Okay, so from the beginning, I have to say that I watched the replay of Devin Harris' shot tonight about 15 times, but I have not seen the full replay including the starting of the clock on the inbounds with 1.8 seconds left.

But here's what's coming from the Izod Center, the referees, the Sixers, etc.

If you didn't watch the game: Andre Iguodala made 1 of 2 free throws with 1.8 seconds left. It seemed, at this time, that Iguodala needed to only make one free throw to give the Sixers the win because the New Jersey Nets were out of timeouts and would be inbounding underneath the Sixers hoop, needing to go the length of the court in 1.8 seconds. Iguodala missed the first, so the game remained tied at 95-95. Iguodala made the second, for a 96-95 lead. Immediately, the Nets inbounded to Devin Harris, who torched the Sixers tonight for 39 points, but in this moment had only 36 points. Harris caught on the left sideline, took a dribble with Iguodala sliding in front of him near halfcourt. Iguodala appeared to knock the ball out of Harris' hands. The ball appeared to bounce off Iguodala and back into Harris' hands. Harris immedaitely planted his right foot, a step before half court, and launched the ball towards the rim. The buzzer went off en route. The ball went in. After the ball went in, referee Violet Palmer waived her arms, signaling that Harris released the shot after the buzzer. So, at the buzzer, the Sixers had won, 96-95.

Or, if you prefer video, let me aid the process: Devin Harris breakin' hearts a la Ray Allen.

At this time, the three referees huddled at halfcourt. Here's what they said happened:

From Derrick Stafford, the lead official: "Yes, we came together to see if we all pretty much had the same thing or if we have anything to overrule the call on the floor ... and we did not. So, at that point with zeros on the clock, we continued to go to replay."

At this point, the referees along with most of the players and the coaches formed a pack at the halfcourt scorer's table, presumably watching -- again and again -- the replay of Harris' release. The referees watched the replay -- needing clear, conclusive evidence to overturn Palmer's call -- for 2 minutes, 30 seconds. After that, the three referees huddled, spoke, and then, a second later, Stafford thrust his arms in the air, signaling that Harris' three-pointer was now considered good and the Nets had won the game, 98-96.

Stafford said the decision was unanimous to overturn the call. Let's keep in mind, that the referees were not evaluating when the clock started at 1.8 seconds. The only thing they were reviewing was whether Harris released the ball before the buzzer. Stafford also said that when they can't see the actual clock on the replay, they will go by the red stripe which is installed on the scorer's table, and turns red at the buzzer. There is a similar one above the basket. It does appear that Harris released the ball with about 0.001 seconds remaining.

Immediately after the game, in the Sixers locker room, they were still sitting in their uniforms debating what had just happened. Again, as I said, I have not seen the replay of when Harris first caught the in-bounds pass, but I've heard from a few people, including Iguodala and Andre Miller, saying that the clock did not immediately start running when Harris caught the ball. I'm not sure what length the delay was, but I'm hearing at least three-tenths of a second.

Here's what Iguodala said: 

"I thought a lot was going on for 1.8 seconds. I thought for sure it wasn't good and I still don't think it was good."

Did Harris travel before his shot? It seemed he bobbled the ball, then took a step. Sixers coach Tony DiLeo said that the referees told him it wasn't a travel because Harris lost it, it bounced off Iguodala, and Harris was allowed to regain possession.

But Iguodala said: "That was another issue too. There were so many things that went on in a small amount of time for that shot to be good. It seems like that's the way the season's been going. We did what we needed to do tonight."

Here's what Andre Miller said: 

"It was no good, we all know that. But you can't sit here and argue it because of the consequences. It's over now. I was watching it on the court. It was a half court shot; by rule if it's not conclusive you can't overturn the call. Violet called it no good, and by the video he didn't get the ball off in time, so I don't know how you can overturn a call that was called no good, plain and simple."

"The game was there and it was pretty much taken from us."

The Sixers, through spokesman Mike Preston, said that they will be in touch with the league regarding the final 1.8 seconds.

Tonight's loss was the fourth straight for the Sixers, who have not won since the All-Star break. They also missed 14 free throws tonight.

--Kate

 

The 76ers have just cleared point guard Andre Miller for tonight's game against the Miami Heat. Miller strained his right calf in the third quarter of Wednesday's loss to the Denver Nuggets. Miller said yesterday he intended to play, then repeated that sentiment when he arrived at the American Airlines Arena about 90 minutes before the tip.

But Miller wasn't officially cleared to play until Sixers trainer Kevin Johnson had Miller do a few drills on the court. Miller jogged, did defensive slides, and changed pace. He was on the court for about 10-15 minutes.

Tonight's game will be the 502 consecutive game Miller has played. Miller will start at point guard tonight, per usual.

Miller's health is especially important because the Sixers do not have a clear-cut backup point guard. Sixers coach Tony DiLeo said before the game -- before Miller was officially cleared to play -- that he had a number of choices: Lou Williams, Willie Green, Andre Iguodala, Royal Ivey. But the truth is none of those guys are starting point guards in the NBA. Miller's presence, although sure to be somewhat hindered by the injury -- if not because of physical limitations, then at least slightly because he hasn't played since Wednesday -- is much needed by the Sixers.

Sixers are going with their normal starting lineup: Miller, Green, Iguodala, Thaddeus Young, and Samuel Dalembert.

Yesterday at practice, Dalembert had a lot to say about the Thursday trading deadline, remaining a Sixer, and his year-long struggles. To read that, click here: Samuel Dalembert.

Before tonight's game, DiLeo said about Dalembert, "The only thing I was surprised about was that he expressed his views to the press." DiLeo added that if you asked any NBA player, he would tell you he could/should play 48 minutes a game.

As far as tonight's game goes, it's a difficult one for these Sixers, who have lost the first two games -- and shot poorly -- since the all-star break. The Heat traded Marion for Jermaine O'Neal, who will start tonight at center for Miami. DiLeo said he believes the trade makes Miami better because it gives them an inside-outside presence with O'Neal and all-world Dwyane Wade.

The big issue, though, is the Sixers shooting percentage. They've made about a third of their shots since the break. DiLeo said he hopes to see more ball movement and less quick shooting tonight in the half-court sets, as well as a better transiton game. DiLeo admitted that most teams must focus on stopping the Sixers' running game. But the fastbreak game should be such that the Sixers create it with steals, deflections, and solid defensive rebounding. It shouldn't be something affected -- too much -- by a specific Miami strategy.

Lou Williams has been struggling with his shot for about two-to-three weeks. He said he usually tries to get his first shot going to the rim (rather than shooting from the outside) but that can be tough as he is often called upon to shoot the end-of-quarter shot at the end of the first. Williams usually checks in with one or two minutes left in the first quarter. Keep an eye on what kind of shot Williams first takes tonight. If he can get some easy points getting to the rim, or in transition, he could get himself back on track.

--Kate

 

(Note: Andre Miller update. Miller had an MRI this morning and the test confirmed a right calf strain, but no tear. He is listed as day-to-day. No word yet on whether he will play Saturday against the Miami Heat. Miller strained the muscle in the third quarter of last night's loss to the Denver Nuggets. Today Ed Stefanski said that Miller wanted to come back into the game last night in the fourth quarter, but the trainer wouldn't let him. Also, Stefanski said Miller would certainly try to get on the court Saturday against the Heat. Miller has a consecutive games streak to protect. Stefanski said Miller would workout before the game, and the Sixers trainer would have to make the decision about what was best long-term. But, overall, it doesn't sound like the calf strain is serious.)

There had been rumors swirling that the 76ers were trying to move Samuel Dalembert -- making confirmed calls to the Los Angeles Clippers and New Orleans Hornets. There was also the possibility of trading point guard Andre Miller, whose contract expires at season's end.

But when it came time to actually finding a deal that worked for them, the Sixers and General Manager Ed Stefanski allowed the 3 p.m. NBA trade deadline to pass without changing their team. The Sixers have confirmed that nothing happened. That means the team right now -- with the exception of a 10-day signing -- is the team the Sixers will take their chances with for the rest of the season.

After the last two games -- both struggling losses -- the Sixers are 27-26 and seventh in the Eastern Conference. Because they didn't make a move, the Sixers are left with one glaring hole in their lineup: Shooting. And another semi-glaring hole: A go-to half-court option.

The Sixers are last in the NBA in three-point shooting. All season long, both Stefanski and coach Tony DiLeo have said they believe the shooters exists -- or have the ability to develop -- within the Sixers lineup. That would mean Lou Williams, Willie Green, Thaddeus Young, Andre Iguodala, Royal Ivey, etc. For a short time -- maybe an 8 to 10 game span in January -- this actually looked like it could be the case. But lately the shooting has struggled. The Sixers are now last in the NBA in three-point percentage. This after last season, when they also finished last in the NBA in three-point percentage.

To Stefanski's credit, he acknowledged the Sixers need help in outside shooting. This afternoon he spoke about the Sixers' no-move at the trading deadline. He said that to get a "specialist" outside shooter, he would have had to trade one of his young guys -- Lou Williams, Marreese Speights, Andre Iguodala, or Thaddeus Young. Stefanski felt it wasn't worth giving up such high-potential guys and said the team would address the outside shooting in the NBA Draft this spring and in the free-agent market this summer.

Yeah, it's frustrating watching 1 for 12 games from beyond the arc, but if the only way to get a decent outside shooter was to trade Thaddeus Young? Perhaps it's better to address this need, without giving something up, in the off season. The Rockets signed Brent Barry this past summer. If the Sixers can make a similar move, they'd keep their young core intact and offer an outside presence. As for this season, DiLeo is going to have to try to find a similar groove that they found in January, when they looked somewhat good from outside. It seems since then, the offensive sets haven't had quite the same rhythm, and neither have the timing of these shots.

It's interesting, I spoke with Royal Ivey before the Indiana game. Ivey had developed into a solid outside threat for the Sixers recently, but the last two games his shot has looked flat and has hit the front of the rim. When Ivey was making about one three pointer a game it was really an asset for the Sixers. Ivey spoke about how the biggest problem with his shot is that it can come off flat. And he knows that's a problem. And he works on getting lift, arc, etc. The last two games, his shots have been coming off flat. Ivey's a smart guy, I would be surprised if he didn't correct that quickly.

I don't claim Ivey to be the solution to the outside shooting problem, but his input of one make a game had been an improvement. And I would expect he would continue to do so. If the Sixers can get Young to make one a game, and Lou Williams can get his shot back on track (he obviously is taking enough shots to get it back), they might be able to patch together some semblance of an outside game -- will it be enough, though? That's the question.

Stefanski said he received plenty of calls about the "young guys," but that he didn't feel any of the proposed trades would make sense -- and believed these guys are the future of the team. He also said teams were inquiring about Jason Smith, who continues to rehab fom the ACL tear in July.

In regards to Andre Miller, Stefanski said that the Sixers never really came close to making a deal for Andre. He said he didn't just want to make a deal just to "get something" for Miller, and that the team would try to re-sign him after the season. Stefanski believes Miller is too important this season -- in getting this young team another playoff appearance -- and trading him would put that in jeopardy.

It seems the last two games -- the losses to the Pacers and Nuggets -- had everyone even more concerned about making a deal. But let's remember that a week ago this was the NBA's best team over an 18-game period (14-4).

--Kate

The 76ers weren't off break last night, that's obvious. But maybe tonight against the Denver Nuggets they will have worked themselves back into game shape, ready to play after that six-day layoff.

After talking to a few of the Sixers before last night's game against the Pacers, they admitted that the first game after the break was a difficult one: because you had a tendency to be lax. Sitting courtside for last night's game, it was clear not many of the Sixers were in the gym over the break. I know some of them were. But some of them weren't. Honestly, if the trade-off for getting rest is losing one game, that seems fine. If the Sixers are going to have legs down the stretch, and in exchange they have one game where they shoot awful from the field, from three, and from the free throw line, then that seems like a worthwhile exchange.

In an 82-game season, if you don't take that opportunity to rest, you'll be done come end of March, beginning of April.

So, as poor as last night's game was, I don't think it should be an indication of a trend. Now, if they look like that -- really bad halfcourt offense, struggling on the break, general stagnation -- tonight, then I'll begin worrying.

But let's look at Andre Miller. He doesn't seem like one of those guys who can take long stretches off and perform at that same level. His game is so predicated on rhythm, fundamentals, timing, pump fakes, etc. Usually, at the beginning of seasons, he has to work himself into game shape. By the same token, it would seem after a significant break like this weekend, it would take Miller a game to get back into rhythm. His numbers would indicate that: 2 for 10 for six points. That's not at all like how he was playing. I would be surprised if Miller's numbers weren't in the 15-18 point range tonight. He should look for his shot/drive early in the game. It seemed like last night against the Pacers was a struggle for the Sixers because Miller was struggling.

As for Speights, I've heard people say he sprained his ankle in practice and that limited his minutes. That's not true. Speights' minutes were limited because of the opponent. DiLeo has a tendency to play Speights less minutes against quick active perimeter players. Indiana was one such team.

Tonight's game against the Nuggets is a challenging one -- for reasons outlined in an earlier blog. Last time the Sixers played Denver, the Nuggets were without Anthony. And still Denver won (although the Sixers were ahead by 17 in the third quarter).

X-Factor: I still think J.R. Smith is the key to this game. If he has fewer than eight points, the Sixers will win. If he has more than 14, the Sixers lose. If he has between eight and 14, then he isn't the X-Factor, and I'm no longer accountable.

--Kate

The mid-winter bash known as the All-Star weekend has finally ended. And since I'm sitting at my Phoenix gate with entirely too much time on my hands, I figured it was time to get back to the blog.

As necessary as the break is -- these guys needs a few days rest, after all -- it's does feel like the season lost a little bit of momentum. And for the Sixers, who were rolling, that's not a good thing. They'd won four straight, bumped their record to 27-24, had the rookie Marreese Speights playing like a champ (although Speights probably needed the break more than anyone), and were climbing up the Eastern Conference standings.

Since we've covered so many topics on here (three-point defense, halfcourt offense, Speightyman ...) I figured we could take a look at the next five games and do a quick breakdown.

Game 1, Tuesday at the Indiana Pacers: It would be easy to say this should be a victory, since the Sixers just beat Indiana on Feb. 5. But that was at the Wachovia Center. The Pacers are a much better team at home. They beat the Cavaliers at Conseco Fieldhouse just before the break (96-95). Still, I think this is a game the Sixers will win -- heck, it's a game they should win if they're going to get to the four seed. And the Sixers have experience beating the Pacers in Indiana -- they came back from, I believe, a 27-point hole earlier this season. Indiana is 21-33. If the Sixers can contain the outside shooting of Danny Granger, like they did (for the most part) in that Feb. 5 game, they should be able to get out of a here with a win. That makes them 28-24.

Game 2, Wednesday vs. the Denver Nuggets: Okay, as much as I think this could be a victory, I think it's going to be tough on a back-to-back to beat the Nuggets. Especially since Chauncey Billups is Chauncey Billups. Here's my X-Factor in this game: Denver's J.R. Smith. He's inconsistent, and in the Sixers loss at Denver, he was really effective -- went off for almost 20 points in the first half. If he has one of his non-existent games, the Sixers will win. Still, I'm putting this as a loss, making the Sixers 28-25. (This is not scientific, nor do I expect everyone to agree.)

Game 3, Saturday at the Miami Heat: Wow. This is tough. Sixers lost by 23 the first time in Miami, but just beat the Heat at home. Plus, Miami has Jermaine O'Neal now -- instead of Marion. I think that improves the Heat considerably. I'm giving the nod to Miami on this one, although I will hedge my bet by saying that if Willie Green or Lou Williams can score 15-plus points, the Sixers will win. But, still, I'm going with a loss: That makes them 28-26.

Game 4, Monday at the New Jersey Nets: This is a victory. Sixers will not lose this game, specifically because they lost that last one against the Nets. Yeah, it's in New Jersey, but that's never been on top of the list of scariest NBA arenas. Sixers win this by at least 8 points. That makes them 29-26.

Game 5, Wednesday at the Washington Wizards: This, too, is a victory. If this isn't a victory, it will be the worst loss of the season (and there are some bad losses fighting for that honor). If the Sixers are allowed, as is standard with NBA rules, to play five players at a time, they will win. That makes them 30-26.

I think making sure to get three wins -- wherever they might come -- in these first five games after the break is going to be important. There are absolutely three winable games, and the realistic potential they could win all five.

I spoke earlier today to Tony DiLeo before the team boarded their flight to Indianapolis (they're practicing tonight in Indy). DiLeo said he believes the most important things going forward will be defensive rebounding, pick-and-roll defensive execution, and continued strong play from the bench. DiLeo also mentioned improving the half-court execution. As for these next three days (trading deadline is Feb. 19), I asked DiLeo if it was difficult during such an up-in-the-air time of the season. DiLeo said, "The team we have is the team we’re going to continue with unless Ed [Stefanski] tells me otherwise. That’s the mindset. I know around the league a lot of players names have been out there speculating. My mindset is we’re going to go with the team we have right now. Unless Ed tells me otherwise. And I don’t anticipate a lot happening with our team."

Of course, these things change in a second. Right after I post this, a trade could happen. But, for this moment in time, those were DiLeo's words. Now, we're not sure right now if they'll make a deal or not, but I think they have a strong enough team as is to fight for the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference and give themselves a chance to surprise people in the playoffs.

--Kate

Here's a quick Blackberry snapshot of today in downtown Phoenix. About to begin is the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge, featuring the only 76er out here this weekend, forward Thaddeus Young. I think the captions say it all.

--Kate

Okay, so it's past the halfway mark of this season, well past, and yet it's easy to look at this weekend's All-Star Break as the perfect opportunity to assess the "first half" of this season (we're 51 games in, 31 to go ...).

First, I do believe we'll be having a Live Chat tomorrow (Friday) at around 3:30 p.m. This hasn't been confirmed, but when it is, I'll add the link.

Topics: This weekend's All-Star Game (Yes, I'm in Phoenix), Thaddeus Young in Friday night's Rookie Challenge, assessment of the first part of the season, and, of course, as usual "What's up with Andre Miller?" and, "Are the 76ers going to make a trade?" We're a week away from the trading deadline. Might it pass without the Sixers getting that three-point shooter? 

Until then, let's take a quick look at the Top 3 Best and Bottom 3 Worst On-Court Moments from the first 51 games. Chime in with your own -- I'm not including injuries in this list because we're all aware that Elton Brand's Dec. 17 tumble at the Wachovia Center might have been the most important moment of the season (though in what regard, it's still unclear). And I'm not picking games, I'm picking singular moments (aside from the Nets game), regardless of how the game might, or might not, have played out.

Okay. Best Moments, in no particular order: 

1.) Andre Iguodala's pull-up jumper against the Boston Celtics with 6.8 seconds left: Why? Well, for a couple of reasons. First, because at the time it was probably the most important shot of Iguodala's young career. Feel free to correct me on that, but it felt like, in that moment, Iguodala had completely rid himself of the early-season doubters and the Sixers, in that moment, had completely rid themselves of a contingent of doubters. The Sixers had been playing well, had beaten some very good teams, but there's something a little different in the NBA right now when you beat the Lakers or Celtics (and maybe the Cavs, too, 'cause of LeBron). And in this moment, a win against the Boston Celtics seemed, if not secure, then darn close.

2.) Samuel Dalembert's defense on Tracy McGrady in the final seconds of a road win over the Houston Rockets. Why? Because it was the Sixers only good win with Elton Brand. And Brand played well that game (12 points, if I recall). And when Dalembert tipped that three-pointer, and the Sixers got that tough road win, it seemed maybe these Sixers, with Brand, might work. That win over the Rockets will remain the only winning team the Sixers beat with Brand.

3.) Donyell Marshall's late three-pointer that gave the Sixers a road win over the Detroit Pistons in early December. Why? Because, to that point, the Sixers had eight wins -- none against a winning team. Not one of their first eight wins was against a team with a winning record. They were 8-11, I believe. And there was very little on which they could hang their hat. This win, in Detroit, was absolutely the first solid victory of this season. And even though it was won by a guy who likely won't play many minutes down the stretch, it was important. The Sixers were without Brand (that strained right hamstring) and they had their first opportunity to play the way they'll have to play the rest of this season.

Worst Three. In no particular order.

1.) The fourth quarter of the loss to the New Jersey Nets. Now, I was not at this game (luckily, in retrospect). So I can't comment on how painful it actually was to watch, but I've heard the stories. Eighteen consecutive misses, 2 for 22 in the fourth quarter, and, most importantly, a loss to a bad Eastern Conference team. The Sixers had been playing very well, but this loss sent a lot of Sixers fans into a fit of doubt.

2.) Ray Allen's three pointer with five-tenths of a second remaining, giving the Celtics a 100-99 win. We've discussed this play at length. Plenty of reasons this hurts: it makes no sense to leave this guy, it would have been the Sixers trademark victory, and it came in the game after the New Jersey debacle, making it a difficult two-game stretch.

3.) T.J. Ford's last-second jumper that gave the Indiana Pacers a 95-94 win at the Wachovia Center on Dec. 20. I still think this is the worst loss I've watched this season (remember I missed the Nets game). The Sixers were about to embark on that seven-game road trip starting in Boston. The Pacers were missing like 11 players (okay, more like four or five). The Sixers needed this victory to pad the win side before heading on that grueling trip. And the Pacers just weren't a very good team at that time. But when it came down to that final possession for Indiana, you could sense Ford was going to hit the shot because the Sixers had no business being in that position. It was fate.

--Kate

While wondering how the 76ers were going to fill the void created by Elton Brand's exit, we pondered the merits of rookie Marreese Speights. More specifically, we said he should get at least 15 minutes a game, he should become a presence on the block, and he should -- along with some efforts elsewhere -- help the Sixers fill the vacancy.

Well, instead of 15 minutes for Speights, how about 24? That's how many minutes Sixers coach Tony DiLeo gave Speights tonight. And how many points did Speights score in those 24 minutes? 24. He scored 16 in the second quarter and eight in the fourth. He didn't play a minute in either the first quarter or the third, but he played the entire second and fourth.

We're used to seeing Speights convert some wicked alley-oops, of which he did plenty tonight (three in the *second* -- thanks sprew -- quarter alone). But it was the rest of Speights' game tonight that should be a big boost for the Sixers. Let's look at a couple of the possessions/plays, and why they're important.

1.) Speights hits about a 15-foot baseline jumper in the second quarter. This shot came off a pick-and-roll on the wing between Speights and Andre Iguodala. Iguodala penetrated middle, Speights rolled to the baseline, Iguodala hits Speights and he has that quick release, great form, and even better rotation. Other than Brand (whose surgery yesterday afternoon went well) what other Sixers frontcourt player could hit that pick-and-roll jumper? Obviously Brand won't be shooting any jumpers for a long while. But what other frontcourt players stretch the defense like that on a pick-and-roll? Samuel Dalembert? No. Reggie Evans? No. Theo Ratliff? No. Thaddeus Young? Yes. Young played great tonight, scoring a game-high 25. Although he starts at power forward, he isn't a traditional front court player. And his scoring doesn't come in tradition front court fashion. Speights', more so, does.

If we've been talking about what half-court options the Sixers are going to be able to employ down the stretch and in the postseason, they need to be able to run a pick-and-roll with a roller that can fade to an open area and command attention. It looks like Speights could provide that.

2.) Speights catches around the right wing from about 12-feet away. He faces up to his defender (whom I can't recall at this moment, either Amare Stoudemire or Jason Richardson*or, thanks to the urging of a Sixers fan, Grant Hill, who certainly is not as quick as he once was, but still ...). Takes a dribble at the defender to get to the low block, then turns his back for a more traditional post-up move. Speights spins off the guy and finishes in the lane with a left-handed shot that looked as natural as if he shot it with his right. That's two games in a row that Speights has showed off a strong left hand in the lane. Like we're saying above, how many other Sixers frontcourt players do you want to catch the ball on the block for a one-on-one move? Dalembert? Not really. Evans? Again, not really. Young? Sure, absolutely.

The Sixers that play well on the block are point guard Andre Miller, Iguodala (he's decent down there), Young, and, we're gathering, Speights. It's tough relying on Miller down on the block too often because that pushes the big guys -- say if it was Dalembert and Evans -- away from that area. So while Miller is effective, it's not like Dalembert is taking his guy with him, nor Evans. Meaning those defenders can sink in to help Miller's defender. But if they can develop Speights down there, then you keep everyone in spots that the defense has to respect.

Obviously there are exceptions to all of this: When Miller is posting up, Sammy can crash the boards better, so it's not all bad. When Speights is on the block, defenses might be able to help off Willie Green or Iguodala's outside shot. But, for the most part, developing a legitimate front court player to play where legitimate front court players play, doing what legitimate front court players do, is going to be the key to, first, getting the Sixers into the playoffs and, second, out of the first round.

So Speights was awesome tonight. Considering he's a rookie, we can't possibly expect this every night. But DiLeo has to at least give Speights enough minutes, every night, to keep that door open.

---Kate

 

The 76ers have announced that Elton Brand's shoulder surgery, which was performed this afternoon by Dr. Craig Morgan at the Christiana Surgery Center in Wilmington, DE., went as planned.

The Sixers said the procedure lasted about an hour, in which Morgan repaired the torn right labrum that Brand suffered when he dislocated his right shoulder on Dec. 17 against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Now Brand faces a six-month rehabilitation.

Tonight the Sixers play the Phoenix Suns, who have been in the news recently because, supposedly, they're shopping power forward Amare Stoudemire and, possibly, Shaquille O'Neal.

This game should be interesting because of the run-and-gunning of both teams: Although Phoenix coach Terry Porter is more a halfcourt coach, and Shaq isn't exactly lightning up and down the court. Still, though, the Suns starting lineup appears formidable (even if a couple of these guys -- okay, I'm talking about Grant Hill -- might be past their prime): Stoudemire, O'Neal, Steve Nash, Jason Richardson, Hill.

Phoenix, 28-21, is in the second game of a back-to-back. They played, and beat, the Detroit Pistons last night.

If the Sixers can win, they'll be two games above .500 for the first time this season.

Keys to getting this win: 

1.) Making four or more three-pointers. Royal Ivey's treys were pivotal against the Heat on Saturday night. Sixers can't go 1 for 12 if they're going to beat the Suns. They need that extra dimension in their game. My breakdown? Get one from Andre Iguodala, one from Thaddeus Young, one from Lou Williams, and one from Ivey.

2.) 22-plus fastbreak points. This is how this team has to play. Even against the Suns. Iguodala is one of the fastest north-south guys in the league.

3.) Keep Steve Nash below a double-double. If Nash is averaging 14.1 pts and 9.8 assists. If he goes for 20 points and 15 assists ... um ... it's going to be a long night.

4.) Samuel Dalembert defense like he played 10 days ago against Yao Ming. Dalembert will be handling Shaq. The Sixers are already weak on rotation, and if they're forced to send doubles all the time to Shaq, there are going to be open shooters all over the floor, all night.

If Sixers win this game, they're 26-24, with only the Memphis Grizzlies remaining before the All-Star Break.

More later ...

--Kate