Sixers praise Seth Curry for big performance in close win over Magic
The Philadelphia 76ers were locked in a tight battle with the Orlando Magic that saw them struggle to eventually put them away 101-96. The Sixers led by as many as 16 as they got off to a hot start, but they were unable to really get going in the second half.
The Magic employed a zone defense and the Sixers had a tough time attacking it. Orlando has a lot of length led by guys like Mo Bamba and Franz Wagner and they certainly gave the Sixers some issues when trying to get into the paint.
Eventually, the Sixers were able to pull away thanks to Seth Curry. The sharpshooter from Duke ended up scoring 24 points on 10-for-13 shooting and he knocked down three triples.
“He was great,” said coach Doc Rivers. “He was sitting in the corner against their zone probably five other times. You would think we were putting it on the floor, driving, and getting it back to him because he clearly had it going, but he’s been playing great. He’s playing steady.”
Being a veteran, Curry was able to find some open looks against a young Magic team. There were a few times where he was able to really get himself open and that was a big help for him and the team. The Sixers really needed all of it in this one.
“When I get a good look, I expect to make it,” said Curry. “Both of those times I got good looks at the basket, we needed to stop the run, and we needed a big bucket. The ball found me in good spots and I was able to knock it down.”
In order for Philadelphia to really bust the zone the Magic were using, they had to get Curry open looks. Eventually, Orlando went back to the man-to-man defense, but they really gave the Sixers a lot of trouble. Curry was able to make a difference.
“Seth had it going all game for us from the beginning of the game, really,” said Tobias Haris. “He made some big shots all throughout the game. He really made them think twice about the zone just the looks he was able to get, but he was letting it go tonight and we definitely needed that effort.”
Curry had 14 points in the first half as he was able to really make a big impact, but he was still able to help even when Orlando changed their coverage. That is something that Rivers is unsure if he would have been able to do earlier in the season.
“They’re trying different coverages on him,” Rivers stated. “I thought early in the year he would kind of struggle with that, but now he’s handling it well. I’m really happy with how he’s playing overall.”
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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