Game 3 was an utter disappointment to Sixers fans all over the world, yes all ten of us. The Sixers flat-out did not show up defensively, allowing the Celts to shoot a ridiculous 50 percent from the field. While every part of me hated the fact that the Sixers got blown out at home where they were perfect so far this postseason, a little bit of me is optimistic about the blowout. The Sixers for the most part had been playing extremely poorly offensively since about game two of the Chicago series, yet they had been in every game and were finding ways to win without putting the ball in the hoop. The Sixers have the ability to score, they were doing it all year, and maybe this will serve as their wake up call. If you want to win in the playoffs, you need to play well on offense and defense night in and night out. You can’t afford to take nights off, and I think the young 76ers learned that lesson on Wednesday night. With that being said, I expect the Sixers to come out tonight strong. I think the every other day format the Celtics have been playing over the last 2 weeks will take its toll on the old timers and we could see a double-digit win for my Sixers tonight. Thad Young was the lone bright spot for the Sixers Wednesday night, and if he has truly found his game which he hasn’t been able to do since the playoffs began, and that can be a huge advantage going forward in the series. I think the Sixers bench had been their biggest advantage all season, and it had been shortened in the playoffs because quite frankly, Thad and Jodie Meeks had seemed to have checked out. Another positive for the Sixers is that realistically speaking, KG won’t hit every shot like he did the other night. I think Doug Collins can use the last games loss to inspire his team to play well tonight, which is something he has been doing all season. Look for the Sixers to play a strong first half, and to have a 3rd quarter like they had been used to all season where they come out from halftime and out-hustle and out-work the other team. Let’s see a 2-2 series heading to Boston on Monday, Sixers 87 Celtics 74.
Tag: Sixers
Back to Reality
Tonight is the first of three meetings between the Celtics and my beloved 76ers. The Celtics have won 5 straight games and are only a game behind the Sixers, which is surprising that the Sixers are still even in first after the loss of almost all their big men for a while. Here is the thing about the Sixers. They play the good teams tough but don’t have the scorer yet to win them those 1-2 point games. When they play teams that aren’t in the top 5 in the league, they usually demolish them and that is what I am expecting them to do to the Celtics tonight. The Sixers have the number one defense in the league, and the Celtics are lucky to put up 90 points a night, most nights falling somewhere in the mid 80’s. Pair that up with the fact that the Celtics are playing on back to back nights, and I am looking for a 15-20 point beating by my Sixers. Sure the Celtics play some good defense, but honestly I just think they are too slow and old for this Sixers team. I can see the Sixers running up and down the court in transition all day, so look for a large discrepancy in fast break points tonight. Plus the Sixers bench is 100 times better than the Celtics. This game is a power move in the Atlantic. These are the only two teams with a chance of winning it, and it’s questionable to even give the Celtics a chance in my opinion. The Knicks are garbage and so are the rest of the teams in the division, so this game will clearly show who should win the Atlantic. Also, if you are a Celtics fan, prepare yourself for a long couple of weeks. After tonight the Celtics began playing some West teams, starting with the Trailblazers at home but then a West Coast road trip to LA, Golden State, Sacramento and Denver, wrapped up by games at Atlanta, Milwaukee and Philly again…good luck.
Tbows pick- Sixers 102 Celtics 72
When will the Sixers get some respect?
If anyone would have said the Sixers would be 20-9 and 3rd in the Eastern Conference 2 months into the season, you probably would have called them insane. Some of you probably don’t even know the Sixers are that good because they get talked about for about 2 seconds on ESPN only when they show measly highlights from their game, if any. Instead, ESPN would like to spend 20 minutes a day talking about a Blake Griffin dunk that was worth two points in a game that had 100 for each team. Get a grip ESPN. Who cares that much about a dunk, besides Lebron? Not to mention 8 of the top ten plays are dunks during the NBA season which maybe 1 of them should be seeing as guys in the NHL are doing things that require ten times more skill on a nightly basis. These NBA players are all 6’8, I hope they can put the ball in the basket with their hand on the rim. Anyway, the Sixers just got through arguably their toughest stretch of the season and came out of it 4-3. This stretch started with wins against Orlando and Chicago, a loss to the Heat, then wins against the Hawks and Lakers, and back to back losses against the Spurs and Clippers. Not too shabby going up against nothing but the best teams in the NBA for a week and a half straight. They have also done all this without their big man Spencer Hawes who, when healthy, has turned them from a good team to a great team. They are struggling on the boards right now but are still pulling out wins and they need Hawes healthy by playoff time to be a legit contender. Regardless, these guys need some respect. They have by far the deepest bench in the NBA with Lou Williams, Thad Young and Evan Turner. Any given night one of these guys goes for 20+ and most nights two of them will have 20+ points. Instead of talking about these guys who are giving great production night in and night out off the bench in about 25 minutes let’s talk about Jeremy Lin who has had one good game and a couple pretty good games on a team without their two best players which allows him to shoot the ball 20 times. Maybe it’s better nobody is talking about the Sixers. That way come playoff time everyone will be like, “who the hell are these guys, we are going to kill them”, and then be in tears when they get swept. I am also not worried in the slightest by the Celtics right now and the little stretch they are putting together. They still haven’t really beaten any good teams, they beat Chicago but they were without Rose and Hamilton. Unless the C’s make a couple big moves I don’t see them as a contender this year and potentially screwing themselves in the future. They need to break up the Big 3 before it’s too late and they lose them for nearly nothing. Ainge, you got what you wanted, you got your championship now try to put together a good team to win another one.
Sixers vs Wizards
I know everyone is sup
er excited for the most anticipated matchup since Brady vs. Tebow. Yes I am talking about the Philadelphia 76ers and the Washington Wizards. Ok, maybe I will be the only one watching but I figured I’d throw something together. The Sixers routed the Wizards last week in their first preseason game 101 to 79. My boy Lou Williams went off for 19 off the bench and 2nd year forward Evan Turner added 16 points and 7 rebounds (although he did turn it over 5 times). The key to this season for the Sixers to be successful is consistent play from overpaid forward Elton Brand. Once a dominant force in the NBA, Brand has been battered by injuries and finally showed some signs of life last year. If he can stay healthy and productive, the Sixers have a good shot this season.
Tonight the Sixers go against John Wall and his Wizards. The only thing good about the Wizards this year is their new jerseys, and that might be an overstatement. The Sixers are too athletic for the Wizards and I look for them to win pretty easily in this rematch. Forward off the bench Thaddeus Young is going to have a big night, as the big lefty will go for 20+ points in front of the probably dismal Philly crowd. Also look for Lou Williams to contribute with the 3 ball tonight scoring his usual 15. Who knows what Andre Iguodala will do. That guy has been on the trade block every year he’s been in Philly, and it must be hard to play in a city that you know you’re not truly appreciated. He is a great all around player, but that is not what the Sixers need. They need a veteran scorer who can take over a game. I do believe this is Andre’s last year in Philly and the Sixers find a new home for him relatively soon. In the end, Philly wins 96-82 in the Saco Bowl and the Sixers improve to 2-0 in the Preseason (possibly the most wins they have ever had in December).
Tebow's World 