Sixers taking positive attitude into tonight's Game 7 in Boston
The Sixers appeared to be loose and ready at shootaround this morning in preparation for tonight's Game 7 against the Celtics. Why the loose attitude? Well, they no not many expect them to win.
Sixers taking positive attitude into tonight's Game 7 in Boston
Bob Cooney
Perhaps Sixers forward Evan Turner put it best this morning when he said: "You don't have anything to lose. What do you have to lose?"
Turner was answering a question that was centered around the question of how much pressure there was leading into tonight's Game 7 against teh Boston Celtics at TD Garden. His words were echoed by mostly all the players, as they know they aren't expected to win tonight against the veteran Celtics. But the Sixers also weren't even expected to be in this series, let alone on the fringe of winning it. They know it and they will use it to their advantage. Though none would come out and say it, the pressure to win is probably more on the Celtics than the surprising Sixers.
"I have so much respect for our guys and how they’ve grown to win these pressure games," said Sixers coach Doug Collins. "In the regular season there’s a little pressure, but we couldn’t win any close games in the regular season. But all of the sudden when the pressure gets more our guys have been able to compete and do that, whether it be hitting shots or free throws or getting defensive stops. That’s the fun thing for me to watch, that the pressure has been ratcheted up a little bit and our guys have really met the challenge and I really like that about our guys."
While the talk has surrounded the ghosts of Sixers-Celtics past and all the historical playoff games the two have played, Collins and his team are confident going into tonight. And why shouldn't they be? They won once in this series in Boston and have had decent success against the Celtics this season.
I think we’ve been very aggressive in here," said Collins. "If you look at the scores, in Game 1 we lost by a point, Game 2 we won by a point. Game 5 we were in good position at the 6:56 mark (of the third quarter) and at the 1:39 mark we’re down three. We’ve won one game, we’ve lost by a point and they beat us in here by double digits but we just let it get away from us at the end of the third quarter. I think our guys feel confident. We also beat them twice in the regular season."
Tonight, of course, would be the biggest win the Sixers could post against the Celtics this season. One of the biggest of all time.
NOTES:Sixers forward Elton Brand said that his ailing shoulder/neck is feeling better than it has all series. The team flew in a chriopractor with them to Boston, and Brand has been a regular visitor...Boston guard Keyon Dooling did not practice with the team on Friday due to an illness, but the reports coming out of the Celtics shootaround at their practice facility was that Dooling participated today...If the Sixers win, they will fly home tonight, gather for a short time tomorrow and then fly down to Miami for Game 1, which will be at 8:30 on Monday.
HEY,GUESS WHAT GUYS IF UR CRAPADELPHIA WHINERS GET HAMMERD IN BOSTON TONIGHT START PLANNING UR TEE-TIMES ACCORDINGLY MAKE ARRANGMENTS TO PLAN YOUR GOLF TRIP AHEAD OF SCHEDULE CAUSE AFTER TONIGHT THE SIXERS WILL BE FLYING HOME DISSAPOINTED AND INTO GOLFING SEASON THEY GO GREEN & WHITE FOREVER GO CELTICS C'S TAKE GAME 7 AND THE SERIES 4-3;)— celticsfan2884- "If" is such a big word for a such small mind.
You've told us what to do if the Sixers lose, but what happens if the "Geriatrics" lose? Should someone else start planning tee-times? Is there a point to be made, here?
Ah, but from the minds of plants. Let guess, daffodil? - GOLF SEASON IS COMING AFTER THE SIXERS GET SLAPPED RIGHT OUT OF THE SEMI-FINALS TONIGHT POLISH UP THE GOLF CLUBS PLAN UR TEE-TIME ARRANGEMENTS BOOK YOUR TRAVEL PLANS FOR A FISHING TRIP TO FLORIDA CAUSE AFTER TONIGHT IT'S ALL OVER FOR THE SIXERS CINDERELLA STORY GO CELTICS C'S TAKE GAME 7 AND THE SERIES GREEN & WHITE FOREVER— celticsfan2884
- GOLF SEASON IS TONIGHT GOLF SEASON IS TONIGHT C'S TAKE GAME 7 & THE SERIES 4-3— celticsfan2884
- NAHHH NAHHHH HEY HEY HEY GOODBYE— celticsfan2884
- Of course it's not quite a game of the same magnitude, but when thinking about a big game here in Philly, I keep going back to the 1980 Superbowl, where Dick Vermeil was SO tight, and it reflected in the teams play in their big game...Looking forward to the Sixers playing hard and fast, but in control of their skills and emotions all the way thru,,fighting the whole time...Tension free makes the best shooters!.Go Sixers!...I'll take Cinderella Sixers over an old rotten pumkin carriage Celtics squad anyday of the week..The C's have "old man" smell.— bearsfriend
- Tough talk for the guy who greets at the Wal-Mart in Williamstown. Stop with the caps lock button,your points stink no matter how you type them. Huge nerd. Internet coward.
— j byrnes - HEY, J BYRNES HAHAHAHAHA I WOULDN'T WORRY ABOUT HOW I TYPED U SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON UR TROLLISH BUNCH ON THE FLOOR TONIGHT AND HOW BADLY THE TEAM IS GONNA GET CRUSHED TONIGHT IT'S OBVIOUS UR TEAM IS ON COURSE FOR A LONG OFFSEASON'S WORTH OF GOLF SEASON IN FLORIDA PLUS A FISHING TRIP AS WELL HAHAHAHAHAHA IT ALL ENDS TONIGHT C'S TAKE GAME 7 AND THE SERIES 4-3— celticsfan2884
- Do yourself a favor; learn some English even if it is only a second language! — JBinPA
- celticsfan2884 isn't just a garden variety internet maniac. He's living proof of what happens when they de-fund schools and mental health centers.— FKD215
- ET-let's knock down a few of those midrange j's tonight!— phils_tnj1
- HEY,FKD215 STAY CLASSY MAN STAY CLASSY NOTTTTTT THE CELTICS WILL CLOBBER THE SIXERS RIGHT STRAIGHT OUT OF BEANTOWN TONIGHT AND INTO THE OFFSEASON ABYSS FOR GOOD IT'S OK TO TURTLE OUT OF THE SEMI-FINALS THERE IS NO SHAME IN THAT HAHAHAHA GREEN & WHITE FOREVER GO CELTICS C'S TAKE GAME 7 AND THE SERIES 4-3— celticsfan2884
- seriously, there was a point, i guess in the bulls series, when ET looked like their best mid-range shooter. Since then he's been pretty off, penetrating aggressively, but just not good enough finishing.
So far in this series, really none of the sixers have gotten hot. Lavoy has probably played to his unexpected peak more than anyone. If ET, Lou, or Jrue could get on a hot streak offensively then I think the sixers have a good chance. If not then they're going to really have to grind it out as the media has been saying. Still possible, it'll just be more of a slugfest. Big keys: Lavoy stay out of foul trouble, Everyone stay aggressive and penetrating offensively, Get the ball to Turner if Allen's on him, Get back fast on transition defense, Jrue and team play stifling defense on Rondo. And refs please don't tilt this too far in favor of Boston. Sixers 90 Celtics 83 sounds about right to me with someone getting warm. If not 84-83 and could go either way.— JC Nickel - Just love the energy! I like how the different Sixers can have big games on different nights. Who will shine tonight? All must play D, however!
— Eagle_1960 - Hey Celts Fan...this already is a HUGE embarrassment to not only Boston but the whole world expected a sweep by your wheelchair crew. And our 21/22 year old neophytes have outclutched your moldy green Hall of Shamers. No matter what happens tonight, sixers fans are proud...celts fans have their tails between their legs.— Shragez
Bob Cooney has been at the Daily News for more than 20 years, working in the sports department for the past 15. This is his third season on the Sixers beat. He has covered just about everything, but mostly college basketball, where he was the La Salle beat writer for six seasons. E-mail Bob at cooneyb@phillynews.com and follow him on Twitter.
