GM 21: RAPID REACTS

Posted by: Tom Sunnergren
12/10/12 10:35 pm EST
Detroit Pistons 97 FinalRecap | Box Score 104 Philadelphia 76ers
Lavoy Allen, PF 17 MIN | 2-5 FG | 0-0 FT | 5 REB | 0 AST | 4 PTS | +16

Allen, who’s sneakily been a force on the boards of late (he had 43 in his last five games coming in) continued his strong interior play on Monday; grabbing five rebounds with a pair of blocks in limited minutes.
Thaddeus Young, PF 37 MIN | 9-13 FG | 2-6 FT | 4 REB | 1 AST | 20 PTS | +9

Though in the digital age there are surely better options available, in a pinch, you could set your watch to Thad Young.  Despite banging with bigger bodies night in and night out (insert your own joke about your college roommate), Young’s been the most consistent Sixer in the season’s first 21 games. He was awesome on Monday.  His eight third quarter points were, almost invariably, of the “Piston Rally Quashing” kind.
Evan Turner, SF 40 MIN | 8-13 FG | 1-2 FT | 11 REB | 7 AST | 18 PTS | +7

The “Evan Turner is getting better” narrative continues to gain steam.  Turner isn’t really great at anything, which is unfortunate, because it obscures the fact that he’s pretty good at everything.  The jack of all trades posted an 18/11/7 line against a single turnover.  Ants are specialists.  ET is a basketball player.
Jrue Holiday, PG 37 MIN | 11-20 FG | 2-4 FT | 5 REB | 8 AST | 25 PTS | +8

Jrue rebounded from a slow start to play what might have been his best half of the season in the second frame, scoring 21 after the break — including 12 in the fourth — to keep the Sixers afloat when they sprang leaks.
Jason Richardson, SG 36 MIN | 4-11 FG | 3-4 FT | 7 REB | 1 AST | 13 PTS | +9

This is what Jason Richardson does.  Pair of threes?  Check.  YMCA/playground/general backyard style veteraness?  Check.  Weird that he’s, up to this point, arguably been the biggest difference maker of all the players that traded hands on August 10. (This is almost certainly not true.  Still.)
Dorell Wright, SF 18 MIN | 1-2 FG | 1-2 FT | 4 REB | 2 AST | 3 PTS | 0

Doug Collins: Give Dorell Wright more minutes. Seriously.
Spencer Hawes, C 32 MIN | 7-14 FG | 1-2 FT | 8 REB | 2 AST | 15 PTS | -8

The last time Spencer Hawes was not terrible was on November 18, so his not being terrible tonight was a very pleasant surprise.  And the jump shot he hit in the waning seconds of the third quarter to reclaim the lead for the Sixers: very pleasant indeed.
Nick Young, SG 18 MIN | 1-2 FG | 1-2 FT | 1 REB | 1 AST | 3 PTS | -3

Swaggy, back in action, was unusually passive tonight.  It was kind of…nice?

After the Jump, (7)6 Things We Saw


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GM 66: RAPID REACTS

Posted by: Tom Sunnergren
04/26/12 11:22 pm EST
Philadelphia 76ers 86 FinalRecap | Box Score 108 Detroit Pistons
Lavoy Allen, PF 31 MIN | 2-6 FG | 2-2 FT | 9 REB | 0 AST | 6 PTS | -6For the second straight game, the rook did yeoman’s work on the glass, pulling down nine boards against a decent Detroit frontcourt. After starting the season ranked last in the Association in ESPN.com’s NBA player ratings, Allen had a freshman campaign he can build on.
Craig Brackins, SF 33 MIN | 4-12 FG | 0-0 FT | 6 REB | 3 AST | 10 PTS | -21Brackins showed flashes, but for the most part reminded us why he was demoted to the D-League. Efficiency is the new buzz word in the league. It’s, unfortunately, not a word invoked a lot when describing Brackins.
Spencer Hawes, C 26 MIN | 8-13 FG | 0-0 FT | 7 REB | 1 AST | 16 PTS | -15A really nice playoff warm up for Spence, who looks all the way back from his Achilles troubles. It was also an impressive capstone to what was, missed games notwithstanding, the best overall season of his young career. Dude made himself some money in 2012.
Jodie Meeks, G 32 MIN | 5-14 FG | 5-6 FT | 1 REB | 4 AST | 15 PTS | -4How do you solve a problem like Jodie Meeks? Though he showed more of an all-around game tonight than he does on most evenings, the former-Wildcat continues to live and die by the 3-pointer. It’s an arrangement that leaves him, more often than not, dead.
Evan Turner, SG 32 MIN | 4-10 FG | 2-2 FT | 4 REB | 6 AST | 10 PTS | -22Evan Turner made headlines in the last 24 hours when he suggested the Bulls were a better matchup for the 7-6 than the Heat. On Thursday, he played like he was angling for the 8-seed, which is to say, apathetically.
Tony Battie, C 13 MIN | 1-3 FG | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 3 AST | 2 PTS | -8Battie attempted a 3-pointer at one point, his first of the season. I just stared at the screen for four minutes, and that’s the only thing I could think to write about him.
Sam Young, SF 27 MIN | 4-9 FG | 1-2 FT | 4 REB | 2 AST | 12 PTS | -15His eye evidently healed, Young had a productive evening.
(Fitting, isn’t it, that  a Sixers team that’s made me want to gouge my eyes out at times these last two months has had a spate of eye injuries.)
Xavier Silas, G 20 MIN | 2-10 FG | 2-2 FT | 3 REB | 2 AST | 6 PTS | -4Dr. J’s godson struggled in 20 minutes of floor time, but it is nice to see that nepotism is alive and well in the NBA.
Nikola Vucevic, C 27 MIN | 4-10 FG | 1-2 FT | 12 REB | 0 AST | 9 PTS | -15Big Nic grabbed seven offensive rebounds, and though many were of the “Oh, a loose ball just ricocheted directly into my hands, I think i’ll catch it” variety, it was a good end to a (mostly) good rookie season.

After the Jump, Six Things We Saw


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