76ers 131, Wizards 126
Q. What do you think made the difference in the second half?
WES UNSELD JR.: I think the difference was the free throws. 34-8 is tough to overcome. I know they're good and I know Embiid gets them, but our three drivers, Deni, Jordan, Kuz, zero. That's a tough pill. We know they're top 6 in fouls per game. We're eighth in the league in rim attempts. There's a disparity there. That's a problem. It's really frustrating.
Guys are competing, they're playing the right way. High assist-low turnover night, 39 assists, season high, ball was moving, so we're doing a lot of good things.
You don't feel like you're getting the same treatment.
Q. When you do have a game like this where there was just one free throw attempt by halftime --
WES UNSELD JR.: I know.
Q. -- what has to be the approach from your team, when to understand that that's the dynamic?
WES UNSELD JR.: Well, it is what it is. It's not going to change. But continue to play with force, play downhill. 60 plus points in the paint. That's been our calling card all season, playing downhill. At some point, you hope it evens out.
Q. How would you evaluate the defense tonight?
WES UNSELD JR.: I think we did some good things. I know Embiid had another big night, but 13 free throws. Leads the league, so he's getting that a lot. But he beat us with jump shots. You come into a game where a guy's iso and top 4 or 5 in the league in post-ups, you're going to live with tough contested twos, and he's going to make them. Did a good job defending the three. He made some tough ones late, but if that's the way they have to beat us, then I'll live with that.
Q. I know the whistles or whatever was part of it, but Jordan's third quarter compared to his fourth, were they applying different pressure to him later in the game?
WES UNSELD JR.: Yeah, they started to switch a little bit. Of course they're going to be more aggressive. But I thought he had an efficient night. Once again, when we're moving the ball, we're pretty good, and I think that tempo specifically early in the first half was great for us. Corey found the three. We got some run-outs, some early threes in transition. I think that really helped.
Q. Four minutes left in the third quarter, you were talking to Jordan. What were you reminding him of?
WES UNSELD JR.: We were kind of laughing about the play call. He called one thing and did the other, and it worked out. But no, I think that's great. Just him finding a rhythm. He's really good between the pro lanes, playing two-man actions, playing high pick-and-roll. Just to see him become more and more comfortable, be more and more efficient, I think that's great.
Q. Until Gaff had fouled out, you had Deni and Bilal on the bench, went with Corey at the shooting. What was the thought process?
WES UNSELD JR.: Corey was rolling. He was really playing well. It wasn't a knock against those other two. I thought he got going, saw the ball go in. He was having an efficient night, so wanted to stay with him.
Q. We spoke about the defense earlier, but specifically the steals, it seems like you were getting in the lanes. What went into that for you today?
WES UNSELD JR.: Well, being in the right spot was something we've harped on. We've had some good nights getting deflections, turning teams over. We're not up the line, we're not gambling. We want to make sure we try to protect the paint as much as possible, make them play, shell off and to not downhill, but being in the right spot oftentimes you'll fall into them, just active hands, showing the crowd early, sometimes they're reluctant to get off of it.
Q. I know you mentioned the high-assist night for the team, but what did you think of Deni's playmaking in the first half?
WES UNSELD JR.: Yeah, he was very good, I thought just composed, didn't force it. He read what the defense gave him and found the openings. I think once he gets downhill and gets in the paint, he's done a much better job of using his fakes, keeping his feet, his pivots, and finding those windows.
I think at times last year he'd kind of get off balance or get in the air a little bit and then try to make a decision. So he's slowing himself down. I think he's done a better job of reading what the defense shows and then making the right play.
Q. With some of the injuries if I'm not mistaken, this was one of the first times Jared Butler has gotten some run throughout the entire game. What do you make of his game?
WES UNSELD JR.: He was solid. I think he had two really good plays. Like the one look-off, drop-off pass to I think it was Gaff. We've seen him at times during practice and of course with the Go-Go, but I think that's a really good stretch for him.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports