Seth Curry, Sixers discuss big 3rd quarter that fueled win over Hawks
Philadelphia 76ers guard Seth Curry has been terrific shooting the ball all playoffs, and especially in this Round 2 series with the Atlanta Hawks, but with their season on the line, Curry delivered a big performance when they needed it the most.
Trailing 51-47 at the half in Game 6 on Friday, Curry came out of the halftime locker room firing as he knocked down three triples in the first two and a half minutes and then knocked down a 2-pointer. He scored 11 of the 14 points that allowed the Sixers to go up 61-51 and they were able to get some separation and eventually win it 104-99.
“Teammates found me in good spots,” said Curry afterward. “I play with a lot of energy off the ball, on the ball. I think we got good stops there, so we get stops, Ben (Simmons) can get the ball and push the pace and find me in transition.”
Simmons actually being on the floor to begin the second half was a big difference for Philadelphia. They missed him out there in the first half as he got into foul trouble and he had to come off the floor. The Sixers were missing their leader who pushes the ball in transition and is able to key the offense.
“I just thought that we blew a bunch of fastbreaks after misses,” said coach Doc Rivers. “Now the difference was if you remember Ben was off the floor because he’s in foul trouble and Ben is usually the guy that leads that break. We talked about it at halftime, guys if we get stops and if we can get the ball to Ben early, and we run the floor, we can get a bunch of 3s up or layups and that’s exactly what happens.”
As part of that 14-0 run to open the third, Curry also had an assist to big man Joel Embiid who knocked down a triple. The continued two-man action between those two has been a big help on the offensive end of the floor.
“It’s been huge with his shot-making ability,” said Embiid. “He’s been making a lot of things happen, opening the floor for everybody else. He’s been huge. Tonight, a lot of credit goes to him.”
Curry’s ability to knock down big shots while being able to put the ball on the floor and create a little bit is a huge help for this team right now. The Sixers have really needed this type of ability out on the perimeter.
“Working hard, preparing, and getting a great opportunity,” Curry explained. “I’m trying to be aggressive out there, a great opportunity to make plays, and provide this team with a lot of different stuff offensively and defensively. I’m just trying to set the challenge of playing against a great team, so it’s been a lot of fun.”
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
