Monthly Archive  April 2012

 
 

GM 54: RAPID REACTS

Posted by: Tom Sunnergren
04/04/12 10:09 pm EST
Toronto Raptors 99 FinalRecap | Box Score 78 Philadelphia 76ers
Elton Brand, PF 35 MIN | 9-15 FG | 2-2 FT | 4 REB | 3 AST | 20 PTS | -8He shot lights out in the first half, then wandered around in the dark after that.  Like everybody on the Sixers.
Andre Iguodala, SF 36 MIN | 2-6 FG | 2-2 FT | 4 REB | 6 AST | 6 PTS | -11It was gutsy of him to play after suffering a scary “eye contusion” at the hand of Mario Chalmers not 24 hours before.  It might have been better for the Sixers if he hadn’t.  After a scoreless but five assist first half, he tossed the rec specs he was sporting.  He went on to score a whopping four points in the second.
Spencer Hawes, C 25 MIN | 5-9 FG | 0-0 FT | 9 REB | 2 AST | 10 PTS | -9He was great in the first half, getting vertical for a pair of nice dunks and more than handling his own on the glass, then disappeared after the break.
Evan Turner, SG 26 MIN | 2-10 FG | 0-0 FT | 3 REB | 2 AST | 4 PTS | -13For a while, Turner looked pouty as he was the only Sixer not stroking it.  Fortunately for his mood, the rest of the team came down to his level.
Jrue Holiday, PG 33 MIN | 9-14 FG | 1-2 FT | 3 REB | 5 AST | 20 PTS | -12He was great before the break and dreadful after it.  If it seems like I’m repeating myself here, it’s because I am.  While the ENTIRE team shot the daylights out of the ball in the first 24 and slumped badly after, Jrue was the poster child of the trend.  He was a perfect 8-of-8 for 17 points in the initial half, and followed that up by going 1-of-6.
Lou Williams, PG 22 MIN | 4-10 FG | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 2 AST | 9 PTS | -10Not much to report here.  On a night the Sixers could have used the punch Lou often provides off the bench, the guard was punchless.
Thaddeus Young, F 29 MIN | 2-7 FG | 2-2 FT | 3 REB | 2 AST | 6 PTS | -13See: Williams, Lou
Jodie Meeks, G 26 MIN | 1-5 FG | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 1 AST | 3 PTS | -15Since his 31-point outburst, Meeks has been dreadful.  Do something man.  Anything.
Lavoy Allen, PF 3 MIN | 0-1 FG | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 0 AST | 0 PTS | -7Nothing to say here.
Nikola Vucevic, C 3 MIN | 0-2 FG | 0-0 FT | 2 REB | 0 AST | 0 PTS | -7Even less here.

After the Jump, Six Things We Saw


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BIGGER LOSS THAN YOU THINK

Posted by: Tim Parker
04/04/12 1:40 pm EST

Anytime, the Sixers play the Darth Vader of the NBA, otherwise known as the Miami Heat, it is a huge game.  But on Tuesday night, the 76ers trip to South Beach was about much more than facing the Evil Empire of the south.  Last night’s loss could be a determining factor in how the 2011-2012 story of the Philadelphia 76ers will end.

After watching their division lead slip away to the Celtics, the Sixers now have to grind their way back to the top or face the inevitability of being a 7 or 8 seed in the East.  Although many will claim the defeat in Miami was a foregone conclusion prior to tip off on Tuesday night, if you look closer, you’ll see importance of last night’s game, because if the Sixers would have pulled off the upset in Miami, they could have set themselves up for a final push to take back the Atlantic crown.


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GM 53: RAPID REACTS

Posted by: Tom Sunnergren
04/04/12 12:26 am EST
Philadelphia 76ers 93 FinalRecap | Box Score 99 Miami Heat
Elton Brand, PF 31 MIN | 1-6 FG | 6-6 FT | 6 REB | 2 AST | 8 PTS | -11

Not a great effort from the veteran.  He struggled from the floor and, again, couldn’t do much to stop Chris Bosh.
Andre Iguodala, SF 26 MIN | 5-7 FG | 0-0 FT | 5 REB | 1 AST | 11 PTS | -9

Iguodala was in the midst of a solid, if unspectacular, performance when Mario Chamlers swiped for a ball he was holding late in the third, missed, and caught him in the left eye.  It was a scary moment he didn’t return from, but Iguodala looks to be fine.  They’re calling it an “eye contusion.” We’ll put this one in the Reasons We Prefer Watching Sports to Playing Them category.
(Oh, and as for Iguodala’s importance on defense: With AI9 out of the game, LeBron scored 15 in the final period.)
Spencer Hawes, C 33 MIN | 5-9 FG | 2-2 FT | 5 REB | 2 AST | 12 PTS | -9

He had a few second quarter dunks and played a strong fourth, but since returning from injury, Spence looks more like the guy he was the first four seasons of his career than the one he was in January.  Not surprising, but still a disappointing development.
Evan Turner, SG 40 MIN | 12-19 FG | 2-3 FT | 8 REB | 1 AST | 26 PTS | -2

A very encouraging performance from Turner.  He rode a brilliant second quarter–11 points on 5-of-7 shooting–to one of his best nights of the season.  It was his second straight great performance against Miami.  Something about the big stage seems to invigorate him, which is, obviously, exciting.
Jrue Holiday, PG 32 MIN | 4-11 FG | 0-0 FT | 2 REB | 6 AST | 8 PTS | -13

One of those nights that makes me wonder what everybody, myself included, sees in him.  He looked indecisive, and went 1-of-6 from the floor for two points in the second half.
Lou Williams, PG 30 MIN | 6-17 FG | 4-6 FT | 5 REB | 5 AST | 18 PTS | +4

Some nights your shot is falling, some night’s it isn’t.  Lou Williams shoots regardless.
Thaddeus Young, F 32 MIN | 4-10 FG | 0-0 FT | 7 REB | 1 AST | 8 PTS | +5

If the Sixers had gotten “Good Thad” instead of the guy who showed up on Tuesday, it might have made all the difference.  Though he heated up, comparatively, in the second half, Thad struggled early to insinuate himself into the action.
Jodie Meeks, G 17 MIN | 1-4 FG | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 0 AST | 2 PTS | +5

Blech.

After the Jump, Six things We Saw Tonight


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PINCHED CHEEKS

Posted by: Tom Sunnergren
04/03/12 3:14 pm EST

In the context of modern professional athletics, there are vanishingly few exchanges that don’t involve the treatment of head injuries that can be called, honestly, unjust.

“Sports” is a series of games that, in the interpretation that grants it the greatest possible importance, amounts to a business that succeeds or fails, like most ventures, on the basis of its ability to efficiently distribute income from the middle classes to the already fabulously wealthy. So short of Franks Red Hot, nothing stirs up my indigestion worse than reading middle-aged, out of touch, sense of proportion-less hacks spout histrionics about this or that miscarriage of justice that sullied the dignity of this or that playing field.

This said, it’s an absolute travesty that Mo Cheeks didn’t make the Hall of Fame.


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THE FINAL 14

Posted by: Philadunkia
04/01/12 9:00 pm EST

The win over Atlanta on Saturday night brought the 76ers record to 29-23, which currently has them sitting in 2nd place in the Atlantic Division — one game behind the Boston Celtics.  The 7-6 are 4-4 in their last eight games and they have not won two in a row since early March.  Collins & Co. are 9-14 since Valentine’s Day and 9-9 since the All-Star break. 

To say that the Sixers have been hard to figure out of late is an understatement.  But here at Philadunkia.com we’re going to give it the old college try and attempt to predict what kind of results this roller coaster team will produce over the last fourteen games of the season.

If you have been watching the Sixers over the last two months, you realize that this is no easy task. 

After the jump, here we go…

 
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