PHILADELPHIA _ One of the most anticipated games of the 76ers' season turned out to be a good ol' fashioned woodshed deal.
The Sixers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves, 149-107, Tuesday night at the Wells Fargo Center. They improved to 29-16 with the victory. It also marked their fifth straight series win against the Timberwolves (21-23) in Philadelphia.
The Sixers set three floor records in the victory _ points scored (149), points for a half (83 first-half points) and assists (40). Their 42-point win was their largest margin of victory this season.
The Sixers also shot a season-best 59.8 percent from the field _ including 48.8 percent on 3-pointers.
But there was a lot of hype surrounding this matchup. That's because it marked the first time Jimmy Butler faced the Timberwolves, the squad from which he forced a trade in November. This was also a Philly homecoming for Robert Covington, Dario Saric and Jerryd Bayless, the former Sixers shipped to Minnesota in the trade.
Before tip-off, Butler walked down to the Timberwolves bench to greet interim coach Ryan Saunders, who has a solid relationship with the four-time All-Star.
Meanwhile, Covington, Saric and Bayless received framed Sixers jerseys at their lockers before the game. The Sixers also did a video tribute for the trio. Covington didn't play due to being sidelined with a bone bruise on his right knee.
But Butler was at odds with Minnesota's front office and wasn't a good mix with the Timberwolves' young stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins. So he wanted out and the Sixers needed a third star to play alongside Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. So two months after the Nov. 12 trade, he was on the positive side of the Sixers' biggest route of the season.
Embiid finished with game highs of 31 points and 13 rebounds. Simmons had 20 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists, while Butler had 19 points, three rebounds, four assists and two steals. Butler and Simmons sat out the fourth quarter while Embiid played fewer than two minutes in the quarter.
Corey Brewer, who signed a 10-day contract earlier in the day, had three points, two rebounds and two assists in three minutes of action.
Derrick Rose paced the Timberwolves with 15 points off the bench. Saric, a reserve power forward, added 11 points. Bayless had one assist.
The game was basically over by intermission. The Sixers had a commanding 83-58 advantage while shooting 66 percent.
The Sixers honored Marc Zumoff during the game. This marks his the 25th season as the team's play-by-play broadcaster. He has called 1,883 regular-season and 61 playoff games.
Zumoff rang the ceremonial Liberty Bell right before tipoff. The Sixers also honored with video tributes. Some where of his top calls as the team's broadcaster. They also presented him with a statue in the second quarter.
"Marc Zumoff's passion and enthusiasm for the 76ers have been synonymous with our team for 25 years," said Chris Heck, the Sixers president of business operations. "What we love about Marc the most is that it's very clear he is living his dream. His energy, his love of the game and his connection to our fans comes through with every call."
