Recap: Sixers beat Pistons, clinch playoffs

by Jordan Sams on Apr 4, 2009 4:01 PM PDT in Philadelphia 76ers Recaps

Guys, it's official -- the Philadelphia 76ers are playoff bound. Today the Pistons came in to Wachovia Center, fighting equally as hard for their playoff lives. The game was close throughout, with the Pistons actually leading for most of the game. But the Sixers were able to do what they have done best in the past month or so -- keep the game within striking distance for three quarters, and as Zumoff would say, "lock all windows and doors" in the fourth.

During their current three-game winning streak, the Sixers have outscored their opponents 21-16, 25-16 and 27-16 in the fourth and final quarter. It doesn't get much better than that. The Sixers stellar fourth quarters can be accredited to: defense, energy, and good substitutions.

It feels great to get win number 40, clinch a playoff berth, maintain our slight lead for the fifth seed, and leave the door open for the fourth seed.

Let's go Wizards and Magic!

Click through for "Likes" and "Dislikes".

Things I liked:

Andre Iguodala's in-transition, behind-the-back, reserve layup.
Three Miller-to-Iguodala Alley-oops.
An electric (generous) crowd for a couple minutes at the end, after being pretty quiet for most of the game.
DiLeo's substitution of Reggie Evans for M16 with 2:02 remaining in the game. It was a game-saving substitution.
Andre Miller's triple-double.
Donny-Ice being +8 despite only playing six minutes, and attempting one shot. The Sixers are just a different with him on the floor. Whether it's his ability to stretch the defense, or his underrated rebounding/defense, I don't know, but he's an absolute difference maker.
The Sixers being on national TV.
Lou Williams play as of late. He was huge in getting to the basket today. He seemed to be settling for less and less jumpers every game, and him driving to the basket not only got him to the line or easy buckets, but it opened up lanes for his teammates to cut and take the pass. Lou was huge when the Sixers were struggling in half-court. He came in and dominated the ball. Very Iverson-esque, I though.
21-26 from the line.
Reggie Evans hustle and clutch free throws at the end.
Trash-talking.

Things I disliked:

Sam Dalembert's awful defense. He let Kwame Brown destroy him for goodness sake.
Sam Dalembert's 0 rebounds. Unforgivable.
Jon Barry.
Marreese Speights inability to box out or hustle for rebounds. Unforgivable. DiLeo benched him immediately, so he'll learn. I'm not too worried.
WIDE OPEN threes. I noticed the players really fail to close out on defense. As soon as you see a dude with a wide open three, you have to close out. DiLeo has to continue to pound this in their heads before playoffs.
Announcers calling Marreese Speights, Marreese "Spites" or "Sprites".
ESPN's coverage of the game in general. It sounded like neither announcer had watched a quarter of Sixers basketball the entire season.

Bottom line, great win, but we gotta get back to work tomorrow night in New Jersey -- the home of the worst clock-management in the NBA.

I'll probably review the tape later and track some stats, so let me know once again the one or two specific stats you're dying to see.

Until then...

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Comments

looks like i missed a good game. I was across the parking lot watching Pat The Bat’s return to philly.

by Ben16 on Apr 4, 2009 6:54 PM PDT reply actions

Pat, also on my fantasy team.

I have low expectations.

Liberty Ballers.com.

by Jordan Sams on Apr 4, 2009 7:58 PM PDT up reply actions

I think Pat's going to take to Tampa Bay

Not a lot of playing time in the field as a DH, which will allow him to concentrate on hitting and not all the pressure of playing in Philly to contend with. I think Burrell was a good fantasy pick for you.

by doubleh on Apr 4, 2009 8:59 PM PDT up reply actions

Let's hope so.

Low risk pick. I have a few other options in case he doesn’t pan out.

Liberty Ballers.com.

by Jordan Sams on Apr 4, 2009 9:12 PM PDT up reply actions

BTW, I hate UNC

Just so you know. And Tyler Hansbrough and his stupid tongue. He is such a dork. How much of a bust do you think he’ll be in the NBA?

Please, Sixers, don’t draft him.

by doubleh on Apr 4, 2009 9:15 PM PDT up reply actions

I don't think he'll be a bust at all.

Considering he probably won’t go until the second round. I don’t think any second rounder can be considered a bust.

That said, I hate him as well. He’s weird looking, and he wears jerseys that are way too tight — much like Dwight’s superman jersey.

And there’s no way the Sixers draft him. We have a big, goofy white guy of our own, and he’s better if you ask me.

Liberty Ballers.com.

by Jordan Sams on Apr 4, 2009 9:29 PM PDT up reply actions

normally i agree with your stance on unc

however I hate Nova more than any other team (besides Dook) so it was very pleasant watching Nova get embarassed in a game that even UNC didn’t play very well…. Hansbrough will very ineffective in the NBA… all the shots he takes is him bumping into someone and forcing it up… good luck trying to do that against the best players in the world

by Tanner Steidel on Apr 4, 2009 9:39 PM PDT up reply actions

In hindsight.

It was a brilliant decision for him to stay all four years. It’s like if a kid couldn’t hit a pitcher or pitching machine, so he just stayed in t-ball till he was 12. He’d be livin’ large. Why would you wanna peace out?

Liberty Ballers.com.

by Jordan Sams on Apr 4, 2009 9:43 PM PDT up reply actions

Well, I went to 'Nova

So I don’t share you views. ‘Nova was overmatched, but I still think watching the powerhouse schools get stronger is bad for everybody else. Doesn’t anyone else get tired of reading about all the local Philly uber-talents who opt to go to Memphis, UNC, Duke, etc., instead of VU, Temple, SJU, etc.?

by doubleh on Apr 4, 2009 10:35 PM PDT up reply actions

One thing's for sure.

I was one generation too late at UNLV.

Liberty Ballers.com.

by Jordan Sams on Apr 4, 2009 10:42 PM PDT up reply actions

i go to maryland

and it’s the same way with hs talent in maryland not going to the school (Ty Lawson, Dante Cunningham, Dewayne Anderson to name a few who played in tonight’s game)…. side note/interesting fact about the TERPS this year; they were the only team to defeat both contenders for the national title

by Tanner Steidel on Apr 4, 2009 10:59 PM PDT up reply actions

Well, one thing we can both agree upon

is that Duke is evil. I can’t even remember when I started disliking them I was so young. And understand, I was at ’Nova when Laettner was still playing for them, and remember the night he won that game at the Spectrum. Blech. All the girls I went to school with with over the moon about him, thought he was so good looking, and I told them they were nuts. He went to Duke and therefore was verboten.

by doubleh on Apr 4, 2009 11:12 PM PDT up reply actions

ESPN is Terrible

Can’t wait for the Phillies’ opener tomorrow night. I’m sure they’ll make it sound like the Mets or Braves won the WS last season somehow and spend the entire time talking about how those teams are going to dominate the division in 2009.

It’s like they don’t watch a minute of our local teams, but decidedly do their sports coverage based on a few plays they’ve caught on SportsCenter reels and that same old tired cliched crap about Santa, snowballs, batteries and booing in some form or another. And often assign them to the wrong sports. Basically, I despise the national media, because they are lazy and uniformed and they never back anything up with stats (save a few good ones).

by doubleh on Apr 4, 2009 11:08 PM PDT reply actions

I completely agree.

Unless you’re a Red Sox or Yankees fan, you’re pretty much effed at ESPN.

Liberty Ballers.com.

by Jordan Sams on Apr 4, 2009 11:40 PM PDT up reply actions

People need to get over the ESPN thing already – dear god

They are a NATIONAL network – they have to report the storeis that have the most NATIONAL interest – ever watch a red sox game away from Fenway? The Red Sox have more fans at about half the stadiums they go to – check out a game in tampa – it’s like a freaking home game for the sox.

Philadelphia fans need to get over their own inherent insecurity already…who cares what ESPN says – think about the people saying it – do you respect the opinions of any of them?

"Someone created the box score," Morey says, "and he should be shot."

Blocked shots — they look great, but unless you secure the ball afterward, you haven’t helped your team all that much.

by jemagee on Apr 5, 2009 9:14 AM PDT reply actions

I fully accept that

ESPN has to cater to the National audience, but they should at least be informed about things. If the Sixers are playing the Celtics on ESPN (for example), for the benefit of even celtics fans, they should be able to discuss the Sixers intelligently. Overall, ESPN is the be-all-end-all of sports media, but on NBA particularly they are pretty sloppy. MLB is not so much an issue because all they ever show is Phillies, Dodgers, Mets, Yankees, and Red Sox. How hard can it be to know about like half a dozen or so teams and their (usually) divisional opponents?

by chillicothe20 on Apr 5, 2009 11:07 AM PDT up reply actions

not sure why much of my above response is italicized. Must have hit a wrong key. Oops.

by chillicothe20 on Apr 5, 2009 11:08 AM PDT up reply actions

There’s only so much knowledge anyone can have in their head and there’s only so much pregame knowledge you can add – guys who are stars – rightly or wrongly – are known more than guys who aren’t – the celtics have 3 starts and are the defending champs and are a bigger national story than the sixers – so it makes sense they’ll know more.

At least ESPN announcers can usually announcer Iguodala, Speights, Dalembert – after years of watching opposing team broadcasts of sixers games i’m shocked anytime anyone gets all 3 right

"Someone created the box score," Morey says, "and he should be shot."

Blocked shots — they look great, but unless you secure the ball afterward, you haven’t helped your team all that much.

by jemagee on Apr 5, 2009 12:43 PM PDT up reply actions