Philadelphia 76ers: Best single game team performances of the Brett Brown era
By Simon Smith
18 steals vs. Golden State Warriors, Jan. 30, 2016
While the Sixers have recorded three games of 18 steals during Brown’s reign, the Warriors game deserves the most appraise and focus. At the time of the contest, the Warriors were the defending champion and were 43-4, on their way to a record-breaking 73-win season.
Interestingly, the Sixers’ leaders on the night for steals, Ish Smith and Isaiah Canaan with four each, are no longer with the team. Current point, T.J McConnell, also added three steals. But what also stood out was the Sixers forcing the Warriors into 23 turnovers, which was just behind their season worst of 24 turnovers. Despite this, the Sixers ultimately fell short, 110-106.
The highlights from this hard-fought contest can be seen here:
The top steals performances over the last four seasons are the following:
- 18 steals vs. Houston Rockets, Nov. 27, 2015
- 18 steals vs. Memphis Grizzlies, Nov. 29, 2015
- 18 steals vs. Golden State Warriors, Jan. 30, 2016
It’s quite noteworthy that two of the Sixers’ top performances came in consecutive games.
This season, the Sixers ranked third in the league with 8.4 steals per game. While steals can’t be used as a definitive measure of a team’s defensive prowess, it’s certainly doesn’t hurt. This season’s highest return for steals came during a 116-108 loss to the Boston Celtics. In this game, point guard T.J. McConnell led the way with five steals, while Robert Covington and Nerlens Noel contributed three steals.