Friday night's game in Philly had a playoff atmosphere. This afternoon, the tail end of the home-and-home series will feature the strategic element of a playoff series. D'Antoni and Collins both saw what these teams had to offer, and they had Saturday to make adjustments. Matchups, splits, brief preview and moderator-free game thread to follow.
Game capsules:
Game 1 (@NYK),
Game 2 (vs. NYK)
Matchups
- PG: Jrue Holiday vs. Raymond Felton
- SG: Jodie Meeks vs. Landry Fields
- SF: Andre Iguodala vs. Danilo Gallinari
- PF: Elton Brand vs. Amare Stoudemire
- C: Spencer Hawes vs. Timofey Mozgov
Splits
As for the preview portion, well, what do we really need to say? We just saw these teams on Friday. It's pretty clear that the Sixers need to encourage New York to play their style of basketball. Push the ball at every opportunity and let D'Antoni figure out why his team isn't capable of getting back on defense. The Sixers have the athletes to play that tempo, they have the playmakers to get the ball to the right guy in transition. Don't walk the ball up the floor. On the defensive end, they need to be more aggressive against the pick-and-roll, don't let Felton get the corner over the screen, and don't give him wide-open looks from three by going under. The bigs need to hedge and recover, or just double him hard. Most important on the defensive end, though, is to keep the Knicks off the offensive glass. Everyone needs to crash the defensive glass, the Sixers don't need leak-outs to get points in transition, they can simply push the ball with the dribble and still get an advantage. No second and third chance points for the Knicks, that has to be the goal.
You probably noticed a change in the starting lineup for the Knicks above, Mozgov was impressive for the Knicks on Friday night. Keeping him off the offensive glass especially needs to be a priority. If Hawes isn't getting it done, Battie or Speights should get early minutes.
I'm hoping for a good scoring game from Jrue. He really hasn't had one in quite a while and it sort of feels like he's being left out of the party. It would be great to see him step up and score 20 or more in a Sixers win, but the win is really the only important part of that equation. A win today, and the Sixers own the tie-breaker over the Knicks, which could be very important. They already locked up the tie-breaker over Charlotte, who is directly below them at 8th in the conference.
Prediction: PHI 108, NYK 100, the Knicks are reeling, I think it stays that way.
The tip is at noon (section 107 if you happen to be in attendance). This is your game thread, I'll actually be at the Garden, so you guys are on your own. Keep it civil (or at least as civil as we usually keep it), and above all, enjoy this Sixers game, which is obviously the most-important sporting event of the day.
So a reported Chandler + Corey Brewer for Melo deal, where Minnesota gets back Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry. I guess the good part about this for Denver is that they don't get stuck with much salary... but that's really nothing. And of course Minnesota would trade a great defender for an eternal project.
Wow they went from Favors + 5 picks to Chandler + 1 pick. I thought Denver won't even sit on the table until both Gallinari and Fields were involved. If New York makes this it would be a major major coup for them. Chandler is just an average player with almost no upside.
The Nets deal was contingent on Carmelo signing an extension in new Jersey which was never going to happen
Finally a game with a decent tip off time for the European time zone :).
This is a key game for the Sixers. This is the kind of game that separates mediocre (or slightly above mediocre) teams from truly solid and dangerous teams.
Keys to the game (in no particular order):
- Keep the Knicks off the offensive glass. They've had problems with this in both of their previous games but they can't afford that again.
- Do a better job on the offensive glass themselves. The Knicks are a bad defensive rebounding team. They need to use that to their advantage (they haven't done that in the past two games).
- Don't settle for jump shots. The Knicks are the best shot blocking team in the league and that sort of scared the Sixers for a while in the last game. For full 2 quarters of the game they weren't getting to the hoop. That is a problem which must not happen again if they are to win this game.
- Bench play. The Sixers have one of the better benches in the NBA and they need to step up against a team with a tight rotation that is relatively weak on the bench.
- Force them to go small. The easiest way to do this is by getting their bigs in foul trouble. With Turiaf out, they only have Stoudemire and Mozgov. Mozgov is fairly foul prone so that shouldn't be too much of a problem.
Are the stats correct?. The Sixers are 7-3 in their last 10 and the Knicks 4-6.
The stats are only for the Knicks last 10 home games and the Sixers last 10 road games. I believe they are correct.
Thanks.
They're actually for the last 10 (home or away) through the most recent Sundays' games. I only get the updates once a week around midnight sunday time and update on monday.
Those splits being listed are as useless as Spencer Hawes. No one game is the same, they are all different, for different reasons. And 10 games being grouped together tells no story at all.
Was anyone at the game on Friday night? It appeared that the Knicks fans were louder than the Sixers fans that night. If anyone attends regularly, is it starting to feel like playoff atmosphere at the WFC, or are the majority of fans still waiting for pitchers and catchers to report?
-Also, great point on guarding Felton. Jrue's gotta pressure him and go over the screen, instead of under leaving him free to bomb away.
-Can't believe Denver would do that deal. Keeping Gallinari and Fields and still getting Melo puts NY in title contention, easily. If Denver follows through with this, they really screwed up.
The knicks fans were definitely more vocal during the first three quarters. I was sitting in the middle of a crowd of them.
Then when the sixers started making their run the knicks fans quieted while the rest of the building began to get frenzied. It was def. like a playoff game.
NY and Melo are running the show. I don't think what they are doing is illegal... but since Melo only wants to be a Knick, he and the Knicks are forcing the issue so that the Knicks get Melo without giving up much. Its a form of collusion, since Melo and the Knicks both want to get him to NY without the Knicks losing anything.
the only reason Melo wants a trade now is to get the extra millions that comes with an extension. While the Knicks would be better served just waiting until this summer and signing him as a FA.
if Melo was actually willing to play somewhere other than NY, then Denver would get a nice return in a trade. But as it stands, they are getting screwed by NY and Melo out of any kind of fair return.
Interesting to see how effective Brand will be with a bigger guy (Mozgov) guarding him. He'll have to try to get some space to shoot the mid-range jumper.
sidenote: pacers own the 8 seed, not the bobcats.
Hope this one is even better than Friday night. Just want to see them try to get early offense by pushing at every opportunity. Just play basketball - screening, cutting, and passing. Less halfcourt sets as possible.
You would think D'Antoni would try something (what?) to stifle Iguodala and his playmaking, so just turn Jrue loose on 'em today. With that said, Jrue has to play a way more smarter game, on both ends, than he even came close to doing on Friday. If Felton isn't hot early, I would keep going under the screen and make him a shooter b/c he and Amare' seem to cause more trouble if he gets the corner on that pick, as Brian said. But hard-hedging or just blitzing the pick would be preferred.
Defense won the game on Friday - let's hope they remember that
In usual set three rows back adjacent to Sixers bench.
McEnroe and Ben Stiller sitting courtside.
I"m glad to see that the Knicks are still allowed to make moving screens
Nice, Doug, Jrue in the post on 1st possession. More of that.
are there as many fans dressed as empty seats there as it appears?
The Knicks realized their mistake from Friday
No one on this team can stop Stoudemire
Keep hitting them w/ the Dre and EB two-man game. Mozgov can't guard that.
Fu... NBA LP. I can't see the sixers!
Two on Iguodala early - that's not good
Shoot, two on Dre already. damn
Well Evan
this is an important spot for you
Spencer - you suck - accept it
Rebounding on the defensive end is important too fellas
This announcer sounds more like a college announcer.
I got both feeds on my LP - check yours - i'm listening to comcast
Yeah, I'm not seeing that option.
Dammit Jrue, don't shoot that that early in the clock.
Better defense please
See that Lou - that's what you do when you draw two players
Good give and go by ET to Hawes there.
Dammit Jrue, with a bad pass.
Another early shot by Jrue, come on. Attack deeper
DRIVE TO THE RIM
these guys suck defensively
I'm enjoying what I've seen from Evan like the last 4 possessions.
He was basically doing his Iggy impression. If only he could shoot.
Yeah, he'd be a pretty good player if he could shoot.
he's shooting better than when the season started and most likely will continue to improve as long as he gets consistent minutes.
Hopefully.
Lets hope during the Summer he takes like 3000 shots a day or something.
3,000 shots a day without working on your shooting form just leads to a reinforcement of a bad shooting form.
It's not the number of shots, it's improving the form and reteaching his muscle memory from the legs up.
That was just a big silly numnber. Ideally he should go for like 1000 makes a day. Fix the shot form and all that jazz.
CSN probably shouldn't hype its ingame live if it's ingame twitter correspondent hasn't posted since new years eve
TAKE THE BALL TO THE RIM.
Down 31-24 after the first quarter
Knicks shooting 59.1, sixers 47.6, and sixers weak on the defensive glass.
Defense fellas, Defense
Pretty bad first quarter, feels fortunate to be only down seven.
1. Fields abusing Turner.
2. When Jrue is tentative he often is the worst player on the court. Yet when he plays confidently he is often the best. Odd.
Are you being sarcastic about your odd comment?
Doing anything without confidence you tend to be pretty bad, and I wonder what sorts of things might affect that confidence
Odd to see that extreme of a difference.
I can't think of many players who go from looking like a borderline All-Star to being a borderline NBA player from night to night.
20 year olds are more likely to be inconsistent - and more likely to be inconsistent when they're coach yo-yo's them as well.
After missing the better part of the second half on friday - how much self confidence you think Jrue had in himself to start this game.
In con's there's the long and the short, one takes a lot more work but has a lot better payoff, ones quicker but pays off less...it's how I view Collins treatment of Jrue - he's playing the short con
Not a good quarter by Jrue at either end.
Why was Tony Battie in the game? The Knicks had no post players in. Bad move by Collins.
Collins had Battie going on when Mozgov was still in game. Mozgov came out during timeout and Collins left Battie in.
No one on the sixers can guard Dino
This is the kind of game Speights could do well in
Call the foul on the knicks ref
Lou Williams inability to defend is not helping...
Sixers need stops. Defense is primary issue.
As it was Friday - as it fueled the comeback on friday
The defense is pathetic at this point
Looked like that was off the Knicks and not EB, still Thad should have shot it after he got in the lane.
Why not take the ball right at Gallo every time to get him to pick up his third?
Let's go Jrue, need a better run here from you.
Didn't the knicks have 40? before that time out?
Fields 3 was ruled a 2.
Thanks, was worried my illness was making me more delusional, plus it's freaking early :)
Comcast didn't say anything
But they hate the knicks wolves nuggets thing
Toney Douglas fall down go boom
Good denial by Thad.
Dre w/ the hard push. Jrue misses another J. O-board.
Shit, turnover at midcourt.
I'm loathe to admit this but the sixers best 5 has Elton Brand at the 5 and Thaddeus Young at the 4
Sixers upping the defensive intensity - leading to good things
Defensive energy has been better the last few possessions.
NY let's up after they get the lead (in classic Sixers fashion), letting the Sixers back into the game.
We need Jrue to get his mojo back.
OK Jrue, just be smart, almost coughed one up there.
Forcing turnovers, Jrue skying for that rebound, Thad drawing the charge.
Defense - why it take so long to show up
Did Clyde just say the Sixers usually don't look to run?
Thad you've been so good about not taking 3's this year - i know it was open but you stink at it
That's not true.
This year thad shoots 26.7 from the 3 - that stinks
This year he's taken 16 - as you're fond of saying, small sample size! In the past two years, league-average shooter.
He shouldn't be taking them...i'd send you to hoopdata to see how thad has improved this year by staying closer to the basket with his shots but I know it would just confuse you.
It was a bad take by thad. He shouldn't be shooting 3's, it's not close to his strength.
I know, I'm too dumb for numbers. Anyway, shooting isn't Thad's strength, but his career eFG% on threes and on non-threes is about the same... and he's really no worse at it than Lou, Iguodala (arguably better than both, actually), better than Turner, and only a couple percentage points worse than Jrue.
Good timeout Doug, we've got the lead back by one. Gather the troops for a strong finish to the quarter/half.
The Narberth playground is a classic venue?
In the mid to late 80s it was a classic POS
Come on Dre, don't even get near him there, he had already released it.
Damn 3 on Iggy is bad. Very bad.
Is Bavetta doing this game again? Jrue got whacked
Wtf? Give Jrue the foul call there! A travel?
Yeah, Evan, way to step into the J. We need you w/ Dre sitting.
It wouldn't even be a game if we got the same calls they do. It's disgusting.
Please drive at that soft Italian and get him his 3rd fall.
Jesus Chris - giving the lead right back with sloppy play
WHo did Felton just swipe that from?
Got 3 on the russian - now get 3 on the Italian.
Wow after replay, that was a phantom foul called on Mozgov. He never touched EB.
Oh dear lord - there's no foul on Stoudemire there
He knocked his own glasses off. Gotta call that every time, lol.
Please learn to rebound better at half time
Not a good ending to the quarter. Gave up 11 in 2 min and change.
Down four. Dre can't come out tentative to start the third. He has to look to stay aggressive on D particularly. Jrue just has to make better decisions esp when to and not to take shots. Pick his spots better.
Sixers are lucky to be this close, let's hope some adjustments at half time work out Douggie. You're the great coach - adjust - remember these guys stink defensively and you have some great drivers.
Prior to this game, Jrue since AI returned (12 games):
11.5 pts/g on 37% shooting
When Iguodala does not play, Jrue scores 19pts/g on 50% shooting
The two need to figure it out.
Some people don't seem to think AI9 is not hindering Jrue and Turner.
My league pass mobile keeps cutting out. How did Turner pick up his third foul?
I really wat to see Turner play the "point forward" position more.
Let's go. Bring this MFer home! No board meltdowns today :)
LOL at Spencer.
Call the foul. They were literally on EB's back.
Amare with the T, it was after his third foul in a row, which they only called one. He fouled Jrue too it appeared on that layup attempt.
You can count on Meeks always running the floor. Way to be in right spot at right time.
We aren't not giving ourselves enought run-out opportunities.
THey get a break. Up 10. sheesh
Whoa, Dre could have been maybe called for a pushoff there. Whew.
Yeah Jrue, keep crouching on him. Good D both times there on potential screen being set.
Knicks hold 25-16 rebounding edge.
And Jrue recovers and packs Felton's shot.
EB!
Ugh, Felton three.
What a setup by Jrue and Spencer is too weak to finish it. ugh
Correction, he was mauled.
Big men can score against the knicks
But Hawes stinks
Where is Speights?
Hawes was fouled viciously from behind across both wirsts...knicks get that call
Yeah Jrue, he is fighting his ass over those screens now.
If they don't want to play defense they have no shot to win
Damn, another 3 by them? Off a decent play by Hawes for once?
Knicks 64%. Sixers did not show up for this one.
Maybe the Knicks will let the Sixers back in this one?
Timeout.
We're getting abused in halfcourt sets and Felton is a hell of a player. ugh
Lou just doesn't appear to know what to really do with a good pick being set, at times.
Get this thing to around 6 at the quarter break.
No basket!!@!
Mozgov and dino in foul trouble - a big man with offensive skills could get some points to go with Brand
If only the sixers had a bench player with offensive skills and some height
Jrue -24 in the last 2 games.
Hawes -15.
No one else -8 or worse.
Mozgov's out, they are small now. Abuse them running and attacking quickly.
Thad boards, and Dre does just that. Getting to the line.
Brand is the anti Blatche right now. That little jumper is automatic right now.
And while I type that he misses one, either way, he is playing great.
Brand can not even get a hand in Amares face on that shot...it's sad
Just get it to 6 or 7, come on.
Lou 3! from about 30 feet. ha
Dre slam!
16-4 run, let's go another quarter left. They don't want any again. heh
Knicks letting up (again.) Poorly coached team, or more the make-up of their players?
I do give some credit to the Sixers.
Dammit come on Thad, don't let them spot up. Run them off the line.
Better quarter to end, but not that beginning and majority. Got the clean that mess up here in the 4th. Had it to 3, but Thad gets caught leaking too far off and gives up a three and pushes it to 6. Well within reach, go get it!
Down six after 3 - poor rebounding still and the knicks are just getting too many open looks...someone has to get in a hand at least high enough to be in amare's face...brand just can't defend him and amare is smoking hot from outside.
Shut down amare in the fourth - and the sixers win
Amare only 1 D board this game.
OK, have to cut into or get the lead w/ Amare sitting.
What a defensive play by Dre. Good hands. Our ball.
An unsurprising start to the fourth
They're small, we're exrra small. Don't let the shoot from deep, make them drive.
SHit. Douglas for another trey!
Back to 12 that damn quick. sheesh
Dre w/ a sweet pass.
Jrue, just settle down. Pick your spots. That was good just slow it a little.
I can't believe I am saying this but I am so sick of Jrue it's unreal. Where was the foul there???
Amare just pushes off and gets a putback. Typical for today.
and on the replay the ref blatantly watched it and stuck his arms out palms up at Thad laying on the floor.
Amare Stoudemire just SHOVED THad to the floor and got no foul
If the refs are allowing that crap the sixers are screwed
Jrue now -16. 4 TO's.
Other than Hawes and Meeks, no other Sixer worse than -5.
We've really been getting hosed appeciably more by the refs today, and I usually don't prefer to go there. But it's just too obvious.
Another foul by the knicks right in front of the refs ignored on turners shot...i hate when the refs influence a game like this
Couldn't tell if he was fouled or was just crazily waving his arms around.
Good anticipation by ET. He throws a late oop to Dre, but he still deposits it!
And Amare may just have had his lightest contact play of the day, yet they call that one a foul.
Amare just did it again to brand on youngs missed free throws - shoving him like a offensive line man
This is pathetic.
Collins needs to get a fine after this game - just to get some attention - the officiating is pathetic
F me. Lou goes for a steal and causes the D to break down. Fields 3. ugh
That should be Stoudemires sixth (or 7th)
One benefit of having big-name stars - you get more friendly officiating.
Which is one of the biggest farces and atrocities in the NBA - there's obviously a double standard in officiating and Stern constantly denies it.
Only thing worse is guys like Bavetta not knowing the game isn't about them
how many times are we going to let fields wide open? don't blame that last one on lou, that was a good gamble. very poor pass. just a step late. id rather have thad stop with the help on a crazy drive by gallo and stick closer to field. awful.
Nope - blame it on Thad (or coaching for not teaching defense better)
Remember on Fri. night immediately after the buzzer Doug was really irate at the ref(s). He stayed on the court jawing at them. The feel good from the win kind of swept it under the rug. He really does need to sound off, if he isn't going to hurt his team by getting a tech.
It's bad enough that we had to beat Bavetta and the Knicks last time but this is a sham. Hard to win a game when playing the other team and the refs.
COme on, got it to seven. Stops!
Well at least Elton wants to win this game...
So does everyone else on the sixers
I wish people would stop with comments like this implying other players 'don't want to win'
Then again, Brands 'defense' on Stoudemire is embarrassing
Year after year after year this team gives up too many damn open looks at 3 - what the hell is going on
Why was ET so out of position there on that Fields 3?
Turner hasn't left his feet to contest a three all game.
Elton Brand hasn't left his feet to contest a Stoudemire shot...all game
yep, leaving fields wide open is just pathetic. id much rather have the knicks throw up crazy wild stupid layups in the lane than dish out to fields with no one on him. how has this not been fixed?
Odd stat:
Amare and Brand combined: 62 pts and only 4 DBoards.
I thought they'd be lucky to go 1-2 this week - so 2-1 is better than that
Can't even enjoy the fantasy basketball benefits i'm getting from 2 of the players in this game (Landry and Amare) since Jrue continues to spiral downward
One more run? This isn't over yet.
Sixers defense can't stop anyone.
Games over
Jrue just has no rhythm on his moves or shots today.
what would be the downside, in theory, of putting Battie or Speights in now and telling him to accidentally hit Amare with a couple of elbows? If they're going to call fouls on every single contact, why not at least make him feel them?
Aside from the fact that it's a pussy move that would draw fines and wrath from the NBA commissioners offense?
Reminds me of of Cheney when the guy broke his arm.
And what do you know, they give the foul to Mozgov instead of Amare's fifth.
And we cheat to the lane again on their pick and roll and Fields is camping out for three. Why help like that much Lou? Just too deep on the help there.
Was our gameplan to leave Fields wide open all game?
9th foul on Amare
And anyone else gets a tech for mocking the refs with push ups.
39pts and 14fouls so far for amare
gota love mvp chants for a guy on a .500 team.
Don't know what to say about this game other than it started it's spiral when Dre picked up his 2nd foul rather early, we shoot our asses off (even w/ Jrue on an off day), yet give them a boatload of looks from deep, and the refs showed hella favoritism to the opponent's 'star'.
They took 27 three's total both games, made 8 on Fri. and 11 today. We lose by 14. They beat us on the boards this and last game too. We didn't run nearly as much this game, and didn't chase them off the line nearly as much as the prior game. If Dre isn't stymied by foul trouble and Jrue knocks down a few shots, we would have been right in this one.
Oh well, at least gives us an idea what the situations may be like in the playoffs.
Is it really an "off day" for Jrue when he's been playing like this every game since Iggy's return except the one triple double game? Seems more like a "typical day."
Yeah, maybe typical, but not in the sense of because of Dre's return. He's been sporadic with and without Dre. He just tended to shine those games out West when Dre was out. I meant "off" only in the context of shooting, and yeah, when you shoot 1-8 that is pretty much an "off" day, not a typical one.
What's most disconcering to me, is he didn't go to the line one time again.
But I wouldn't think it'd be too far fetched to think Jrue is brushing up against a threshold never crossed before concerning minutes played. He's young, but still human. His body has limits too, without mentioning his psyche.
To even say or assume that Andre Iguodala is hindering a near-rookie and rookie after being in the league for a number of years himself is absurd to put it lightly. They have and will adjust to him, not the other way around.
Oh yeah, Ronnie Nunn should be ashamed from the performance of the refs. Disgraceful. Make a tape of how not-to call from that game. No place for it, at least try to hide it or something.
Glad Brian doesn't have to travel far to get home from this one; nothing like your kid creating a smile for ya.
It's not easy to pull down a -19 when the two guys you shared the court most with, Brand an Iggy, managed -7 and -4. Nice game Jrue.
What the hell is Collins doing with Speights? He should be getting 20-25 mpg. This is really my biggest disagreement w/ Collins.
I think Speights is on the shortest of the short leashes on this team.
Video: Brand on the Sixers giving up 117 points in loss to the Knicks:
http://ow.ly/3Rh4n
Video: Iguodala after Sixers are beaten by Knicks:
http://ow.ly/3Rhmb
Holiday admitted he grew frustrated in the second half.
"Yeah, I was frustrated. None of my shots were falling. I was trying to get something easy to get me going."
Asked what was wrong with Holiday, Collins said, “I don’t know. You’d have to ask him."
“I’m not going to take him out because he had two bad games. He just had a triple-double. I’m not going to be an alarmist. This is a man’s game. You’re going to have ups and downs. I’m not going to focus in on what’s wrong or whatever because that just adds to the situation. Keep putting your arm around him, keep talking to him and put him back in. The big thing is to be aggressive.”
“He cares,” said Collins of Holiday showing on-court frustration. “That’s good. The big thing is you don’t let the frustration lead to where it gets you down. We’re not going to let that happen."
ahahahahahahaha twitter = awesome sometimes:
spencerhawes00 Damn @christinaguilara what happened?!? #peakedin8thgrade
2 minutes ago via Twitter for BlackBerry®
SPencer Hawes would be lucky to have 1/10 the equivalent basketball skill as she has singing skill. I don't like her signing or type of music - but she's got pipes.
I like her type of music but I don't think she's very good at it, though she can sing. But, like Anthony Randolph, all that raw ability hasn't translated into very much.
Check out the Mulan soundtrack - she lays down some great stuff
And compared to Fergie, she's like the best singer of all time
Jrue Holiday after the game:
"One thing I pride myself on personally is defense and I think I played defense well today."
Ummm...
MINUS NINETEEN
So maybe we can stop worrying about whether we're "for real." We're a for real .500 team, which isn't so bad when you consider that our point guard is 20 years old, we have no center and our best one-on-one scorer is Lou Williams.
They're for real mediocre - but I don't think they'll end with more than 36 wins this season...
Holiday: "I play defense well. I stayed in front of my man. Defensively, I thought I was good. Offensively, I just didn’t have it today."
Asked if he's wearing down, he said, "I’m good. I feel fine. I think everyone has games when they’re not so good, offensively."