Sixers Get Quality Win That Collins Ordered
News blogs, sports blogs, entertainment blogs, and more from Philly.com, The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News.
Sixers Get Quality Win That Collins Ordered
Before Friday’s game with the Boston Celtics, 76ers coach Doug Collins was talking about needing a close win over a quality team to get the Sixers going.
Collins talked about the significance of the 95-90 home win on Feb. 6 over the Los Angeles Lakers, when the Sixers came on strong in the fourth quarter and won the game despite being out rebounded 55-30. The Lakers also led by seven with under five minutes to go, not an insurmountable lead, but still one where the Sixers had to grind it out
While the Sixers didn’t need a late comeback in Friday’s 99-86 win over visiting Boston, they did have to overcome another slow start at home before earning Collins his 400th career win.
The Sixers trailed by as many as 10 points in the first quarter and still were down by six at halftime, but turned it around with a 37-17 third quarter.
That was one of the best quarters the team has played this season.
Both teams had to overcome the unsettling sight of Mickael Pietrus suffering what the Celtics called a “closed head injury.”
After the game, Celtics coach Doc Rivers said Pietrus had x-rays, a CT Scan and was getting an MRI, but no results were known. He was being kept overnight at a local hospital.
The injury occurred with 5:08 left in the second quarter and Boston leading 39-38.
The Celtics continued to play well the rest of the half, taking a six point lead at intermission, but the Sixers then turned things around in the third quarter.
Elton Brands scored 14 of his 20 points in the third quarter and afterwards, everybody was talking about how young the 33-year-old forward looked running the court.
“You always look young when you are winning,”he said.
If Brand could play like that every night, the Sixers would be a dangerous offensive team.
He doesn’t have the ability to do it on a nightly basis, but when he’s able to turn back the clock, the Sixers can be a dangerous team. This was a night that Brand willed the team to victory.
“I just took it upon myself to be aggressive, and guys were finding me in my spots and I knocked some shots down,” he said.
The Sixers are by no means out of the woods in the Atlantic Division. Everybody knows the difference between winning the division and not winning, could mean facing a team such as Miami and Chicago in the first round.
Those are two teams nobody wants to face in the opening round, so the Sixers held off the Celtics charge.
Both Brand and Collins acknowledged that the Sixers got a scheduling break. In both wins over visiting Boston, the Celtics played the night before while the Sixers had the night before the game off.
On March 7, the Celtics lost 103-71 to the Sixers after earning an OT win over visiting Houston the night before.
This time, Boston won, 100-91 at Milwaukee on Thursday. The matchup with the Sixers was the end of an eight-game road trip.
Yet while the Sixers got the scheduling break, they also took advantage of it. Throughout this shortened season, teams will get breaks schedule-wise against certain opponents.
One senses that the Sixers not only held back Boston and lead by 1.5 games in the Atlantic Division, but they also gained some needed confidence.
And that will be handy as they have just 18 games remaining, with plenty more chances to earn a marquee victory such as the Laker win, or now the two against the Celtics.
While the Celtics did play the night before, and adding the fact that they were missing sniper Ray Allen, and then lost Mickael Pietrus, followed by defensive stopper Avery Bradley...the Sixers still faced playoff type pressure to a full house. Despite falling behind a hot shooting team, they did truly find their own offensive mojo in a third quarter highlighted by offensive prowess in the halfcourt not seen in these parts in quite a spell...Multiple solid performances to boot...Build on that!— bearsfriend- This is the kind of game where the influence of Doug Collins on his young team can best be seen. How much validity is there in believing you can do something? Well, Doug Collins convinced David he could take down Goliath and by gosh, they did it---at least this time!
The Sixers are evolving. Lou Williams is nowhere near as erratic as he was in past seasons. Jrue Holladay is beginning to understabnd his diverse roles based on what the other team is doing defensively. Spencer Hawes is not the same man he was last year--especially now that he is getting his basketball legs back. When this team is at its best, it is far closer to the top of the league than the bottom.
No, we are not going to see a championship this year but the team has reached the point where free agents will give us a second look. And, the ownership seems headed in the same direction as the other Philly teams making this a place where the best players will want to be.— gotedge - Good game, reminiscent of early in the season when everyone contributed.
1. For all the flak he's taken lately DC had a great game plan & pushed all the right buttons
2. The Bigs were great EB's shooting was incredible (10-15) and Hawes snapped back from the Knicks disaster. The offense often ran thru Hawes.
3. Good things happened when Jrue was on the floor. His +/- was +21 by far the best on the team. He played under control & had no TOs.
4. Thad & Lou off the bench provided energy & scoring
5. ET kept Rondo under control. Rondo got his assists but he didn't have devastating scoring & rebounding numbers.
All in all, a good win— mtairy1 - I thought the play at the point by Holiday was huge. Jrue played aggressive basketball going to the hope penetrating dishing off to others but the key was he finishes strong at the rim and got either the points or a foul. Since we don't have any major stars you can't go soft to the hoop and expect the ref to call anything. We normally don't get the calls, 30th in the league going the free through line is what they said last night.
Go Sixers!— rayzoe - No negativity in the responses, wow, like it! Would love to see them get out of the first playoff round, that would be a huge confidence builder for next season, just sayin'...— DJ
- Fire doug collins now before its too late and you will have a team of veteran bums like brand and iggy and hawes— male
- Wow the only way your post gets listed is if you kiss the sixers brass and not tell the truth about stinkin coach collins who simply can't coach young talent his track record proves it fire doug collins.— male
- Hey I gotta question to mt airy 1 bearsfriend and the rest of you fans. Is Jrue Holiday a point guard? My answer is no! Question 2 is Evan Turner a point guard my answer is yes!! If doug collins said turne is a point guard and gave him the ball for 3 games and scored over 100 in each game as well as wins. What part about doug collins can you agree with on his coaching of this young team as well as Vukes and allen not getting playing time as well as sam young the big trad acquisition who collins won't play, but traded a 2 rd draft pick for. Oh and don't forget good scouts can find players in the 2nd rd. So don't ignore any draft picks.— male
- trade iggy drop brand and hawes next year. and fire doug collins he always puts young players down now thad young has tired legs thats why he isn't productive no lame collins. lou tech nine williams is gunning him out and the ball doesn't touch any one hands when lou is in trade him too he is a gunner trade him for a draft pick or a big man.— male
- Wow male, it appears your psycho babble chased away the crowd..Good job.— bearsfriend
- No bearsfriend the truth has set them free!— male
John Mitchell is in his second year covering the 76ers for the Inquirer after joining the paper in November 2011. He covered the Washington Wizards for the Washington Times from 1998 to 2008. He's also worked at the Philadelphia Tribune, the Wilmington News Journal, Courier-Post, Trenton Times and Elmira Star-Gazette.Born and raised in West Philadelphia - not too far from Will Smith - he graduated from Overbrook High School the same year the 76ers won their last championship. He's a proud graduate of Howard University and the proud father of two sons, Jared and Jordan.
ABOUT MARC NARDUCCI
Marc Narducci has served in a variety of roles with the Inquirer since beginning in 1983. He has covered the 76ers as a backup and a beat writer. In addition, Narducci has covered everything from the Super Bowl to the World Series and a lot in between. Narducci also has a true passion for South Jersey scholastic sports, which he has covered for many years.
