Sixers Shock the Suns

Sixers 99 Suns 94
: WOW! What a game for me to miss (out of town right now)! The Suns played a tuff game last nite in a comeback win against the Pacers, but you had to think they had the edge coming in. Second best record in the NBA ... undefeated against the eastern conference on the road ... leading the league in scoring average at over 100 points a game. The Sixers scored 35 points in the 1st period and never looked back. They shot a better percentage from 3 point range. They held the Suns under 100 points. 15 points in the 3rd period. They jacked up 87 shots for crying out load!

How could I have missed this game. :(

Nothin' new ....

So I didn't manage to catch the Bucks game last nite. Lets check the box score to see if what's new ... maybe I missed something.

Hmmm ... The Sixers lost 90-109. Nothin' new there. That was a 19 point spread and the second straight game their opponents scored over 100. Iggy scored 22 maybe that slump is over. Oh my, 20 turnovers. That could have help the cause much. The Bucks made 48% of the 3 point attempts. Thats not good.

Well I guess I didn't miss anything. I heard the Sixers are snowed-in in Milwaukee. Hope that make it back in time for the Monday note game against the Kings. Maybe some home cookin' and a weak opponent will do them some good.

There's No "D" in "Sixers"

There's No "D" in "Sixers". A fact that was clearly on display last nite in the 76ers 102-87 loss to the Bobcats. They couldn't stop anybody. Charlotte shot 51% from the floor. It's no coincidence that poor play by Samuel "No D" Dalembert accompanies these "No" defensive outings. His numbers last nite: 28 Minutes, 6 points on 2-6 shooting, 4 fouls, 8 rebound, 2 blocks. I'm ready for Dr K's Frankenstein experiment to end. It's an off-season imperative that the 76ers make moves to secure defense presence and rebounding for the future. Sammy just ain't cutting it.

Pair Sammy's poor play with the rough patch Iggy is going through right now and the Sixers don't have a shot to win games. But looking on the brighter side, the Bobcat's are on a 4 game win streak (Brevin Knight makes them a much better team) have pulled 4 games ahead of the Sixers with 22 wins. The Sixers play the second of back to back road games tonite in Milwaukee. They can solidify their hold on the 3rd lottery slot with a loss to the 19-37 Bucks. Tonite is one of those games where the schedule conspires against you. You have to give the edge to the Bucks with the Sixers looking ahead to a home game against the Kings. However, this foreseeable loss would be a great character win for Mo's squad. Hey ... hold on a minute ... I was beginning to take this too seriously ... its Saturday ... I should have something better to do.

It's gotta be the shoes

Kyle Kover rains a career-high 31 points on the Knicks. In the words of Mars Blackmon (in the classic Nike commercial) ... It's gotta be the shoes! Kyle's been strugglin' lately with a bad toe and the trainers have been working with him to find the right shoe. Well it appears they finally got it right. He was launching the ball 3' behind the 3 point line and scorching the nets. He shot 6 for 7 from beyond the arc and beat the Knicks all by himself.

New York played the night before, but got off to a good start. But the Sixers never trailed after Korver took over in the second period. There was a large New York contingent at the game tonite. So a 20 point win was sweet. Especially after they started to raise a ruckus when their squad made a late run. Curious thing ... there were lotsa Knicks jerseys in the crowd. Guess what number was most prominent? Number 11 ... Jamal Crawford. Go figure.

NBA All-Star Game ... Snap, Crackle , but no POP!

What a dud! The play was un-inspired. The commentary self-serving. The game was never in doubt. Setting records for scoring has little meaning against token defense. East head coach Eddie Jordon was quoted as saying that he wasn't sure 'he belonged there'. Trust me Eddie 'you didn't'. The players appeared to enjoyed it. Why not they had a free week-end in Sin City. Full of swag and ____ (you can fill in the blanks yourself). Everyone knows Las Vegas is beggin' for an NBA team. So no extravagance was spared. (I have to say I was a little spooked when I saw Wayne Newton).

Fast forward to a year from now. The game will be in New Orleans. Next year the Hornets are being forced to play more than the hand full of games they played this year. The arena stinks! Selling out the Super Dome for 8 Saints' games is one thing. 40+ b-ball games is another. To top it all off the game is usually scheduled near the start of Mardi Gras. Ohh ... this is gonna be good.

Sixers get a break from All Star Week-End Clown Show

Meet the Philadelphia 76ers sole representative in Vegas at this week-end's All Star Extravaganza; Kimmie Gipson, elected to this years All-Star Dance Team. Okay maybe that's not technically true. There is some guy playin' in the wheelchair classic, but Kimme is much better lookin' (call it poetic license).

Like the TNT half-time show ... All Star Week-end has become a bit of a clown show. Tim Hardaway tipped of the show with his brainless comments about gays. Which I'm sure ESPN will milk for everything its worth (John Amaechi's book is published by ESPN).

The Rookie game was awful. Just a bunch of guys (most you've never heard of) running up and down the floor trying to dunk the ball. I've see better fundamentals in a pee-wee game. And the Slam Dunk contest ... I think I will pass this year after the mockery that was made of it last year with the crowning of Nate Robinson over Iggy. Then there's side show race between sir Charles and referee Dick Bavetta. Shoot me now.

The All-Star Game used to be a big deal. Now you got guys sayin' they're being disrespected 'cause they're not on the team or they weren't voted in. 'Mello gets suspended 1/3 of the season for a sucker punch but is an all star. Gilbert Arenas is whining about how his first appearance was long over due. Give me a break. Why wasn't he on the All Star team before? You have to look no further than his boast that he'd score 50 on the Blazers ('cause head coach Nate McMillan was an assistant on the Olympic team that dissed 'em). Arenas scored 9 points that nite ... 9.

When did this happen? When did the All-Star game become such a clown show? Sour grapes perhaps, but I don't think so.

Sixers come up short again vs the Wizards

The Sixers came up short again against the wizards Wednesday nite. It like wathcing a train wreck. Neither team scored for long streatches of the game. Could it be they miss Steven Hunter that much?

Do we really need another Sixers uniform?

Does any team really need 4 uniforms? The Sixers will unveil their 'Red" uniforms on Wednesday nite. So now have the white uniform (mandatory home jersey color), Black and Blue? By now we all recognize this as a plow to sell more jerseys. I supppose it might add a little incentive those fans with the old '3' jersey.

Sixers out paced by the Mavs

Well ... what did you expect? The Sixers couldn't hang with the Dallas Mavericks. They went to the finals last year. They play defense .... every play. They have players who can score ... every starter can score (and some guys off the bench). Going into this game the Sixers were 17-34 ... the Mavs 41-9 (they started the season with 5 losses).

The Sixers lost 89-106. Down by as many as 30. There were no moral victories here. Just the stone cold truth about how far there is to go. Iggy did have some sweet dunks in the game however. I'm mean really sweet.

Stackhouse puts blame on Brown. Tom Moore writes in the Philly Burbs that Jerry Stackhouse says that AI wasn't the problem, but Larry Brown. He wasn't ready to have someone screaming at him all the time. 10 years later an older and wiser Stackhouse is content being a role player on a really good team and having a shot at a ring. Asked if the rebuilding mode the Sixers are in today reminds him of their predicament when he was here, Stackhouse said, “No. They have a plan now.”

Don't be hatin' Jerry. BTW, the last year of the Iverson/Stackhouse duo the Sixers won 18 games.

Meanwhile, the Celts lose a team record 18th straight game. But John Smallwood reminds me not to worry. The Sixers can't possible win enough games to make the playoffs. Even in the Atlantic. The Raptors are clicking now and likely run away with the division.

Man that was a sweet slam dunk Iggy had.

Clippers Win 1st in Philly in 11 Years

Clippers Win 1st in Philly in 11 Years | That would be since March 10th 1996. The Sixers were 18-64 that season and Jerry Stackhouse was the teams leading scorer. They went on to draft AI in the draft that year. How's that for an omen.

Anyway, that was a pretty good game last nite. I had forgotten how entertaining team basketball could be. Good teams win close games. That's how they become good teams. The Sixers got another recitation in how to be a good team. After man handling the Bobcats on Wednesday a dose of reality was a good thing.

Meanwhile, The Celts lost their 17th straight game in spite of the return of Paul Pierce. They now have the leagues worst losing of 23 (single season) squarely in their sights. Six out of their next seven games are on the road against west coast teams. The players are shameful. Head coach Doc Rivers hangs his head in despair. He will be fired next year. Sure as the sun will come up in the mornin'. Boston's management can hardly hold back their excitement. Celtic pride no longer exists. It's hard to believe that the basketball gods would reward all this with the #1 pick.

I gotta keep reminding myself that its still a crap shoot. It's been years since the worst team got the #1 pick.

Stephen A. Smith ... Don't quit your day job for acting

I had to LOL when this was pointed out to me. Last Friday Stephen A. Smith had a 10 second cameo on General Hospital!

Check it out

Yo dog ... I know you weren't happy about your ESPN TV show getting canceled but this is noway to make a comeback.

Don't look now ... but the Sixers won again

Our buddy Jon at Passion and Pride (Sixers Kiss Kidd Goodnight) says "most fans are not enthusiastic about the team giving up ping pong balls in the draft this summer". But I'm not so sure the subject isn't a little over blown. I was at the game last nite (myself and a couple of dozen others) and I can tell you nobody there was disappointed with the win.

I don't know what it looked like on TV, but from where I was sittin' ... most of the game was like watchin' paint dry. There were long stretches were neither team scored. The Nets have been in a terrible funk lately and all the Sixers had to do was not wake them up. So a snooze fest unfolded until the final stanza. The Nets tied up Iggy when the Sixers had a shot at winning the game in regulation (every one knew Iggy was gettin' the ball). So the game went into overtime. This time Iggy made the game winning assist (Joe Smith made the shot). Iguodala filled the stat sheet once again; 23 pts, 15 assists; and 7 boards.

It was clear that the Sixers wanted the win more than the Nets. Sometime that's all it takes. The Sixers cash in on another winnable game. "Poof" goes another ping pong ball.

Iguodala is a triple double waiting to happen

Andre Iguodala is a triple double waiting to happen. But Iguodala's triple-double was not enough. The Sixers fall in a 1 point game to prove they can lose against a team as disappointing as themselves. Looking at the digits that Andre put up, 25 points, 13 assists, 10 boards the most telling stat was 4 turnovers. Being the man ain't as easy as it seems.

Any one play can make the difference in a 1 point game. That 1 play belongs to Iggy. Now that Iggy is the man. So 4 TO's matter.

I'm sure the Philly faithful was not disappointed with the lose. But the lottery sweepstakes is getting tighter. The Boston Celtics have taken over the cellar in the Atlantic with a vengeance. Be riffed of talent they have just lost 14 straight games. Now that Iggy has accepted his new role ... I don't think the Sixers can match that effort. But fear not ... if the Celts win (lose) the Len Bias curse will be their undoing.

BTW, Iguodala's 3rd career triple double pales in comparison to Charles Barkley (who did it 10 times) or Billy Cunningham how had a triple double in back-to back-to-back game in 1970 (a triple triple double if you will).

Sixers are better ballers these days

The Sixers pretty much handled the Hornets last nite. Despite Chris Paul's return they sweep the season series with NO/OC.

Don't look now, but the Sixers are better ballers these days. The warts remain, namely rebounding and defending the three ball, but they are winning what I call 'winnable' games. The games against the other dregs of the NBA, teams on the road in back to back games or missing their star players. Games they have a legitimate chance to win ... warts and all. Looking at the last 2 weeks proves my point. There's no way they would win against the Spurs (L 85-99) or the Rockets (spanked 84-105). Nor should we have expected them to sweep a home and home against the Cavs. But the 98-95 win over the Heat was at home against a road weary team. The Hornets (W 102-96 & W 89-78) and the Hawks (W 104 89) are cellar dwellers.

I attribute much of the recent success to a regular line-up. Mo seems to have settled on the twin towers look and that has solidified the rotations for everyone. It has given them a chance to respond when they know how many and when their minutes are coming. Joe Smith was never more than a spot up starter. Willie Green and Rod Carney seem to be battling for that last starters' spot. I prefer Carney over Green. I just don't think Green will ever improve defensively and I see nothing but upside for Carney. The kid can play. Korver's in a bit of a slump but hey ... that's part of the learning process too. He seems to be finding other ways to contribute. I like what Mo is doing with Sweet Lou Williams as well. He has not done too bad spelling Miller in the gap between the 1st & 2nd and 3rd & 4th periods. Miller can use the rest too. There are times out there when he has a brain fart from fatigue. Williams has managed to not get totally abused when he's on the floor, use his quickness to score and even get an assist here and there. He doesn't have control over game tempo, but Miller is giving him plenty of lessons.

I know many in Sixersville want the 76ers to lose, but there's little need for that before the All-Start break. They need to establish a personality. So we can make those draft picks to addresses their weaknesses. An extreme make-over in the draft just ain't gonna happen.