20 Second Timeout: Milwaukee Bucks Beat Philadelphia 76ers 135-127 in Hubie Brown's Final Broadcast

Monday, February 10, 2025

Milwaukee Bucks Beat Philadelphia 76ers 135-127 in Hubie Brown's Final Broadcast

For Hubie Brown, the game is always the most important thing, so in deference to his approach I will focus first on what happened in Hubie Brown's last game as an analyst before shifting my attention to Brown's legacy and the tributes paid to him during a very special and well-produced broadcast.

The Milwaukee Bucks sans two-time regular season MVP and 2021 NBA Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 135-127. Prior to the game, Brown noted that both of these teams must improve defensively, which he emphasized is a collective effort and not just a matter of individual one on one defense. The final score indicates that neither team is a defensive juggernaut, to put it mildly.

Brown's pregame choices for players to watch proved to be very prescient: Damian Lillard scored a season-high and game-high 43 points to lead the Bucks to victory, and Tyrese Maxey scored a team-high 39 points in a valiant effort for the 76ers. Before the game, Brown praised Lillard's three point shooting and his complete game as a scorer/playmaker/rebounder, and he complimented Maxey's complete game plus his unstoppable off the dribble moves. Lillard shot 14-27 from the field--including 8-15 from three point range--while passing for a game-high eight assists and grabbing seven rebounds. Maxey nearly matched Lillard shot for shot and play for play, shooting 16-23 from the field--including 5-10 from beyond the arc--while dishing for five assists and pulling down four rebounds.

Gary Trent Jr. scored 23 points off of the bench for the Bucks, and Bobby Portis added 18 points, a game-high 13 rebounds, and five assists as the Bucks' reserves outscored the 76ers' reserves 54-35.

The 76ers' purported "Big Three" combined to score 78 points, but this is an example of how numbers can be deceiving. Maxey did as much as he could and he played hard at both ends of the court, but Joel Embiid (27 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, five turnovers) lumbered up and down the court, looked a step and a half slow on defense, and accumulated his statistics based more on size/raw talent than on consistently playing championship-level basketball. Paul George drifted around the court, putting up solid starter numbers (12 points, six assists, five rebounds), but having little impact on the game's outcome.

During a defense-optional first quarter when Milwaukee outscored Philadelphia 40-39, Brown mentioned Lillard's ability to score at all levels, draw fouls, and make free throws, and he noted Lillard's willingness to take the big shot in late game situations. After Lillard made a long three pointer, Brown quipped to his play by play partner Mike Breen, "If he steps back any deeper, he's going to be with you and me at the table."

Brown mentioned how much he loves Philadelphia's Kyle Lowry, who he described as the "heart and soul" of Toronto's 2019 championship team for Coach Nick Nurse before joining Nurse with the 76ers. Lowry, who is battling a hip injury, played just six minutes, and has had a limited impact this season, but the 76ers desperately need more players who play with the energy and hustle he displays when his body is right.

What struck me most during this game is how bad Embiid looks, despite his superficially impressive statistics. Embiid did not jump for rebounds in his area on several possessions, he did not run hard, he rarely fought for low post position, and he did not set strong screens. Embiid spent most of his time on offense drifting around the perimeter, and he did a poor job protecting the paint on defense. Yes, he scored nearly a point per minute while leading the team in rebounds and tying for the team lead in assists, which shows that even at half speed he is still a very productive player statistically--but a team cannot win a championship when its best player is out of shape, does not play hard, and is chronically unavailable. This is not a one game assessment/indictment of Embiid; what he showed during this game--the gaudy numbers and the small impact on team success--is what he has shown throughout his career, and it is sheer folly to believe/expect that he is going to show anything else on the back end of his career. To top things off, sideline reporter Lisa Salters dropped a bombshell: Embiid told her that he will likely need another knee surgery, followed by a long rehab process. Embiid will turn 31 in a month, and he has never played in more than 68 games in a season (a high water mark that he reached in 2022), so it is fair to wonder if he will ever be fully healthy and available to play on a regular basis.

I have consistently said that it is ridiculous to assert that the 76ers have "tanked to the top" and that if they ever win a championship with Embiid that will happen despite the infamous "Process," not because of it.

The Bucks were ahead 65-63 at halftime even though Maxey had 26 first half points and Embiid had 24 first half points, the first time this season that they both scored at least 20 points in a half. Embiid already looked gassed by the second quarter, and he had just three points in the second half.

The Bucks led by as many as 25 points in the second half before the 76ers cut the margin during garbage time. Breen asked Brown what went wrong for the 76ers, and Brown succinctly noted the 76ers' two problems: bad shot selection, and not playing as aggressively as they had played in the first half. It should be added that both problems can be traced to the basketball habits of Embiid, the team's most talented player; half of his field goal attempts came from beyond the arc even though he was the biggest and strongest player on the court, and his casual approach to defense is not likely to inspire supreme effort from anyone on his squad. It matters little that Embiid shot a high percentage from beyond the arc (4-7) or that he has a good shooting touch; for the 76ers to be a championship contender, they need for Embiid to dominate the paint while shooting timely three pointers, instead of regularly shooting three pointers while occasionally posting up. If Embiid is not physically capable of playing the right way, then the team should shut him down until his body is right; if he is not willing to play the right way, then the coaching staff and management must confront Embiid about this.

Throughout the telecast, Brown suggested that at full strength both of these teams are capable of challenging Boston, Cleveland, and New York for conference supremacy. Theoretically, that may be true, but from a practical standpoint it looks highly unlikely that the 76ers will ever be healthy enough or focused enough to advance past the second round (and they are on course to not even make the Play In Tournament this season). As for the Bucks, their ceiling is higher than the 76ers' ceiling: with a healthy Antetokounmpo teaming up with Lillard, Portis, Brook Lopez, and the recently acquired Kyle Kuzma, the Bucks are capable of reaching the Eastern Conference Finals, but anything beyond that seems out of reach.

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Milwaukee was the most fitting location for Hubie Brown's final broadcast, because that is where his NBA journey began in 1972 when Larry Costello hired him as his assistant coach (at that time, NBA teams only had one assistant coach, not an army of assistants). During this game, Breen and Brown seamlessly included details about Brown's remarkable basketball journey into the broadcast without detracting from their attention to the live action.

Brown successfully coached at the high school, college, and professional levels. After working for Costello in Milwaukee, Brown led the Kentucky Colonels to the 1975 ABA title before coaching three NBA teams: Atlanta Hawks (1976-81), New York Knicks (1982-86), Memphis Grizzlies (2002-04). He won the NBA Coach of the Year award in 1978 and 2004, and he finished third in the balloting in three other years (1979-80, 1984).

Brown first did analysis on nationally televised NBA games for the USA Network in 1981. After he coached the Knicks, Brown did analysis for CBS from late 1986 until 1990, and then he worked for TNT from the early 1990s until he became Memphis' coach in 2002. Brown left the Grizzlies due to unspecified health reasons, but he soon joined ABC/ESPN. Brown was initially the network's lead analyst, and he worked the 2005 and 2006 NBA Finals in that capacity, but then he was replaced as the lead analyst by the Mark Jackson-Jeff Van Gundy duo. Brown continued to do games for ABC/ESPN, and he also did games for ESPN Radio, including 14 NBA Finals. Overall, Brown was a commentator for a record 18 NBA Finals. In addition to his success as both a coach and a commentator, Brown was a tremendous clinician at basketball camps in the U.S. and at basketball camps/clinics held around the world. Breen said that Brown has taught basketball to more people than anyone, and that statement is not hyperbole.

Brown said that his 50-plus years in pro basketball as a coach and media member went by very quickly, and that what he thinks about the most are the people who opened doors for him. Brown mentioned that working for Costello provided the equivalent of a Master's degree and a Doctorate in basketball in just two years. Brown said that he learned a lot from Costello, from teaching at various clinics, and from speaking at a variety of corporate engagements.

During the first quarter, Mike Tirico made a live appearance, and he chatted with Brown and Breen. Tirico remembered calling Lillard's series-winning shot in 2014 with Brown by his side, and he reminisced about calling Kobe Bryant's 60 point career finale alongside Brown.

Breen said that Brown has been an "NBA father" to his play by play partners, and he said that it is a "privilege" to call a game with Brown.

When Mark Jones joined the broadcast, he talked about the excitement he felt the first time that he worked with Brown, and he spoke about Brown providing pointers for his basketball playing kids. Like all of Brown's broadcast partners, Jones mentioned that Brown treated him like family.

Brown later talked about the importance of making everyone feel included on a team, whether that team is a sports team or a broadcasting team. Brown explained that he learned an important lesson about team chemistry while assisting Costello, who put Brown in charge of working with the last three players on the bench at a time when NBA rosters had just 10 players. Brown said that on a strong team like the Bucks during that era, the last three players on the roster did not play very much and were often upset with their limited roles. When Brown became a head coach, he lengthened his player rotation to give more players playing time and decrease the number of dissatisfied players on the bench.

Basketball Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson, who played for Costello and Brown in Milwaukee, recorded a message during which he noted that when Hubie Brown speaks everyone listens and respects what he says.

After Breen asked Brown his take on the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade that shocked most NBA observers, Brown noted that Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Julius Erving, Shaquille O'Neal, and LeBron James--"five of the greatest"--all were traded, so Doncic can also be traded.

When Dave Pasch made a live appearance, he pointed out that it is rare to be an icon in just one field, but that Brown is an icon in two fields (coaching and commentating). Pasch said that Brown always asks his play by play announcer how he is doing, and if he had enough time to talk. Pasch quipped that just once he wanted to mess with Brown and say that he had not had enough time to talk.

Basketball Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing, who played for Brown when Brown coached the Knicks, praised Brown's "vast knowledge" of basketball.

Hall of Famer Pau Gasol called it a "privilege" to play for Brown in Memphis.

Other people who recorded tributes to Brown include Indiana Coach Rick Carlisle, Miami Coach Erik Spoelstra, and NBA Commissoner Adam Silver.

ESPN/ABC ran a graphic stating that Brown coached against or broadcasted 80% of the players in NBA history, a statistical nugget that is stunning but not surprising.

Near the end of the broadcast, Breen shared with the audience a look at "The Hubie Sheet," the meticulous notes that Brown brought to each game and then marked up during the broadcast:

Brown downplayed this, saying that being prepared is part of the job--but the way that Brown treated each game like a masterpiece deserving the most careful thought and analysis demonstrates his dedication to his craft.

After the game, the referees presented the game ball to Brown, who joked about receiving a present from them despite leading the league in technical fouls along with Kevin Loughery.

Next, ESPN/ABC ran a piece featuring several of Brown's colleagues reminiscing about Brown. Dick Stockton is one of the most gracious people who I have ever had the privilege of interviewing, and he made an eloquent tribute to Brown: "I hope that the viewing audience of NBA basketball realize what kind of a treasure Hubie Brown has been in a brilliant career which longevity is beyond comparison. I worked with a lot of different people in a lot of sports in my 55 year career as a broadcaster but he stands out because of his love of the game and the way he expressed the game."

Breen asked Brown to summarize his thoughts about his career. Brown said that he learned from his father to always give 100%, and that he viewed both coaching and broadcasting as being part of a team whose job is to teach. Brown thanked all of his well-wishers on behalf of his family, and he noted that the day was almost overwhelming. Brown mentioned that a cardinal principle that he always upheld is to never underestimate the IQ of the audience.

Brown deserved all of the heartfelt praise that he received, but I would be remiss if I did not note that the same employer that is gushing over him as he departs relegated him to second tier status for most of his tenure with ESPN/ABC; he was only the lead analyst at ESPN/ABC for a brief time, but he is the best NBA analyst of all-time, and he should have been on the number one team for a lot longer than he was. Howard Cosell once declared, "I never played the game" (which was also the title of his 1985 autobiography), meaning not only that he never played pro sports but that he never stooped to playing the game of being popular at the expense of being authentic to his values. Based on ESPN's other hiring choices, it is fair to assume that the network chose "entertainment"--which is, after all, what the "E" stands for in ESPN--over in depth analysis. I mean no disrespect to Van Gundy or Jackson, who both did well during their time at ESPN, but Brown is a better analyst than either of them.

I interviewed Hubie Brown in 2006 and 2009. My approach to basketball writing has always focused on the perspective of a coach/scout analyzing the skill set strengths and weaknesses of players and teams, and then determining what the optimal strategy should be for a team based on a skill set analysis of that team and the opposing team. This analytical approach is heavily influenced by Brown, and I agree with Brown that you don't talk down to the audience, but rather you provide high level information to the audience with the belief and expectation that the audience can follow along and will appreciate being educated. I can crack jokes and be silly, but my primary focus is spreading knowledge, not producing one liners or click-bait hot takes. During the time that I covered the NBA as a credentialed media member at regular season games, playoff games, and All-Star Games, I cherished the opportunity to speak in person with coaches and scouts. I learned a lot from those conversations, but those conversations also reaffirmed that I analyze and perceive the game the way that coaches and scouts do, in contrast to the way that many media members who favor sensationalism and superficiality do.

I will miss Brown very much, because for more than half of my life I have viewed any game that he did as must-see, appointment television. Anyone who would like to learn more about Brown should watch Brown's 2013 conversation with George Raveling, which includes timeless wisdom not only about basketball, but about life, as well as a wealth of information about basketball history from the 1950s through the 2000s. Recently, NBA.com's Ben Lambert did an interesting interview with Brown.

Hubie Brown was an excellent coach, a premier clinician, and the greatest NBA analyst of all-time. His presence on the NBA airwaves will be missed, but he will never be forgotten and his influence is indelible.

Further Reading:

Hubie Brown Interview (2006)

Seven Great "Hubie-isms" (2007)

Trading Places: LeBron Scores 37 as the "New" Cavs Beat the "New" Bulls (2008)

Hubie Brown Breaks Down Cleveland-Orlando and LeBron-Kobe (2009)

Sleepwalking Lakers End "Nightmare" Season by Being Swept (2013)

Hubie Brown Analyzes Russell Westbrook and the L.A. Lakers (January 28, 2022)

NBA's 75th Anniversary Celebration Game Provided Stirring Trip Down Memory Lane (April 7, 2022)

Cold Young Heats Up as Hawks Defeat Celtics, 130-122 (April 21, 2023)

Jayson Tatum Scores Game Seven Record 51 Points as Celtics Roll Over Listless 76ers, 112-88 (May 14, 2023)

New Look Knicks Rout Slumping Heat (January 17, 2024)

Sharpshooting Bucks Take Down Defenseless Suns, 140-129 (March 18, 2024)