Sixers Can't Overcome Willie Green

Before we get into tonight's game, take a quick look at a prediction I made after the Sixers last game. I'm not calling myself a savant, I'm just saying it was obvious that Mo Cheeks would take Willie Green's garbage-time production on Sunday night as a sign that he needed to be moved up in the rotation, it was plain as day. Green was the the second man off the bench tonight. He started the second quarter and on his first 3 touches he turned the ball over once and missed 2 horrible shots. A 1-point Sixers lead quickly turned into a 5-point deficit before the boos started raining down on Green and Cheeks got him out of there.

OK, tragedy averted, right? Wrong. After sitting out the third quarter, Green again started the fourth quarter. A 3-point lead for the Wizards ballooned to 12 before Cheeks got Green out of there this time, and the hole was too deep for the Sixers to dig out of. They lost the game 92-85 to the Wizards. By the time Green was lifted from the game the 150 people in attendance at the Wachovia Center were booing every time he touched the ball.

The silver lining: With this loss the Sixers still have a chance at reaching 65 losses. All they have to do is lose the remaining 29 games on their schedule after the All Star break. No Sixers will take part in the festivities. Iguodala had a rough night from the field, 3 for 15, but played his usual all-around game, finishing with 14 points, 13 assists and 8 rebounds. Samuel Dalembert is your player of the game, he owned the glass to the tune of 17 rebounds (8 offensive) and chipped in with 11 points.