Tonight's game wasn't nearly as entertaining as Wednesday night. There were no earth-shattering dunks, no dramatic comeback, and it was far from an impressive win, but that's the key word. Win. In an 82 game season, you take as many of them as you can get and tonight's win counts just as much as any other.
The game started out according to plan. The Sixers jumped out to a 32-17 lead in what looked to be a blowout. Then, the second unit came in and screwed things up. A very poor showing by Lou Williams to begin the quarter lead to a 13-2 Wizards run, cutting the lead to four. From that point on, it was a dogfight. The Wizards grabbed a one or two point lead a couple times, but for the most part, the Sixers lead throughout.
The difference came in the fourth quarter when the Sixers were carried by "fourth-quarter" Lou, with a little help from Andre "I make ballsy (there's that word again) shots now" Iguodala. Lou had 11 in the quarter and Iggy had 10. They have officially become our "clutch" players. Finally!
In the end, the better team prevailed and the Sixers walked out with a 10-point victory. However; they lost their shot-blocking, rebounding, pass-dropping machine in the process. Sammy D had to be helped off the court in the second quarter with a sprained left ankle. X-Rays came out negative, but this one could linger for a while. Dalembert missing time is nothing but bad news for the Sixers. Obviously it hurts to lose your starting center and defensive anchor, but they also lose a possible trading chip in the process. With the deadline just weeks away, this negates any value Sam might have had to begin with. So whether you like him, or don't like him, it looks like we're stuck with him. Get well soon Sammy.
Likes:
-Andre Iguodala's new-found ability to hit clutch jumpers and then get that "F U" look on his face afterwards.
-Elton Brand fitting in.
-Willie Green's four good games a year.
-10 point win.
-Royal Ivey hitting 3's.
-Finally above .500!
-Dominic McGuire. I'm a big fan of this dude.
Dislikes:
-Sammy D's injury
-Willie Green thinking he's good.
-Blowing a 15-point first quarter lead.
-Missing the first six minutes of the game.
-Missed free throws. 11-20 sucks.
Next up is New Jersey at home, which should be another W. That game is tomorrow. It's very unlikely that Sammy will play, so it'll be interesting to see what the starting lineup is. Regardless, things are looking up in Sixerland!
23-22!