 Keep The Streak Going In my preview of the second half, I had tonight's game against the Pacers as a loss. Actually, I had the Sixers sputtering out of the gates after the All Star Break, this being the first of a string of three consecutive losses. After the jump we'll take a look at how the Sixers can avoid this fate and keep momentum on their side as they push for the #4 seed in the East.
 You can pretty much throw the numbers above out the window. How these teams have performed against the rest of the league doesn't really matter when they're already faced off three times this season. Let's take a look at the numbers from those games alone, and see what the Sixers need to keep up, improve upon and eliminate to take the season series 3-1 from Indiana.  The thing that kills me about these games, I mean absolutely makes me grind me teeth to powder, is the abysmal percentages the Sixers have shot against one of the worst defenses in the league. They haven't touched a .440 eFG in the first three meetings and that's wholly unacceptable. They've won two of the three thanks to taking excellent care of the ball, getting to the line a ton and also keeping Indiana off the offensive glass. They need to keep those trends going and a hit some shots. If the Sixers don't score 110 points tonight, they should consider their offensive effort a failure. We don't need to talk about defending the three, do we? In the three games, Indy has made 27 threee, the Sixers have attempted 28. Now, here's the big question. Why have the Pacers stymied the Sixers offense? Which of course leads us to, how can the Sixers put an end to it? This is probably an over-simplified answer, but I'll go with it anyway, the zone defense. Jim O'Brien has dared the Sixers to beat the Pacers with jumpers, and one occasion, they couldn't do it. I'm going to go back to my favorite play for this team against the zone, let's hope we see a heavy dose of it. Both bigs (no matter who they are) down on the baseline, ball in the middle of the floor. Dribble to right wing, short pass, the zone sucks out to cover both guys on the overloaded wing, Speights flashes to the foul line for an easy catch. Either a wide-open jumper from there, a nice dump down to Sammy for a dunk, or if the defense over-reacts, a kick out to one of the wings for an open three. Keep in mind when you're watching tonight that you don't beat a zone by dribbling, you beat it by passing and moving without the ball. Feel free to yell at the screen along with me whenever Lou Williams dribbles the ball for more than 3 seconds in the half court against the zone. It will happen. Tip is at 7 p.m. I'll be here so join me if you're watching, or listening, or following along on game cast. Let's get the nominal second half kicked off with a W. Daniels, Foster and Dunleavy are all listed as day-to-day. Check out Arin It Out for your Pacers' fix. 
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So VC for McGrady, you guys like the deal for Houston?
Sure - why not - on the court vince stays healthy and probably brings as much as t-mac most nights - off the court it's a suck ass trade - but i think morey has to be bold to try and save his job
It would help Houston greatly if one of their "stars" could stay on the friggin floor.
Philly feed for the game, I think that's twice in a row. Must be a record.
Miller takes Ford to the blocks early. Like it, go back to it.
10-2 start. Horrible.
They just look dead out there. Getting beat down the floor, careless turnovers. Dalembert's getting worked on the boards. Need to wake up.
Getting beat down the floor - now that is one thing that should never happen to these guys.
It looks like they're trying to convince Stefanski to trade Miller by Thursday.
28-18 after one. I'm not pleased.
This is some ass kicking.
Nice little run to cut it to 14, ugh.
somehow i think we all knew this would happen tonight
Iguodala woke up, just in time apparently. Granger should've gotten a tech by now.
Damnit. Lou completely screwed up that final minute, i'll have something about it in the post game. Down 11 at the half.
He has been more negative than positive this season. His shooting percentages have been woeful and he keeps dribbling the ball way too much without doing anything with it.
bucks up big in detroit early. hopefully they can hang on.
If Stuckey's play doesn't go back to where it was he was getting his first starts, that team is sunk.
Iguodala is taking this game over, or at least trying to.
Oh, man. I have to see video of that Thad dunk. 8 dimes for Iggy.
That's more like it.
Granger's a bitch.
The refs have completely swallowed their whistles.
Damn if only we could put Speights out there. Need to score badly.
At least the Sixers look like they are keeping their TOs under control still. Those 20+ TO games early in the year were painful.
These refs have been horrible both ways, but you can't lose your composure like this. This was a win-able game halfway through the quarter, all the sudden they're down 18 heading into the fourth. Get your head back in it.
I'd like to know how many teams have won games shooting 37.7%.
Not many. Correction, down 17 heading into the fourth.
Especially when the team isn't shooting any 3s.
Oh, they're shooting them. Just not making any.
I think I jinx this team, they won 3 in a row when I was away.
I missed the first, but it looks like dalembert is killing us right now. His hands look awful, and court awareness. Miller's j wasn't dropping and Willie the Abyss showing why he deserves to be getting splinters in his ass.
Let's see if they can get it together in the fourth.
The first was miserable, you didn't miss a thing.
I think this game shows that Speights is our only scoring option off the bench.
Lou will score, it just takes him about 10 shots to get 10 points. Speights looked bad in his stint early, two lazy fouls and a brick. Not sure we'll see him again tonight.
If a run is coming, it has to come now. Down 12, 6 and change to go. Evans is playing well, other than bricked wide-open layups.
Reggie made 2 free throws?
Reggie's been money from the line tonight.
Willie getting 4th quarter minutes angers me so much.
You and me both. Is Iguodala in there?
Oh my god. Reggie makes 2 free throws... then Willie does the same?
Little known Willie Green fact, he is a 70% free throw shooter. That is terrible.
And now Willie with a lay up. Did I mention how much I like Willie Green?
Heh, just wait a second and he'll brick a wide-open three for you.
Ivey for Willie. Come on DiLeo, make the change.
How do the Sixers who have five days to mentally prepare for this game come out so flat? This is yet another sign of a immature team. Also, despite winning two of three against Indy, i belive the Pacers are evenly matched against the Sixers. They have the sharp-shooters we lack.
They obviously didn't spend five days mentally preparing. They spent 5 days relaxing. Same thing happened last year, almost exactly.
Hate it when they miss a three and get the rebound, it's like a free 3-point attempt, and this to one of the better shooting teams in the league.
Now Lou is trying to see how many threes he can miss on one trip. Thad hasn't given up, that's a good sign.
Lou, you are dead to me.
Marshall for Evans at this point? Ugh. Lou with another bricked three. This is just sad.
Sure would like to have that Willie missed dunk, Evans missed wide open layup and Thad's point blank put-back right about now.
Should have given Marshall a shot earlier in the game. If Speights is going to have his minutes reduced when he plays poorly why doesn't the same apply for Lou when he plays even worse?
They're saying tonight was an ankle injury for Speights, but the question holds. If I'm stefanski, I'm making calls to see if Lou has any value.
I'm with you Alvin. Speights has been punished it seems for poor play this year. Lou needs to be treated the same way. I think a DNP-CD or 3 is in order personally.
And I think Marshall has something to offer this team as well on some nights.
That jam by Marshall should've counted. Insult to injury.