Great Expectations

So both Dwight Howard and Courtney Lee are out for this evenings game. Both ‘cause of Dwight Howard elbows. I really don’t want to discuss whether the suspension was warranted or not. This can be a cursing or a blessing.

Many might say it’s all good right? Two Magic starters and leading scorers for the series are out for game 6. It's a home game! The Sixers have it in the bag.

But I look at it as a curse. There is no pressure on the Magic. They are under manned. They can just let it all hang out. On the other hand … there are great expectations for the Sixers. They are the home team. They are expected to beat the short handed Magic. They are supposed to advance further in the playoffs than last year.

I’m just having flashbacks to the end of the season. When the Sixers were supposed to be in the running for the 4th seed, but they fell flat with a long losing streak. Then I had visions of the last game of the season. When the Sixers were expected to beat the Cleveland scrubs and struggled until the 4th period. They had to win that one in overtime.

It’s sad to say but only a thrashing by the Sixers will satisfy their critics. But I’ll just settle for a win … any win.

Well that was ugly

They Sixers fall to the Magic in Game 5, 91-78. A game in which they lost all 4 quarters. A game that was pretty ugly in a number of respects.

Least of all was the wicked elbows Howard was dishing out. I’m not sure what to say about the elbow he threw at Sammy in the 1st quarter, but the one he clocked his own teammate (Courtney Lee) with was brutal. Howard knocked him out and had no idea what he had done.

Scary talent is one thing. Scary like somebody could get hurt is another. The loss of Lee could really cost the Magic. It was clear that JJ Redic and Michael Petrus where out of their element as backups.

But Howard was the difference last nite. It was about him on defense. He made the Sixers timid. May the elbows where not a mistake.

Anyway you might count the Sixers out in game 6. But the attrition the Magic has suffered may change the outcome. The Sixers need to get back on that horse and find another win in this series.

That one got away from us

I’m not buying into to the storyline that the Sixers have over achieved or the Magic have stumbled. That was a hell of a game yesterday. This is a hell of a series.

Even that spastic 2nd period where neither team could score was something to see. Both teams where knocking the snot out of each other and the refs were letting them play. I liked our chances when the half ended with a 36-36 tie. The Sixers were out shooting the Magic from the 3 point line and banging the boards like crazy. When you shoot as poorly as the Sixers often do you gotta find extra possessions and they did … on the boards and off turnovers.

You had to expect a big push from Orlando in the 3rd and boy did they come out smokin’. But had they (the Sixers) made a few bunnies it would not have been so bad.

I was really proud of the crowd. There was a lot of energy in the house. The rally towels were waving … the chants for “defense” and “Lets Go” when it was obvious the Sixers needed a play. We thought we could win the game with sheer will.

Yup, this one got away. It was a Philly kind of ball game that we often find away to win. You can’t explain it, but you can’t deny it either.

I feel bad for Thaddeus. He was the target for the Magic’s game winning shot. It was obvious that his ankle was bothering him out there. I’m not sure when it happened, but he took quite a few tumbles in the second half. He was trotting back on defense with a limp. I was thinking we need to take ‘em out, but then he hit some very timely shots. So it’s hard to second guess the coaching staff.

All I know is this was different than last year’s Game 4. This series ain’t over yet. But surely this was a big fish that got away.

Game 4: A different Animal

 

“Hold on to your Butts”

I’m not sure what to expect today. Every game is a different animal. By the fourth game you kinda know what your opponent is capable of. But there are many things  that make up a game … the officiating, fouls, injuries, etc. For the Sixers you’d like to see someone get the hot hand.

Well I’m on my way to see what happens … The helmet is on … the chin strap's buckled …

Maybe We all should be annoyed

I’m not sure if its just me, but Bob Ford’s condescending articles about the Sixers is getting annoying. Before the series started he all but said the Sixers would get spanked in this series. This is a cynical voice of the untrained observer from afar.

Look … I know the Sixers are probably not going to win a title this year. But there’s no reason to look down on them because they won’t. I know that basketball is 3rd or 4th in the pecking order in this town. But I  get really annoyed when the media just phones it in … the Sixers stink, they always stink the … the Sixers don’t have one of the NBA’s media darlings so it’s easy to assume they don’t have a shot.

That’s the problem I have with the NBA. It’s just not that easy to be a champion. When 16 teams entered this season’s playoffs only 3 teams have a legitimate shot to win (at least according to conventional wisdom). If you are not a fan of the Lakers, Cavs or Celtics you are a smuck, right? At least that’s the kind of reporting I am reading.

If a team could rise from last to first in a single season (like the NFL) the NBA would have more diehard fans. Instead it’s about stars. Those individuals that are the best of the best. You can’t possible win if you don’t have one or two stars right?

I was ashamed of the size of the crowd Friday nite. It was a playoff game on a Friday nite! The home team has a legitimate chance to win! You can’t sell out the arena. I was wondering how the commissioner David Stern say it? Did we confirm the notion that Philly is a small market and a team that’s going no where.

You know what? I’m tired of apologizing for being a Sixers fan. I think I have the right to be annoyed when some one tells me there’s no point to being a fan. It’s not easy to win a championship. They are not going to get there over nite. All you can ask is that your team improves every year. And the Sixers in the post Billy King era have done so.

So yes … I would be happy to see the Sixers make it to the second round of the playoffs. That would be progress. I think they have a chance to do so. Game 4 will be a true indicator. I’m going down to Wack Center to witness it …

… I hope others join me.

Thaddeus to the rescue

So we are on the Sixers end of the court with 7 somethin’ seconds left in the game. The crowd was manic … the roller coaster of emotions was draining. In the 3rd period we’re up by 17 and the next thing you know it’s a 2 point game. I tried to calm my self … we had only lost the 3 quarter by 8 … we know they were gonna make a run. We just need to respond.

None of that helped. The doom and gloom and …. here we go agaiin started to creep into our consciousness. Orlando’s 3’s started falling. Somehow superman kept making free throws. But we channeled those emotions into cheering louder.

 

When Miller inbounded the ball to Thaddeus we were all on our feet. He dribbles into traffic. From our angle it looked like he was clobbered by the Magic and walked with the ball (later we learned the ball was knocked to the floor), and then there was that flash. That turn around move that has become a signature move for Thaddeus. It is so quick that the ball has left his hands before you realize what is happening.

He scored! I couldn’t believe it. That game was  over. Thaddeus had a sub-par nite, but when it counted … instincts took over. He hit his 1st playoff game winner.

I’m still riding the high … trying to come down to earth. As hard as this game was the next will be even harder. It occurred to me that we had been here before also. Up 2-1 only to be crushed in the second half of game 4. Dare I say tomorrow will be different?

Game 3 Prep

Getting my game face on for game 3 2 nite.

It’s a nice spring day. The Sixers are home and the fan base is ready to give them the extra lift to take another game from the Magic.

What was the worst that could happen?

I had mixed feeling as I watched the Sixers struggle to comeback, yet one more time, against the Magic last nite. There was a part of me that said … What the heck. We already gotta split. So what if we lose this one.

Then there was the part of me that was saying … COME ON, YOU CAN DO IT! We can beat the Magic. We can show all the naysayers that we belong. The pace of the game was to our liking. If it wasn't for all those freakin’ turnovers and offensive rebounds! We kept them in the game. Sure the Magic had a little to do with it, but it was really more about what the Sixers did or didn’t do.

Again the naysayers were prognosticating that the Sixers had woken a sleeping giant. That the Magic would come out and give them a good pasting. But I knew better than that. The Sixers aren’t the kinda team that gets blown out. My boys bring it every nite. Win or lose … it’s not because they didn’t give you effort.

Now that I think about it. The reason they lose is never quite the same. It could be like last nite … TO’s and O boards. Then the next nite it could be shooting, or 3 point defense, or  free throws. But when they win it’s always about defense and getting up and down the floor.

I’m getting really juiced up about the game tomorrow. Block party here we come!

Mo Mo Speights

Wouldn't be great to see Marreese Speights break out in the the playoffs.

Where Will Amazing Happen

The NBA has produced a "Where Will Amazing Happen" video for each playoff team this year (the Spurs have 2 actually). Most are mad plays from last years playoffs. The Sixers video is a wicked dunk on the Piston from last year. Check it out.

Same Dunk different camera angle

Sixers storm back for a 4th Qtr Win

It’s playoff time baby … time for the Sixers to shock the world. They repeat last year’s feat of stealing game 1 on the road. If you tuned in to watch the 2nd or 3rd periods you may have turned off the TV.

The played really well in the 1st period to lead 27-25. But the ghost came back to smother them offensively and they scored only 19 points in each of the 2nd and 3rd periods. As they entered the final period … down by 14 … I’m wondering to myself how are they going to out score Orlando by 14.

Answer … 76ers basketball. They dug in and turned up the defense and ran the floor. Donyell Marshall came in to add the firepower needed to close the gap with 11 fourth period points. Then Iggy showed a national TV audience that he can be the man. After missing two freebies with the Sixers down 95-96 it looked like Andre may have been the goat. But he came back and hit the game winner … a very tough shot I might add.

For Orlando, Howard was a monster in the game with (31 points and 16 rebounds) and the rookie Courtney Lee had a phenomenal debut (18 points). But Lee disappeared in the money period as did the rest of the Magic. They lacked playoff intensity. Something the Sixers may have picked up form the playoffs last year.

But we have been here before. Winning the opening game. As the cliché goes … a playoffs series doesn't start until someone loses at home. Well … we got a series. There will be a lot of adjustments made between tonight and next Wednesday’s game.

Now the Sixers need to get greedy.

41-41 is like kissing your sister

The Sixers regular season record 41-41 is like kissing your sister. Yes, it was a kiss … from a girl that wasn’t your mother. But dude … that was your sister. Nothing to brag about. It won’t make you the envy of your peers.

At 41 and 41 the Sixers are not a losing team any more. They are not the last team in the playoffs in basketballs weakest conference. No, they are not losers …. But dude … they are not really winners either. Nothing to brag about. It won’t make you the envy for your peers.

Now we are in the playoffs … the second season. Hey don’t knock it. Half the league cannot say that much. The Sixers were fortunate to pull out a game against the Cavs 2nd unit and the Bulls inexplicably lost … at home … to a Raptor team with nothing to gain. So they match up against the Magic instead of the C’s in the playoffs. Or I should say they don’t match up against them. Both teams accentuate the Sixers weaknesses … defending the 3 …. shooting the 3 …. half court offense.

I’m having a hard time convincing my friends to go to next week. One and done is the prognosis. The late season swoon has killed any momentum the fan base had. Nobody saves their worst for last. The 6 game slide was not just a matter of missing Thaddeus Young or late season fatigue.

To coin the often quoted sports cliché … you are what your record is. 41-41. The middle of the pack. Not half bad, but not so great either. To be a real contender they need to improve by 15 games. That’s a lot of games in the NBA. If they where more fortunate this season … if they won more of those close games … it would still not amount to 15 more wins. Just keepin’ real.

But would you rather they not make they playoffs? Yes, I would rather them make greater strides this season. A 1 game improvement in the regular season and a 1 slot improvement in the playoffs is not a GREAT stride, but it’s still a step in the right direction. Forget about the would of … could of … should of! It’s the second season!
 
No one expected them to raise an eyebrow versus Detroit last year. They still have a chance to improve their stature this season. I don’t know if they can beat the Magic … but I expect the Sixers to gain greater respect than they have been given.

Yeah … I said it. But you gotta watch to see if I’m right.

We love you Harry

Sixers lose another to a non playoff team

I keep thinking to myself ... Would this be happening if Thaddeus were here? Trailing the Bobcats by 20! No way! Gettin' Schooled by Gerald Wallace and Raymond Felton ... You have got to be frickin kidding me!

I was glad to see the Sixers come out in the second half and make a game of it. But they did not hold on down the stretch ... to a team that has lost 4th period leads in their last 3 games. At this point in the season it should never happen.

But after the Nets loss you have to wonder. Some teams you just don't match up. Like the Bobcats ... or is it Larry Brown.

No, No, No ... it's not that complicated. The Sixers blew it. On a nite when the Heat lost to a play off team. They lost to a loser. It seems they are destined to muddle into the playoffs off balance ... against the Orlando Magic ... another team they do not match up well against.

---

Sixers wake up but don't stay awake in loss to Bobcats

Sixers get spanked by the Nets on the road

 

Nets rough up Sixers, 96-67 | Wow ... that was UGLY. The Sixers have managed to lose to the Nets every way possible. They have been swept in four games this season. But the Nets are going no where this season. So I just gonna put this one out of my head. Move on ... who's next ... Charlotte on Tuesday. Let take this one out on Larry Brown.

I think the sun is setting on the A.I. Show

A.I.'s Tarnished Legacy - WSOC Charlotte. I found this article about AI compelling. I have always been a big fan of Iverson, but not an A.I. apologist.

I love the gritty play on the floor, but I could never defend the selfish off the court antics. I would have loved to see him win a championship (in Philly or elsewhere). But now the sun seems to be setting on mighty mouse. Next year, I cannot see any team willing to pay him anything close to his expiring contract or playing him 40+ minutes and 20+ shots a game. And the recent stretch with Detroit has shown that he is unwilling to accept anything less.

So next season, year 14, he will be further from getting that ring. He will be humbled by that reality.  It might get uglier than it has already.

Kinda of a shame really.

76ers clinch playoff berth with win over the Pistons

The 76ers officially clinch playoff berth with win over the Pistons. Winning all 3 games on their latest home stand is just what the doctor ordered for this playoff push.

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon for a game and it was a near capacity crowd. Earlier in the season this looked as if it would be a big game. AI's only game in Philly against the team that eliminated the Sixers playoff run last year. And a game with playoff implications. But it was not to be ... No AI ... the Piston are a shadow of their former selves ... we went to the game anyway. And the Sixers did not let us down.
 
Without Young Thad the power forward position was played by committee. Reggie Evans, the starter, Marshall and Speights all did yeoman's work. Reggie has really improved his free throw shooting this year (he made some clutch free throws late in the game). Which has made him a viable starter.

Iggy imposed his will when needed. Scoring a game high 31 points. He schooled anybody Detroit put on 'em. Herrmann was embarrassed form the outside ... from the inside ... everywhere. Prince did no better. But we were on pins and needles in the fourth period when Andre Miller pulled down his 6th rebound. Wow ... he could get a triple double. He got his 7th the next time down the floor. By now the Sixers had taken control and the game Detroit into a free throw shooting contest. It looked as if he would not make it. But there is was on the last play of the game. Miller was sitting on 9 rebounds. The ball clanked off the rim. Right to Miller and the game buzzer went off. The line - 21 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds ... a triple double. That was pretty cool.

Last Game at the Spectrum - Dr. J Memories

Life without Thad

I was contemplating the lose of Thad Young to injury yesterday. My heart skipped a beat when I heard he went down in the Hawks game. (I was late getting to the game. Arriving at the start of the 2nd period). The Sixers handled the Hawks who play better at home than on the road.

But Thad had become "the guy" the last 8 games of so. Thad was puttin' up 20+ every nite. Thad was the guy gettin' double teamed. He had started making assists off the double teams. Thad was the guy that smoothed out the rough offense patches the Sixers are noted for. I had been embolden about our prospects for the play offs. Perhaps we would not be "one and done" as their detractors quote. The Sixers had Young Thad.

So I wondered ... what would life be like without the young wonder. The Sixers will need to work even harder ... they will have to defend better ... they need to be relentless.

It was appropriate that coach started Reggie Evans against the Bucks last nite. That as the attitude the Sixers needed in this new world order without Thad. And Reggie responded although the rest of the squad did not get the memo. The first half of the Buck game was rocky ... to say the least. Poor defense and turnovers made the Bucks (whom had beat the Lakers the nite before) start believing in themselves. Perhaps, as Tom McGuinness reminded me this was the way all the Bucks games have gone this season. They start out leading the Sixers, but fade away.

What-ever the reason ... the Sixers renewed the faith of the fan base in the second half. They turned it and overcame a lackluster first half to beat the Buck 105-95.

So this is life without Thaddeus Young. A roller-coaster of up's and downs. Get well soon Thaddeus.

Iggy on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon