Nick Nurse Praises Sixers' Defense on Celtics' Stars

Nick Nurse pleased by Sixers defense on Tatum, Brown

Things got rocky for the Philadelphia 76ers in their matchup against the Boston Celtics, but they managed to hold on. Despite a surge in the final moments, Joel Embiid and company defeated their longtime rival by a final score of 106-103. 

When Nick Nurse was hired to become the Sixers' new head coach, many expected the team to improve on the defensive end. Through their first seven games, their play on that end of the floor has been a major takeaway. 

Following the nail-biting victory. Nurse touched on the Sixers' performance on the defensive end. Most notably, how they managed to make things tough for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Nurse said this was something he put an emphasis on leading up to the matchup, and the team delivered in a big way. 

What impresses Nurse the most about this group is how they defend without elite talent on that end. They work collectively and put in a lot of effort. Because of this, they were able to slow down the pair of All-Stars enough to get a victory. 

"We did a really good job on Brown and Tatum, and that's one thing I really like about this team," Nurse said. “We may not have like one guy that's a lockdown...we got like five above-average guys with size and athletic ability and aggressiveness. Guys that are out there trying really hard to guard." 

Tatum finished the game with a double-double (15 points, 16 rebounds), but only shot 6-for-14 from the field. That includes going 2-for-6 from beyond the arc. Brown struggled even more, scoring only 11 points on 4-for-13 shooting. 

As Nurse said, this group continues to do well defending the perimeter without a true shutdown guy. Their ability to guard two elite talents like this should be a big confidence boost moving forward. With an abundance of wings with length at his disposal, Nurse has options when it comes to guarding high-level perimeter threats.