Cheeks Not Ready To Pull Out All Stops Tonight

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – One person who definitely disagrees with this reporter's opinion that the Sixers should pull out all stops tonight against Charlotte is coach Maurice Cheeks.

Speaking after today's shootaround, Cheeks said he wants to get some rest for Andre Miller, Andre Iguodala and Samuel Dalembert, who have started every game this season.

Cheeks said the three will start, but he doesn't expect that they will play major minutes.

"I am going to give Andre and Andre and Sam some rest and I don't want anything to happen to them," Cheeks said. "And I want to get other guys on the floor."

Cheeks admitted that he could see understand this line of thinking and that it's important for the Sixers to snap their three-game losing streak heading into the playoffs and win the game to finish off 41-41. It's just that he won't sacrifice the health of his team to win tonight.

"I understand where you are coming from," Cheeks said. "We all like to be .500 and not have a losing streak. I told guys we played well enough to be .500 or better and it's unfortunate we lost four of our last five games."

So Cheeks won't let this final game define the season.

"We are a better team than we have shown the last few games and we would like to win the game," he said. "But if we don't win the game it won't shoot down the type of season we have."