Stat of the Day:Several figures worthy of ‘Stat of the Day’ distinction emerged from Thursday’s narrow 87-84 defeat to Brooklyn. Brandon Paul, for instance, in his second straight start, pried away six steals, a number that still doesn’t quite do justice to the relentless defense he provided against the Nets.Then, there were the 11 three-pointers the Sixers had sunk through three quarters of action, buckets that were pivotal to the team establishing a game-high eight-point lead early on in the second half.But the hand-in-hand statistic that arguably best reflected how Thursday’s back-and-forth affair played out were the 15 lead changes and 10 ties, three and two of which, respectively, occurred in the final six and a half minutes of regulation.The Sixers had a chance to lock up the score one last time, when they were presented with an in-bound play with 4.2 seconds to go. Paul, however, came up just short on a top-of-the-arc three-point heave that would have sent the game to overtime. Notable Quotable:For the second time in as many days, Ben Simmons didn’t suit up for the Sixers. As was the case in Wednesday’s 108-71 victory over the NBA Development League Select team, the number one pick in this year’s draft was scheduled for rest.Following Thursday’s loss to Brooklyn, Lloyd Pierce, the Sixers’ lead coach in Las Vegas, was uncertain whether Simmons would be available for the team’s Samsung NBA Summer League finale, explaining that a “collective decision” would ultimately be made. The Sixers’ objective, according to Pierce, is to be “smart” and “cautious” in managing not just Simmons’ workload, but that of the team’s other summer league players as well:”We saw all that we needed. We got him on the court, we got him with our guys. We knew what our concerns and what his concerns are. We know what his strengths are as well. He’s going to add an unbelievable dimension to our team. We’re just going to develop him as we’ve done everyone else. We’re going to be diligent, we’re going to take our time, be very patient with his growth, try not to give him too much. There’s a lot of expectation on him already, but we’re going to be very diligent with him and give him an opportunity to develop and grow.” Did You See That?:Lloyd Pierce believes that 25-year old guard Brandon Paul has gotten better with each of the five games he’s played for the Sixers. Paul followed up Wednesday’s smooth 20-point effort against the NBA D-League Select squad by delivering a strong defensive showing versus Brooklyn. In the clip below, the Illinois product’s two-way skill set allowed him to produce one of the Sixers’ top highlights this summer.”Gimme that. Gimme THIS.” – @bp3, probably #SummerSixers https://t.co/KUjUPvOe2D— Philadelphia 76ers (@Sixers) July 15, 2016 #SummerSixers Sounds:During Thursday’s Sixers Summer League Stream audio webcast, Brandon Williams, the team’s Vice President of Basketball Administration, sat down for a halftime interview. During the conversation, he discussed his impressions of the summer league roster, and the progress made by Ben Simmons and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, two of the team’s three first-round picks from this year’s draft.Around Town:The seventh pick in the draft, Jamal Murray has appeared in each of Denver’s four Samsung NBA Summer League outings. After combining to score 20 points and shoot seven for 23 from the field in his first two games, the Kentucky guard appears to be hitting his stride. He drained 29 points Tuesday against Minnesota, then tallied 20 more points Thursday in an 80-60 victory over Utah that pushed the Nuggets into the quarterfinals of the Las Vegas tournament. In particular, Murray enjoyed his most efficient offensive performance yet on Thursday, knocking down seven of 13 field goal attempts. He went three for six from beyond the arc.On Tap:The Sixers have spent the better part of the previous two weeks barnstorming through Salt Lake City and Las Vegas. Their 16th and final day on the road is Friday, when they face the Miami Heat in a Samsung NBA Summer League consolation tilt at 8:30 PM EST. Miami entered the tournament as the 12-seed, but sustained a 77-74 loss to Phoenix Thursday. The setback was only the fourth for the Heat in 10 games played between the Orlando and Las Vegas. Friday’s contest will be the Sixers’ ninth this summer.
“Gimme that. Gimme THIS.” – @bp3, probably #SummerSixers https://t.co/KUjUPvOe2D
