76ers' Jordan sees sloppiness but also strides
The 76ers had a 14-turnover second quarter during their 93-85 victory over the host New York Knicks on Tuesday, and first-year coach Eddie Jordan saw something he felt needed addressing when the team practiced yesterday at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.
"When things got rough, there was a lot of frustration with our own play . . . our teammates' play, and we don't want to see that," Jordan said. "If it's not positive energy, then it's no energy, or negative energy. I had to point this out to our guys."
Nevertheless, Jordan was pleased by some things as the Sixers won their fourth exhibition game in as many outings.
In three of the quarters, the Sixers achieved their goal of holding the opponent to 24 points or fewer. Jordan liked the performance of forward Thaddeus Young (26 points), the second-half play of guard Lou Williams (14 points), and the fourth-quarter contributions of guard Andre Iguodala (15 points) as the Sixers' starters played most of the last 12 minutes.
The Sixers trailed at intermission, 43-35, but a 32-20 third period put them in a position to win. An aggressive Elton Brand came up with 20 points on 8-for-12 shooting, plus eight rebounds, in just over 33 minutes on the floor.
"We had 14 turnovers in the second quarter, and I wasn't very happy about that," Jordan said. "Most of it was just playing - trying to make the terrific pass instead of [hitting] the open man. It's not a direct result of not executing the offense. But I was happy with the fact that some guys bounced back. Things happen, but we have to get through things in an 82-game schedule."
The Sixers have been up and down while adapting to Jordan's Princeton offense during games.
"I think that's what the preseason is for," guard Willie Green said. "To really dot all i's and cross all t's. It's an offense that we have to continue to work on, which we're doing. And it's been some games where we've run it beautifully and other games where teams tried to take us out of it. That's where we have to grow as a team."
Jordan will take the results so far.
"On one side, the Sixers had more points than the other team, and we're preparing our team to win," he said.
Then, with a smile, Jordan added: "Maybe if we were 0-4, it doesn't mean anything. But we're 4-0. They mean something."
Notes. The Sixers will visit the Phoenix Suns tomorrow before meeting them again Sunday in Monterrey, Mexico in a game that will be seen on NBA TV. . . . Swingman Rodney Carney, recovering from a strained left hamstring, will not make the trip. . . . Green and forward Jason Smith, who were dealing with flu systems Tuesday, practiced yesterday and appeared to be fine.
Contact staff writer Kevin Tatum at 215-854-2583 or ktatum@phillynews.com.
