On paper, the Sixers have absolutely no shot to win this game tonight. But on the hardwood...yeah, pretty much the same thing. It'll be a miracle if the Celts don't win by 20+ points. Preview and game thread after the jump.
If you've been living in a cave, you may no know Allen Iverson will miss the game with an arthritic knee. Word on the street is Eddie Jordan will go with this starting lineup:
- Jrue Holiday
- Willie Green
- Andre Iguodala
- Thad Young
- Sam Dalembert
Coach Eddie Jordan didn't want to
throw Elton Brand a bone disturb the harmony and effort he's seen from the small lineup over the past two games, so he eschewed the traditional big lineup for a smaller version. As an added bonus, Willie Green is set to play 40 minutes, which will most likely end well.
The marquee matchup is Iguodala on Pierce. Pierce has taken a lesser role in the offense this season, but he's absolutely shooting the lights out (48% FG, 44% 3PT). The two have had a nice back-and-forth in their mathcups in recent years. Pierce torched Thad twice already this season. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on those two, but the highlight for me is Rondo vs. Jrue.
Jrue's time as a starter seems to be drawing to a close. Lou Williams will apparently follow in Marreese Speights' footsteps and be rushed back several weeks early from an injury. Eddie Jordan pointed to the Washington game on Tuesday as his potential return date. Not only are Jrue's minutes drying up in the near future, but Rondo vs. Jrue could be the best defensive PG matchup in the league for the next decade.
Jrue has shut down Monta Ellis, Russell Westbrook, Mo Williams and Delonte West in his past three starts, and shut them down in spectacular fashion. Rondo is the type of player you can absolutely take out of a game, his hole is his jumper (and free throws), and I'm sure Jrue will do everything he can to expose the hole. Inducing 18-foot jumpers out of Rondo is a defensive win, go under screens, etc. Keeping him out of the paint is your primary objective.
I'm expecting Boston to dominate us on the glass and rain threes pretty much all night long. The small lineup doesn't create too many mismatches Boston will exploit with their starting lineup. Garnett is unselfish to a fault, always has been, so I doubt we'll see him on the blocks much with Thad guarding him. Perkins isn't much of a threat on the offense end either. I expect those two will the bulk of their damage on the glass.
The offensive matchup I like is Thad being covered by Kevin Garnett. The Big Ticket still talks quite a game, but his body just doesn't allow him to back it up to the same degree. His secondary numbers are down across the board, he's a step slower and I do believe Thad can burn him with his quickness. Of course, Thad would probably have the same advantage on Paul Pierce on that end, not that it matters.
It looks like Speights will play after dinging his injured knee in practice yesterday, meaning the Celtics' bench advantage has gown from monumental to merely gigantic. Sheed is actually having a sub-par year, but he torched the Sixers on pick-and-pop situations earlier, and the Sixers have a nasty habit of breaking guys out of their shooting slumps. Interested in seeing how Jrue handles the down screens Boston runs for Eddie House when he gets into the game as well.
The Sixers competed against the Cavs. They didn't win, but they did compete. I think they'll need to do more than that tonight against the Celts to even keep the game close, but it is possible. More than the final score, though, I'll be soaking in Jrue's minutes and keeping track of the battles within the game.
Key to the Game: Let's go with the old standbyes of rebounding and three-point defense until the Sixers actually play a solid game in both areas.
If ____________ the Sixers will win: Brian Scalabrine doesn't get off the bench.
This is your game thread, I'm going to have to watch tonight's game on DVR, so keep it focused and somewhat clean in there, guys.
Despite the weather, he field trip is on for tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you guys there.
If ____________ the Sixers will win: Willie Green hits 27/27 out of his FG attempts
I am glad Marreese is playing because otherwise Elton would be out at the 3 pt. line chasing Sheed. Hopefully Elton gets 30 minutes minimum tonight.
what do you guys think, start speights or lawson in fantasy tonight? sounds like speights will play but lawson will get minutes with billups out
Factor in opponents as well though - how is lawson going to do against chris paul compared to the amount of offensive he'll bring against the rest of the hornets defense.
If Lawson is starting i'd go with lawson over speights
for some reason it says anthony carter is starting, but i'm sure lawson will still play like 30 min. i feel like speights will either not play as much or be less effective after aggravating his injury
dammit. Looks like I'm getting the Boston feed tonight.
TOMMY POINT
I'll take tracking Jrue tonight offensively. Pass to Dalembert in transition for an alley oop.
dammit, Dre. unnecessary jumper there.
Picks Rondo clean, layup blocked by Garnett, 0/1 from field. Wish he would have kicked it.
WHAT A STEAL BY HOLIDAY, but then try to much for the layup...but damn holiday is too good on defense hahaha
Wide open three in transition off the pass. Miss, 0/2.
fuckin willie STAY WITH YOUR MAN his name is RAY ALLEN goddamnit
Dammit green stay with allen, does a tip count as a rebound? if so did holiday miss two shots in that last possesion?
One Willie Special already, He's guarding Ray Allen. Jrue attacks the hoop, can't finish. 0/3
move the damn ball
I hate when holiday takes unnecessary quick shots like that...
Transition three. Bad shot by Jrue, I don't like his start at all. 0/4.
Boston broadcaster said "dalembert's a good shotblocker, you have to either step away from him or go by him" that's exactly what you should do if you want your shot to get sent back to the 3rd row. Gotta go right at the body.
the Sixers need to start their offensive sets earlier. This crap passing the ball around the perimeter isn't helping their cause at all. Add that to the fact that the play you run is a postup for Dalembert and you get a wasted possession and a forced shot by Iguodala.
Tough reverse lay-up that he tried to spin in over Perkins. Would have liked a kic. 0/5 and our offense sucks right now.
Iguo missing everything, willie taking bad shots and jrue missing everything
EB needs to come in. now.
Jordan sucks. That is all.
Brand, Speights combo is in but with ivey and green?!?!?!
can't fault the Sixers for putting in Ivey, Holiday hasn't looked good at all so far. The depth that this team has is sad right now.
yeah holliday has force it in the offensive end
Thad and Sam getting killed on the boards. And here comes EB and Speights. I'd tell them to take Willie out but to have Iguodala at the 2 and Young at the 3 is preposterous -_-
Brand, Speights and Ivey in. Too bad that Willie is too. He's already taken two bad jumpers and had a defensive lapse.
EB has Williams on him. Scored on his first touch ride him. Willie for three, down 5.
nice block by willie
That call may have been good, but Pierce never is called for a block in the Garden.
0 fouls on Boston in the first, shows that we're jacking jumpers. Down 24-17 after one, it could have been worse.
getting killed on the boards 20-10 after 1, shocking
Cavs vs Bucks on ESPN, I think lebron is going go off..I hope jennings scores a lot too so it can be a little close
i don't know the bucks play pretty solid D
EB: 2pts/1blk/1to in 2mins
holiday did force rondo into 3 TOs and just 2 points at least
a kapono sighting!
I like this lineup haven't seen it before, ivey and holiday are the best guard defender our best offensive bigs and kapono the shooter
Jrue back in, Kapono him and Ivey are the 1-3 now. Speights goes at Sheed. Good. If Speights and Brand our the bench bigs, they can do damage against Shelden and Sheed.
neither brand or speights are going to stop sheed
yeah brand's too short and speights too green. but when the guards can't stop Tony Allen from waltzing into the lane we have a problem
Holiday playing like a 19 year old
Turnover going baseline and leaving his feet. Sub with his third foul. Real tough start for the rook, hope he doesn't get discouraged.
EB's got it going on, 3/3 for 6. He's probably touched it 5 times as well. Come on guys that's a mismatch.
FUCKIN dalembert everytime he grabs and O board he takes a quick shot
refs have a vendetta with sheed tonight
Hahahahaha Sheed ejected hahahahahahahhaah. That's why I love Sheed man, hahahahah. All during a commercial break.
does anyone knows if we trade brand and dalembert would we have enough to offer a maximum contract?
What's the point? As long as we have Eddie Jordan as coach and Willie playing 30 mins a game we will be insignificant.
we'd have to take back an obscene amount of money to make that work, since both brand & sam make so much, so unless it's an expiring contract probably not
T-MACCCCCCCCCCCCCC dooooo it.
I think the blazers and rockets would like a big but I dont know how it can be done with the players. T mac is earning a lot so for only one of those players it can't be done, I hope something happens
i'm sure the sixers have offered both for Tmac, and daryl morey laughed in stefanski's face. houston has like $20 mill coming off the books this summer in mcgrady so why would they trade him?
The Celts have a crazy amount of attitude that involves complaining for calls, but that swagger gives them an identity.
Complaining about calls isn't swagger
The celtics have a defensive startegy that involves committing fouls almost the entire game and instead of calling it the refs let them get away with it, hence people think they are 'good' defensively but it's just a case of bad officiating and why people think the NBA is 'rigged'
Iguodala bouncing the air out of the ball...the game is gettin away from us
So the Raptors are currently doubling up on the Nets, 70-35. I think that would be a record in scoring margin as measured by ratio if it held.
I think Iggy is pounding the ball a little too much, but this is his first game since Iverson came back as the main playmaker with the ball in his hands a lot.
EB is really the only person who has played a positive basketball game so far. Maybe Thad a little too.
The contract for the 50G "will be paid in a 50 year margin"
This has been a gigantic ass-kicking on the boards tonight unbelievable.
Speights is a step slow and rusty, but he's still pretty aggressive and good. The FT shooting has been bad to start tonight though.
Down 11 at the half. I may need to give up my computer, but this could have been a lot worse. Speights and Brand have kept it as close as it is.
Don't get too down on EJ everyone, sure hes a terrible coach with dreadful rotations and a complete disregard for defense...but...we have a lot to look forward to. Jordan will probably be getting his braces off soon...you don't want to miss that now do you?
A Dalambert/Brand/Speights/Young/Igoudala lineup would be interesting.
Willie with 3 fouls!
keep penetrating green
BRAND. How is this guy not a starter?
also him coming of the bench has being better for him, Brian should do a post about the numbers by minutes brand has put coming of the bench and as a starter
That's not an excuse to not start him. We stink at the beginning of both halves because Brand is on the bench, and we're always forced to play catch-up.
we started the 3rd quarter on a run without brand, it was like a 8-0 run without brand in the 3rd quarter
we were winning that quarter 12-8 before brand came in
the rest of the league is laughing at Brand not starting. every time he comes in the game changes. we definitely have the worst coach, maybe in history.
Sometimes great players come of the bench and is for the best..ex. jason terry, manu ginobli,aaron mckie, and it goes on and on the best 5 players don't have to be in the starting lineup
Yeah but they end up getting 35 minutes. When's the last time Brand has?
did any of those players have 6 career 20/10 seasons?
damn, nice pass by green speights miss
more 20ft jumpers willie please
they have done about 1000x better on the boards this half
YESSS tieee
how many fouls does EB have
5. Fuck.
that's 5 on brand. gotta keep him in though. let's see if they can find a new way to blow this game, or if willie will just take 3 horrible shots in the final 2 minutes. i'm guessing this is where pierce takes over.
5 point play = a good start
brand 24 and 7 rebounds , Speights 14 points and 10 rebounds
2 O boards from FT's that can be had on the NBA... FUCKKK
haha he takes out brand, in comes sam. sam promptly fouls rondo, then doesn't box out garnett on the foul shot & allen hits a 3. 5 point play!!!
that was a smart substitution they were going on defense, dalembert is a better defender and brand has 5 fouls,
I love Willie Green's awesome defense on the 3 point shot after the foul miss!
looks clean to me
YESSSSS DALA damnnnn hes playing like an MVP on this last few minutes
what a shot andre
I wanna see how the coach loses it in the last 2 minutes.
We've been in every game at the end and somehow he always finds a way...
I'll give him credit, he subbed Brand in for Young, and Brand got the putback off the Speights miss.
iguodala def has the goofiest celebrations in the league
I thought he was hurt. Shot like that has to be hard on the ribs
there's my terrible jumper by willie
what do you guys think here, ray allen for 3?
complete BS call on speights
Make up call
BRANDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
brand really bailed them out there. awesome play call by jordan as usual
YESSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!! FUCK FUCK FUCK YESSSSSSSSSSSS
WE BEAT THE CELTICS!!!!
fucking awesome win!!!
we never win these kind of games...
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Did you notice that the coach left IA9, Holiday and Green in most of the 2nd half? Maybe, just maybe, he is learning.
Brand. Brand. Brand.
THAT is what happens when you play defense.
Even though he got stripped, I love that Holiday drove the ball late.
Imagine what this team could do if they had a coach....
Yes, just imagine. So sad we don't have a coach.
this is the really sad thing. If Stefanksi would fire Jordan today, the Sixers would make the playoffs, not a doubt in my mind. They're only 4 games behind Charlotte, and Charlotte is garbage.
Some very good positives also at the end:
1. Thad defended Ray Allen tough after the game.
2. Brand got the put back.
3. AI9 played very good defense on the last play.
4. Good overall good team win!
I was saying on twitter that Call on Garnett was BS. If the Sixers ever deserved to win a game it was this one. How fitting that out much maligned PF tipped in the winning shot against a tough rebounding team. Unreal.
Without doubt it was a phantom call. but what do you expect in Boston? The refs do everything they can to help the Celtics win.
i'm just astounded by brand and speights's numbers. 23 pts and 8 boards for brand in 26 minutes. 17 pts and 10 boards for speights in 22 minutes.
those per minute numbers are just plain ridiculous.
i feel bad for the celtics though. they lost to a team that played willie green for 45.5 minutes!
those numbers are insane. Start both of 'em.
A team that has enough talent to beat a streaking Boston in Boston while not actually playing very well and being hamstrung by their own Coach...
Mixed emotions indeed.
Finally, a close win! Over the (or 2nd) best team in the NBA to boot! Hey, Eddie Jordan, see what happens when you play Elton Brand? Um, good things.
Wow, can't believe we overcame the rebounding and that call on KG late tonight. Absolutely brutal. Great job by EB, Speights, and Iggy down the stretch. Man, we actually defended alright tonight too.
Great win. We NEVER win those games, good to see it finally happen.
Maybe it's the mustache...
That wasn't really Eddie Jordan tonight, that was his twin brother Teddie.
I'll let you figure out which one's the evil twin.
Lol.
Hey guys, just got back from the game, absolutely awesome! I'll write more later maybe, but I just wanted to share one anecdote for now that you all will relate to. With 7.7 seconds left and the Sixers up by 1, my and friend and I (both Sixer fans) were wondering what the Celtics were going to get. My friend joked, "I just hope it's a contested 3" (meaning that we were both expecting a wide open 3 by Ray Allen). Lo and behold, Iguodala played great defense on Pierce, didn't go for the fake handoff, and forced a tough jumper. And when the rebound went long, right to Ray Allen? I was sure the ball was going in (it's the type of shot we've seen hit against the Sixers time and again the last two years) ... but they finally caught a break and it missed. My friend and I got to walk out of the stadium supremely satisfied to be in the midst of 18 thousand disappointed Celtics fans, two bitter Sixers fans who could be happy for at least one night.
must have been awesome getting to see the sixers win in boston. and yea, i'm sure every philly fan watching that game was expecting allen's shot to drop through the net.
I was actually praying it was after the buzzer when it left his hand, because I was positive it was dropping.