After playing three halves of what was entirely unrecognizable as Sixers defensive basketball, Philly's spine finally showed up in a big way for the second half tonight against the Miami Heat. Unfortunately, the hole they dug for themselves was way too deep and they couldn't help but shoot themselves in the foot a couple of times late in the game. (
game capsule)
Here's your rotation chart. Note the first half, then the second half:
Let's go with bullets, and start with the plays that just broke the Sixers' back:
- With 3 seconds left in the first half, with the Sixers getting absolutely abused, Mario Chalmers calmly walked the ball up to the three point line and drained a three while Jrue stood several feet away watching him. Everyone in the building knew Chalmers was going to launch the three, he didn't have time to do anything else, and Jrue just completely lost focus.
- Lou going 1/3 from the line at the end of the third quarter. If he hits all three of those, they carry a tremendous amount of momentum into the fourth and cut the lead to 11.
- Turner missing two freebies with 1:52 left. If he hits both of those, it's a four-point game.
- With 28 seconds left, Lou hit a layup to bring the Sixers within 4 points. Doug Collins risked a stroke yelling for Andre Iguodala to foul LeBron in the back court to conserve time and lengthen the game. Iguodala either didn't hear him, or chose to ignore him. The result was an 8-second violation which should've given the Sixers the ball with 20 seconds left. Instead, the refs missed the blatant call, LeBron was fouled and he put the game away by sinking two free throws.
- With about 6 minutes left and the Sixers down by six, they scrambled for a steal, with Brand tipping an entry pass into the middle of the floor. Meeks was poised to collect the ball and initiate the break when he slipped. Mario Chalmers picked it up, went to the hole and scored. That four-point swing was a killer
- Jrue has had some stinkers this season, tonight was right up there near the top of the list. He scored 5 points on his first 5 shots. He scored 2 points on his last 11 shots, and those two points came on a shot the entire crowd yelled at him to take. Defensively, he was very good in the third quarter, but he didn't see the floor in the final 15 minutes of the game.
- Jodie Meeks provided a huge boost late in the fourth. He scored 7 points, assisted on another hoop and grabbed a big offensive rebound.
- This is the first time I can remember when Andre Iguodala had back-to-back poor defensive games. LeBron is the best player on the planet, so it's somewhat understandable, but Iguodala failed to make LeBron take lower percentage shots. He needs to bounce back tomorrow night against Luol Deng
- Lou and Thad combined to shoot 8/25 from the floor for 20 points. Thad made a huge impact on the defensive end, including some sick one-on-one defense on Chris Bosh and a nice chase-down block on Norris Cole. More importantly, Thad was on the floor after every single loose ball in the second half. I wish Vucevic and Allen would just watch tape of how Thad hustles over and over again. It's truly a pleasure to see a guy sell out like that.
- 7/14 from the free throw line isn't going to cut it from a percentage standpoint, and it isn't going to cut from a volume standpoint. Part of this is on the Sixers, they don't often seek out contact, but tonight, the Sixers were going to the hole much more frequently than usual. They were getting contact, they just weren't getting the whistles. Honestly, the problem wasn't so much the refs going against the Sixers, it was that the refs were allowing physical play on the interior, the Heat were taking advantage of it by being physical in challenging shots, and the Sixers were way too soft on the inside.
That's all I've got. Lace 'em up tomorrow night and pick up right where you left off. Chicago is not a team to be taken lightly, even without Derrick Rose.
Player of The Game: Evan Turner, again. Turner started slowly on the offensive end, hitting only 3 of his first 8 from the floor, but when the Sixers were coming back, it was on Turner's back. He finished the night with a pedestrian 13 points on 13 shots and five turnovers, but he did something perhaps more meaningful in this game. He got in Dwyane Wade's head. Wade scored 12 points on 16 shots. He only got to thing one time and missed both. He turned the ball over four times, and all of that was a direct result of Turner's defense. Late in the game, after Turner hit a big hoop in Wade's face, Wade used some salty language when the two exchanged words. Turner held Wade scoreless in the fourth quarter, after Wade scored 17 in the fourth on the Bulls the other night. It was one game, one matchup, but Turner was certainly up to the challenge, on both ends, against one of the game's best.
Team Record: 25-19
Up Next: @ Los Bulls, tomorrow night. CHI lost to the Blazers tonight
Jrue's Goal: Big fail tonight. 0 FTA, 2 turnovers. (3-13-2 since inception)
Game thread/preview combo coming in the afternoon tomorrow for the Bulls game.
Thad would've been my potg.
Totally agree on the hustle bit. Thad and Brand really laid it out on the court in the second half. There was this one play where both of them scrambled to the ground and the ball ended up with Meeks hitting a three. Vucevic and Lavoy seem either unwilling or unable to match the hustle/intensity of Thad and Brand.
I thought Turner looked rather passive offensively until late in the fourth. I love the fact that he pissed Wade off. He played good D. It was not surprising that he missed both at the line. His free throw shooting needs to improve, especially since we need him to keep attacking the basket, and he seems the most apt (apart from Lou) at getting there.
I thought Vuce scored a couple of baskets inside near the end of the third that sparked the comeback. Amazing what these easy hoops inside can do, especially with the utter failure at converting them in the first half.
Holiday continues to be a concern. I was very let down by the 3 he let Chalmers hit, and his offensive play in general. Defensively he's still solid, but he just has to keep hustling like Thad out there. Jrue seems to let his head drop if things are not going well, and his standard of play drops a lot when he's in that mood.
Iggy was solid I feel. LeBron is LeBron and without a defensive presence in the paint to help out it was always gonna be tough trying to keep James in check. At least he didn't score 30+.
really thought they were gonna pull it out at the end. oh well though, gotta put it behind and win tomorrow.
i really really like the way turner is playing now too i can't wait to see how intense he'll be come playoff time.
Also, if the front office doesn't do something about our big man situation this offseason i'm going to be soo pissed off. That HAS to be priority #1.
Next to Garnett, I think that Wade is the biggest punk in the NBA. No class. I still remember at the end of that Knicks game, when the Heat were up 12 with less than a minute to go, Wade had the ball on the wing on a semi-break against Lin (who had a horrible game), and Wade wanted to punish Lin...instead of showing some class, Wade drove HARD to the cup, and Lin stripped him - which was beautiful.
Wade looks to break his opponents...or, if he gets beat, he just wants to break your nose (sorry, Kobe). He tried to fuck with Jrue every chance he got last season...it's just the way he rolls. I am SO happy that Turner didn't back down - he stood up to the bully and said, no, fuck YOU.
Now, Evan just has to remember to bring that attitude EVERY night - for 48 minutes.
I don't think I'll ever forget when he drove in to dunk at the end of Game 5 last season.
The epitome of class.
Thank you...I will NEVER forgot that punkass dunk in the 4th.
no more mullet
http://www.csnphilly.com/blog/sixers-talk/post/Source-Sixers-buyout-Nocionis-contract?blockID=671594&feedID=704&awid=6625139408709983980-711
Shit. I thought Collins might start him again :)
GRRRR so many chances for them to have taken over that game in the second half, to put up that kind of a comeback against the best team in the conference...one of the best and worst losses all year at the same time...
couldn't post it here but i tweeted and you can check the timestamp, that as soon as the sixers cut the deficit to 7 with 7 mins left and miami took that timeout, that goddamn 10-9-8-76ers song ABSOLUTELY killed the rally just like it did in the Bulls and Clipper games, and they didn't cut any more off the lead until the very end...STOP PLAYING THAT SONG LATE!
hey Brian, any chance if there's ever time to look at it, you could check out if there was a switch on coverage for LeBron sometime in the second Q? Seem to remember him having something like 14 of the Heat's 28 points after one, with a bunch coming while Wade was out, and then 20+ at the half...but getting damn near shut down until the end...was that all AI9 the whole time?
Game story (with Iguodala video): Sixers again overcome by Heat:
http://www.phillyburbs.com/sports/sixers/sixers-again-can-t-stand-heat/article_8842ecac-fab6-5177-811f-842db168b8f9.html
Not to be a pessimist- but the Heat crushed the Sixers in the 1st half, and clearly let up in the second. I think the first half was a whole lot more meaningful than the fact that the Sixers were able to make a run after they were already down about 30 points.
Not a big surprise that the Sixers showed some pride after being crushed in the 1st half, or that the Heat would let up a bit. It is hard to maintain your intensity when you are up by so much.
It's true, but when you are up by 30 and then with 12 to play you are up by 10 the game restart, you reset your concentration, your intensity, your hustle... and nevertheless the sixers were able to go down 4 with two freebies in their hands.... and then lebron....
It's actually quite the opposite. Their thirty point margin doesn't do them a damn bit of good when it's whittled down to four or six in the last few minutes of a game and it's basically a game of chance: who's going to make more shots? It very nearly was the Sixers.
During the playoff turner was abused by wade on defense; tonight he played very good defense. I hope this isn't only one night but it will be the trend for his whole career
Two things stand out to me after the game:
1. The Heat are just a terrible matchup for the Sixers. The NBA is usually a game of matchups come playoff time and they should do everything possible to avoid the Heat at any stage og the playoffs.
2. What happened after having the longest break of the season? Instead of resting they came back and played three halves of basketball with no energy whatsoever. In the first half last night they were standing around, they weren't moving and they weren't hustling. I know the HEat are in their head at this point but the energy level in unacceptable.
Would you guys consider it a successful year for the Sixers if they lose in six games to the pacers in the first round or five games to Orlando ?
What are you going to do when they end up with the 3 seed?
nope.2nd round or bust
Hell to the no, it'd just be continuity. Ten or so years worth though.
turner's missed free throws, as excruciating as they were, would only have made it a 4 point game as they were down 6 at the time according to my memory and ESPN's game log.
yea, I was confused about that as well. Haslem missed two free throws on the other end and I think ET scored another bucket to get it within 4.
Also Wade followed it up immediately with 2 missed free throws of his own, so it washed.
Yeah, you're right. It would've cut it to 4.
Blog: Thorn: Sixers agree to 'mutual' buyout of Nocioni's contract:
http://www.phillyburbs.com/blogs/sports_columnists/tom_moore/thorn-team-agrees-to-buyout-with-nocioni/article_4566b0bc-d564-508d-8ccd-72e3c5ab0f33.html
About time...
Is DRose definitely not playing tonight? It's about time we steal one if so.
You mean like the heat 'stole' one from the Bulls when Rose was unavailable?
The bulls have big men who don't suck - the sixers don't have good big men who can defend - rose available or not it's a tough match up for the sixers.
Before last night the bulls were 8-3 without Rose. The bulls are not a 'one player team' and people should not think of them that way
^ conveniently ignoring that that one player has the season high points in a game vs the Sixers this year, doesn't he?
I didn't say it would be easy, hence the usage of "steal." Didn't Portland just have a pretty easy time with the sans DRose squad?
Apparently Doug Collins thinks we have a better shot at this one than last night, that's why he saved Hawes for tonight. That's what Cooney said at least.
And the knicks beat the blazers by 40+ points, what does the transitive property have to do with things...the blazers had the 'new coach bounce' going for em last night, probably put forth more energy and focus last night then they have in a while while waiting for Nate to get fired.
As for whether or not D Rose has his season high against the sixers, the bulls are a good team without him is what I said...and the sixers spent a lot of energy in the second half losing to the heat, not like the starters got a lot of rest...and it's a back to back which in general means Elton won't be as useful as he usually is (and he's really not that useful this year - curious when people start pointing out how over paid elton is compared to his performance)
Brand is like a lame racehorse; everyone sort of gets that it's pointless to rant him. just endure the duration of the contract. Andre Iguodala on the other hand is prime rib eye steak.
One game. One win. It's not too much to ask.
Dont care how good of a team the Bulls are, when you don't have Derrick Rose, you don't have your best player, FTA leader, offensive focal point or whatever he already does for them. Take care of business.
The Bulls are extremely tough either way, but to imply it's not a good, hell, GREAT, thing that DRose is out is just stupid.
Who implied it's not a good thing? I don't think anyone did - I think the point was to think the bulls aren't still a good team without derrick rose is foolish