Box Score
Golden State of Mind
This is hardly a recap, but whatever. It's hard to analyze what went on in a basketball game when you missed the first 30 minutes, which is exactly what happened. I had my fantasy baseball draft at the same time as the game, so I planned on DVRing it. Well, I completely forgot about the game until mid-way through the first quarter, and then DVR malfunctioned on me. It's been a horrible night all-around. The fantasy baseball draft I missed the game for? Yeah, I hate my team. And now I'm stuck with 'em. My March Madness bracket? Pretty much screwed. Thanks Wake Forrest and Florida State -- jerks. To top it off, I've broken out in a hives. Talk about a nightmarish evening.
Sorry about that rant, but I needed to get it off my chest.
To the game itself -- well what I saw anyways. Since I missed most of the game, I'm going to look at the box score and tell you what stands out.
- The Sixers took 100 shots tonight! What the? I didn't even know that was possible. The fact that they only made 38 of 'em blows my mind. In case you suck at math that's 38 percent. Not going to win too many games shooting like that.
- The Warriors shot 57 percent. So much for the Sixers playing defense. They also made 9 threes on nearly 50 percent. Does this surprise anyone?
- Lou and Iggy a combined 10-34.
- Sammy D grabbed 23 rebounds.
- The Sixers had 25 offensive rebounds.
- The Sixers got to the line 40 times and made 78 percent of them.
First, read the last three bullet points. If those three bullet points were the only things I read, I'd think the Sixers won by 40 points! The saying rings true once again. Bad (mediocre in our case) teams find ways to lose games.
Again, I didn't get to see much of the game, but here's analysis of what I saw:
The Warriors had so much more energy than the Sixers. They were running. They were dunking. They were reaching deep down and busting out "
KG screams" after good plays. The crowd was feeding off of them, and they were feeding off of the crowd. It makes me wonder what effect it would have on the Sixers if they packed the "Wach" like they do the Oracle -- and not just pack it, but show some life. I've never been to a professional basketball game, but from watching it on TV, it seems like the Philly crowds are never into it. The Warrorites were in full force tonight.
It's amazing what good shooting does for a team. What do Kelenna Azubuike, Anthony Morrow and C.J. Watson all have in common? They all shoot 43+ percent from beyond the arch. 43 percent! I've always been a huge fan of dunks, blocks, and athletic plays, but after watching this freakishly athletic Sixers team, I'd almost trade every one of 'em for players who could shoot consistently. Hypothetically, would anyone here be opposed to trading our first-round pick for Anthony Morrow? After what I saw tonight, I'd do it in a heartbeat.
For the quarter and a half I saw, Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young and Lou Williams put on a clinic on how not to shoot a basketball.
This loss puts the Sixers at 34-33 on the season. I'm starting to accept the inevitability of us being nothing more than a .500 basketball team. It also doesn't look likely that we'll get those 3 west coast wins now.
I don't know if it's because it was piled on the horrible night I was already having, but this loss is one of the most disappointing of the season for me.
So, as I sit here listening to the League Pass Music, I ponder what it's going to take to fix this 76ers team. As recently as a couple of weeks ago, I posted the
blueprint for success. Now I think it might be much more complicated than that. I think one of our blue-chip pieces is going to have to be moved this summer.
I'll probably wake up in the morning, read this recap, and think to myself -- was I drunk? Was I high? Was I being too much of a drama queen? Then I'll remember this is what being a sports fan is all about. You go through so much pain, but once your team wins the 'ship, it's all worth it. (At least I think so. I haven't experienced it yet.) Hopefully it happens sooner than later.
I'm getting off here before I write more garbage. I'll post the updated March Madness standings in a second, and if anyone's up for a game of 2k, let me know. That's where I'll be for the rest of the night.
Peace.
