Let's say the karmic basketball gods gave the Sixers this one in return for the Devin Harris game and move on. If not for the monster run the team put together late in the fourth quarter, this game would've been a loss, a tragic, back-breaking loss. I'm still trying to figure out how the Sixers allowed Memphis to shoot 56.4% from the floor. I'm trying to figure out how Marc Gasol and Mike Conley both went off for career highs. I watched every second, and I really can't answer either question. After the jump we'll take a quick look at this
close win.
It's getting late, so I'll give you my game notes in bullet format:
How they won:
- Thad + Miller = 18 rebounds, 10 offensive
- Iguodala: 17 points in the second half, 12 in the fourth quarter.
- Lou: 10 points in the fourth
- Fast Break Points: 30
- Turnovers: 9 committed, 17 caused
- Three-Point Defense: 3/10 from deep for Memphis.
- Philly Bench: 15/24, 36 points
- Theo: 23 minutes of action, season high 10 points on 5/5 shooting.
Why they should've lost:- Free Throws: 19/30 from the line (63%)
- Defense: 44/78 from the field for Memphis. 64 points in the paint.
- Defensive Rebounding: 11 offensive rebounds for Memphis (only grabbed 67.5% of available rebounds)
- Reggie Evans: +/- of -9 in 4 minutes of action.
We can go with the whole karma excuse for why they were able to pull it out at the end, or we can chalk the first 40 or so minutes up to the rust accumulated over the long stretch of dormancy. A win is a win is a win, especially on a night when both Detroit and Miami lost.
All week we've been hearing about potential shake-ups in the rotation, concentration on defense, shooting coaches etc. On the floor tonight, we saw extended minutes for Ratliff, at the expense of Evans' minutes. Speights played 15, his season average. Lou didn't have his minutes cut at all, but he really played a good game, so that's actually a good thing. Overall, I sure didn't see more defensive intensity, although they rarely left three-point shooters open (I only counted 3 wide-open looks, all were makes). Maybe this is the learning curve. They made an adjustment to limit threes and the Grizzlies were able to take advantage in other areas.
No matter what, though. The team needs to realize that tonight was a game they should've lost, and a game they had no business losing. Tomorrow night, in OKC, they need to turn in a much better effort.
Player of The Game: I have to go with Lou, just because it's been so long since he was even a consideration for the award.
Team Record: 30-30 (.500 again!)
Up Next: Tomorrow night, in OKC at 7:00 p.m. Check out
After the Lightning for all your Thunder needs.
64 points in the paint??!!
You're right Brian, it's been a while since Lou had a good game. Even though Miller was the one keeping us in it in the first 36 minutes and Iggy was the one that brought it home, Lou's positive contribution was the difference between an L and a W tonight.
Hope he can get his act together the rest of the way.
Brian,
For sure the Sixers didn't play their best game but as Iguodala said after the game sometimes the best win is to win ugly because they definitely have things to improve. I don't know what to call it but to be 1-11 from 3 point range and for Lou to hit a big 3 to put them up by 4 with 2:30 left and Iguodala to hit a 3 with 50 seconds left to put them up by 7 was huge. This is the kind of big shots they have been missing all year so hopefully its a preview of things to come. By the way did Lou's work with the shooting coach payoff this week ? He was 7-12 and I don't what happened but his jump shot all of a sudden looks silky smooth.
It's easy to forget that Lou used to do this all the time last season. He'd take over games, offensively, for stretches in the fourth. Let's hope this was the beginning of an upswing for him.