | 3 blk | 1 TO | 7-10 FG | 5-7 3PT| 0-0 FT | 5 PF | +22 |</strong><p>Bolden put together one of his best games as an NBA player, dropping 19 points on five three-point makes. His defense on Towns was stellar — he even avoided foul trouble for most of the game. His +22 was a game-high mark for the Sixers. In a battle for postseason minutes, he thoroughly outplayed <a rel=. C. Philadelphia 76ers. JONAH BOLDEN
A-. <strong>36 mins | 20 pts | 11 reb | 9 ast | 2 stl | 1 blk | 5 TO | 8-11 FG | 0-1 3PT| 4-6 FT | 3 PF | +20 |</strong><p>Simmons was excellent in Embiid’s absence, coming up one assist shy of a triple-double. He abused the Wolves inside, constantly attacking the rim and shooting 80 percent on non-halfcourt heaves. He turned the ball over five times, but made up for it in other areas. His defense was strong as well.</p>. PG. Philadelphia 76ers. BEN SIMMONS
Philadelphia 76ers. JIMMY BUTLER. C. <strong>35 mins | 12 pts | 13 reb | 5 ast | 2 stl | 0 blk | 2 TO | 4-17 FG | 1-2 3PT| 3-3 FT | 2 PF | +4 |</strong><p>Butler’s return to Minnesota was unspectacular, as he forced some difficult shots and struggled to find rhythm on offense. He settled for two long jumpers when KAT switched onto him, while KAT attacked Butler multiple times on the other end — including a missed poster attempt. Butler was still active all night, though, as evidenced by his 13 rebounds. He made his presence felt.</p>. SF
B. <strong>39 mins | 25 pts | 7 reb | 4 ast | 0 stl | 0 blk | 0 TO | 9-20 FG | 3-8 3PT| 4-5 FT | 3 PF | +4 |</strong><p>Harris was hot early and cooled as the night went on, but it was still a solid performance for the Sixers’ recently acquired star. He has been in a slump lately, so getting some shots in fall in Embiid’s absence should help Tobi get back on track. He was the Sixers’ leading scorer.</p>. PF. Philadelphia 76ers. TOBIAS HARRIS
D+. <strong>11 mins | 3 pts | 1 reb | 4 ast | 0 stl | 0 blk | 0 TO | 1-5 FG | 1-1 3PT| 0-0 FT | 1 PF | -11 |</strong><p>It was another underwhelming night for <a rel=. PG. Philadelphia 76ers. T.J. MCCONNELL
Our old friends Dario Saric and Jerryd Bayless both struggled. Dario put up four points on 1/6 shooting, while Bayless scored five on 2/11 shooting. Both recorded 25 minutes on the night, with Ryan Saunders showing misplaced confidence in Bayless down the stretch.
As for Jimmy Butler, his return to Minnesota wasn’t too spectacular. He put together a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds, but struggled from the field, shooting 4/17. His defensive presence and hustle should still be appreciated.
The Sixers saw the lead dwindle to as few as three points in the final frame, but a questionable out-of-bounds call (in favor of the Sixers) and ensuring Tobias Harris and-one gave the Sixers a nice cushion. Towns picked up a technical as well, giving the Sixers an extra point.
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Any win without Embiid is a positive one for the Sixers. The Celtics and Pacers both lost, giving the Sixers a 4.5-game stranglehold on the third seed.