Got stuck at work late and didn’t have time to do a pregame. But I will be active in the comments during the game. Join me in discussing how the first game without Thad progresses.
I will say I am a bit worried about this game…
Sixers vs. Bucks Game Notes – after the game
I was a bit worried for this game. First game without Thad. Detroit game and AI’s return looming. And a Bucks squad that is depleted but still playing extremely hard every night. Well for one half the Sixers confirmed that concern trailing by 9 at halftime and playing absolutely no defense and turning the ball over at a high rate.
Good thing the second half was a completely different story. The Sixers outscored the Bucks 55-36. And the most important number is 36. They settled in defensively and really shut the Bucks down that entire half. Their defense and superior rebounding (44-28) lead to transition baskets (21) coasted down the stretch to an easy win.
Random Thoughts
- Ramon Sessions looks really good. I though his vision and passing ability in the half court was very strong. If he can continue to develop as a shooter and keeps playing defense he will be a very good all-around point guard.
- Reggie started off hot scoring 9 of his season high 13 in the first…
- Then Speights (27 minutes) and Lou (31 minutes) picked up the rest of the scoring load the rest of the game. Those guys combined for 35 points on 13-19 shooting, 8-10 from the line and only 2 turnovers. That’s what it will take for the Sixers to stay afloat in these last few regular season games and at the start of the playoffs.
- Miller’s numbers are good 18, 11, 5 on 7-11 shooting and 4-4 from the line, but 8 turnovers? Sessions got his hands a few balls and really forced Miller into an uncharacteristically high turnover night.
- The Sixers won this game at the line. 32-43 is ridiculous. The Bucks couldn’t defend without fouling and the Sixers just kept on attacking.
- Donyell Marshall – 16 minutes and 7 boards. He was hot offensively but made up for it in other areas. I would need to see something like that against a team like Detroit or Cleveland to determine if he can have an impact on the boards. If he can that is just another reason for Dileo to find him minutes.
Sole possession of 5th place. Can they hold it?
Next Game: Saturday afternoon against the Pistons and a very disgruntled Allen Iverson. And I will be comfortably in the box to watch that before the Final Four starts.
Reggie making an impact on the first possession
REGGIE EVANS scoring machine. And he got Jefferson out of the game with his 2nd foul in less than 5 minutes.
Reggie’s first quarter play has been the only high note of this entire game. If they find a way to mess this up, I will be dissapointed. Miami has all but given them the 5th spot and they can’t seem to take advantage of it.
DEFENSE where is it? Where did it go? The Bucks are shooting 56%.
They turned it up a notch, good TEAM win, everybody did something tonight.
lou and mo speights stepped it up in the second half. I am happy to see that. Miller had a rough game turnover wise but hey it’s going to happen. good win against a team we should’ve beat. Now lets take care of the pistons on saturday. what kind of reception will AI get coming off the bench?
I hope AI gets cheered every time he scores. The atmosphere should be awesome. Last time he was in Philly, it was a great game. We should be looking for the same type of game.
Saturday’s game is huge. We need a win and AI comes back. Can’t wait, I’m thinking about going down.
Good game. (but it was freakin’ Milwaukee, calm down Zack) suede’s right, everyone contributed. Lou looked good in only forcing one or two shots. (hello, it was Milwaukee) I think you have the new Thad-less rotation – Evans and Marshall do the Willie/Lou playing time split. Marshall led the team with a plus/minus of +22 in an insane 16 minutes of playing time (against an NBA team whose best player today was Malik Allen… but go ‘Nova go); it makes me wonder what the record for highest plus/minus per minute is. Also: 7 rebounds in those 16 minutes, compared with Evans’ 7 rebounds in 26 minutes.
I’ll go ahead and say it – they looked pretty good without that Young fella. What if what happened last year happens this year: Korver out, Young in –> more wins; Young out, Marshall in –> more wins. Did you guys see that outlet pass to Lou at mid-court, and then the pass to a streaking Iggy for the dunk? Pretty basketball. I want more Donyell! (yes, yes, more Donyell and his wonderfully svelte physique, he’s about 10 cheeseburgers away from Oliver Miller-size shorts; hmmm… what’s the record for heaviest guy ever to make a three-pointer in an NBA game)
So how do the Sixers get better without Thad? (they don’t, please stop typing) Going Thad-less makes the Sixers a more balanced team. (the more you type, the more I think you have a mental imbalance) They lose youth but gain more basketball savvy. They lose Thad’s speed at the PF position and his shotmaking. But Marshall gives you deadly precision from three-point land, rebounding, solid post defense, more beautiful outlet passes, and most important, a bball IQ increase. (he’s from Reading and when he had to choose between the Eagles and Steelers he chose Steelers… hmmm… 6 Super Bowls to zero Super Bowls – yeah, that’s actually pretty smart)
I hope Iverson misses every shot he takes. Why would you cheer for the other team thats trying to beat you? AI is long gone
Agreed Johnny, why would you ever cheer for the opposition, if I were there I would boo his ass every time he touched the ball. For a small window I actually thought it maybe a good idea to try to bring him back but obviously he has not changed a bit in his old age. In Detroit’s last game he was so upset about his PT he actually removed his jersey when he was on the bench, and wouldn’t put it back on until he was put back in the game. We all dealt and cheered for him when he was a Sixer, but on the outside looking in I think I have lost all respect for him.
Can’t say it was a “good” win last night but it was a win, a much needed one at that. They need to really take advantage of this opportunity and start pulling away from Miami. I know Atlanta is no easy task, but we have given them all they can handle and won 2 out of 3 this year, and dominated them at home in the first half of the first meeting.
I hope A.I. plays alot against us because his team seems to play better when he doesn!t play.
Dileo should be making these guys watch tape of Nova’s defense.
Sloppy first half,but I am grateful for the win and to pull half-a-game ahead of Miami for the first time. Our depth as well as our toughness on the road, will make the difference in obtaining the 5th seed (4th spot flickering slightly) FOR GOOD!!
Donyell Marshall is SAVVY. He may have made one three pointer, but the other attempts were great looks as well. But his rebounding and his veteran smarts can really help this team. Against Atlanta, it was Theo Ratliff. Yesterday, it is Donyell Marshall. Ratliff and Marshall are PLAYOFF material!!
Perhaps, Speights is at his best when he plays alongside his mentors (Marshall, Ratliff, and Brand) and appears to be better on both ends of the floor due to better communication between Speights and one of those mentors!! (Kind of like Chiu Fu and Po the Panda, I’m kidding there!)
Sure, we may not be able to play like Thad or score like him. But our bench is deep and filled with some savy vets that can make the difference in obtaining that 5th seed and win those tough road games.
Reggie Evans appears to be learning a lot from Jeff Ruland. He is starting to make his layups and convert those putbacks. Also, Evans is not afraid of taking and making free throws. That helps tremendously. He is also PLAYOFF material!!
Andre Miller fixed his mistakes, but 8 turnovers, that would cost a team a lot more than Arby’s. He righted all wrongs by being more aggressive to the hoop scoring 18 points on 7-11 shooting, while dishing out 11 assists.
Best moment of the game: Marshall giving the Sixers their first block of the game and then making the outlet pass to Miller who makes a half-court pass to Iggy for the jam. TIC-TAC-TOE offense at its best!! We looked like a real team there and I hope we can execute more of those in traffic!
The Heat play the Bobcats in Charlotte tonight and then play the Wizards at Washington tomorrow. The Wizards beat the Cavaliers twice and “might” be regaining some confidence now that Arenas and Haywood are back to join Jamison and Butler.
GO SIXERS!! BEAT THE PISTONS ON ESPN!!
Expect Evans to continue starting at power forward, regardless of the matchups.
Dannie: I am very happy you have finally turned over to the dark side: being a fan of Ramon Session’s game, particularly his ability to run a half court set and have great court vision.
Rob: Most definitely the first time I have heard a Chui Fu and Po the Panda reference on any basketball column or blog in my life haha. Kudos.
Suede: I wouldn’t want AI’s team to beat us ever, but I always root for every AI shot to go in. Even if it’s against us. He was a Sixer for 10 years, one of our all time greats, and in my personal life, two playoff games I attended under the Brown-AI era in Philly were the two most raucous, raudy sports crowds I have ever heard live in my entire life (with the exception of the ’93 Phillies World Series 15-14 loss against the Blue Jays).
I’ve heard three columnists talk about how AI would be a great fit in Charlotte under Brown, and with that team full of hardworking defensive specialists, and versatile offensive passers. And I agree with them, and think it would be a great place for him to end his career.
Donyell Marshall: His play should come as a surprise to none of us. He has done this at EVERY stop in his NBA career. When team’s don’t play him, and then are forced to throw him in the lineup due to injury or a benching, he has done nothing but light it up from the outside, and bring a measure of toughness, rebounding, and good veteran passing to the offensive end. I really, really hope him and Ratliff are back next year for the same vet minimum contracts.
My perfect world scenario for tomorrow’s game would be Allen Iverson scoring 30 points, BUT the Sixers WIN, just like last year’s great game against the Nuggets, which my mother and I went to. It was a great game environment and I wish we have large crowds regardless of the opponent!! This team works hard and plays hard often. My only bet would be, if the Sixers advance past the first round (possibly against Atlanta), then we would probably get some larger crowds. Our crowds in the playoffs last season were disappointing, despite selling gas for $0.76/gallon and promoting the team.
Somehow, we have to find a way to get those crowds once again and once again demonstrate to opponents how tough it is to win at the Wachovia Center. Iverson really brought those crowds, but only winning and maturation can really help us.
GO SIXERS!! BEAT THE PISTONS!! SHOW THE PHILLY SUPPORT YOU’RE WORTH A DAMN!!!
Well there goes all the Allen Iverson hype! He’s out for the season and maybe the playoffs. What a bummer! Let’s just go ahead and make the assumption that next time we face Allen Iverson, it will not be with the Pistons. But we still have to come out tomorrow and beat the Pistons to keep our fifth seed. I will be confident going up against the Hawks in the first round, but the more I think about it, the more I really don’t want to play the Celtics or Magic.
Funny that Pistons are shutting Iverson down after he complained that he only got 18 minutes in Tuesday’s loss to the Cavs.
Guest – Who would you want t o play if not the Celtics or Magic? Cleveland?
I actually think A.I. shut himself down more so then the Pistons shutting him down. His comments were clear. I rather retire than do this (come off the bench) again. I think most just assumed he meant after this season, but whose to say he didn’t also mean effective immediately?
Dannie I agree, AI probably said that he didnt want to play if he had to come off the bench.
If I had to pick out of the top 3, I would easily choose the C’s. They barely made it to the finals to beat L.A. LeBron is way too SICK, and Orlando shoots the 3 too well (which we can’t defend in a series)
Dannie,
A couple weeks ago I was playing the Devil’s Advocate saying that we might have a better chance against the Magic rather than the Hawks.
I said this because of the Hawks impressive home record and an impressive series last year against the Celtics. I was saying that we have played well against the Magic, and although we don’t match up with their 3 point shooting, we have an obvious quickness advantage. Something we don’t have against the Hawks. ( By the way I would definitely want to play the Hawks instead of the Magic I was just trying to spark some conversation.)
But since then, a couple things have happened:
-The Magic have moved into close contention for the 2nd overall playoff seed.
-We had an impressive win against the Hawks to win the season series 2-1.
-The Hawks have shown they are clearly struggling and can not win a meaningful road game.
My comment above was stated in a bad way on my part. It’s more of me wanting to play the Hawks, rather than me not wanting to play the C’s, Cavs, or Magic. I originally thought the Hawks would give us problems since we didn’t have much of an advantage as far as fast break points, but the success against them this year has proven me wrong.
Orlando looks like a serious Finals contender right now. They destroyed Cleveland today. With their shooting ability for me it was all about when Howard decided or got to the point where he dominated the game the way young Shaq did. If he goes crazy in the playoffs they can get to the Finals.
I think the Sixers could beat the Hawks, but less so because of their home court advantage. I think the Hawks are sleep walking right now. They played some strong basketball this season and if they do so in the playoffs I don’t think the Sixers can get through them. If they do I just think the top 3 teams are way too good for the Sixers this year.
True. The top 3 in the East are in the top 4 in the league. Unbeatable in a seven game series if your the Sixers. But the Hawks are deserving of the four seed considering they have improved a ton (record wise) since last year. I still think we outplayed them all 3 times this year which is why I feel so confident matched up with them. The first goal of course, is to get the 5th seed. With the Sixers’ inconsistency, it’s tough to say whether we even hold on to it. It should come down to the last couple games.
By the Way, did anyone see that article on ESPN.com where Marc Stein reported that David Stern might consider switching the NBA’s Playoff system? Marc reported that they might switch it to the D-League’s system where the top 3 teams in each division, get to choose who they play in the first round. For instance this year, the Cavs would get the first choice, the Celtics would get the second choice, and the Magic would get the third. And the Hawks would get the left over team. Very interesting stuff. He also said that the Cavs would probably pick the Sixers. Here’s the article:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dime-090328-29
Dannie do you think they would have no shot of beating the Celts in a 7 game? I for one think they could bump out the Hawks and have a chance at the Celts if it were the matchup, even with them having home court. Neither would be an easy task but both would be far from impossible. Cavs and Magic I would chalk up to a loss from the beginning, but I really don’t see the Hawks being that dominate and the Celtics arent the same team as last year no matter what thier record or stats say.
Marvin Williams is as valuable to them as Thad is to us so we can!t discount him being out, it really affects their bench. I want the Celts if we have to play one of the big three; Sixers/Celts, how can we want it any other way. We will miss Thad bigtime against Detroit with their tall wings today.
Note to Morty, Like finding “grey in silver lining”? I like finding reality amid the rotating fantasies that arrive concurrent with player spurts.
Young’s a nice talent, runs and jumps, shows an opportunistic knack, will probably develop into an all-star someday - – but he’s not there yet. There’s ballhandling, passing, rebounding, defense and decision-making to consider beyond dropping the orange in the crate. If you wanna ride the current ”Thad is tremendous” mythwagon, there’s an empty seat. I like to save my gushing for the truly gushworthy. And do I feintly hear the ”Lou Williams is wonderful” drumbeat coming up the street again?