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Playing better, 76ers begin four-game road swing

Jrue Holiday and the Sixers embark on a four-game road trip with a focus on playing the consistent style of basketball it has shown over the last two weeks. (H. Rumph Jr/AP)

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John N. Mitchell, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

Posted: Tuesday, April 2, 2013, 9:37 PM

As unlikely as the prospects are for the 76ers to play in the postseason, the team embarks on a four-game road trip with a focus on playing the consistent style of basketball it has shown over the last two weeks.

The Sixers (30-43) have won two of their last three road games after dropping 15 straight away from the Wells Fargo Center.

With seven of their last nine games on the road, the Sixers trail the eighth-place Milwaukee Bucks by six games with nine to play.

They have won three games in a row, which ties a season high. The Sixers have won six of their last nine games and are playing their best basketball of the season, something that fans hoping they wind up in the lottery are not happy about. Included among those losses were setbacks against Denver and Miami, two teams that were on extended winning streaks.

The Sixers would need Milwaukee to experience a massive collapse down the stretch to relinquish the final playoff spot in the East. But before the Bucks beat Charlotte on Monday, they had lost five of six.

There has been some feuding lately between Milwaukee's leading scorer, Brandon Jennings, and coach Jim Boylan. When the Sixers defeated the Bucks last Wednesday, Jennings voiced his displeasure with Boylan for benching him.

"Our whole thing is obviously the clock is ticking, but if you keep winning, you give yourself a chance," Sixers coach Doug Collins said. "Obviously our schedule is very tough with seven road games and two at home."

The Sixers will play at Charlotte (17-57) on Wednesday, followed by games at Atlanta, Miami and Brooklyn.

"We have three tough opponents coming up," Sixers forward Thaddeus Young said. "Charlotte, they've played us tough in the past. Atlanta and Miami, we know how good they are.

"We have to just go out there and try to keep winning games and finish this season out."

Six of the Bucks' final nine games are on the road. Going into Tuesday's games, the cumulative schedule of the Bucks' remaining opponents (309-278, .526) was tougher than that of the Sixers (278-303, .478).

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The Bucks are likely more motivated by the prospects of moving up in the playoffs. The Bucks are just 11/2 games behind seventh-seeded Boston. The eighth seed in the East will open the playoffs against Miami.

Contact John N. Mitchell at jmitchell@philly.com. Follow @JmitchInquirer on Twitter.

John N. Mitchell INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

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Comments (9)

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 9:58 PM, 04/02/2013

Sixers have 5 out of their last 9 games against Playoff teams (Heat,Hawks twice,Nets,Pacers), and although the Bucks are crawling on all fours to the finish line, their "magic number" is just 3, which is too much of a climb,IMO...Regarding the Bucks, Jennmings has been literally pouring millions in boullion into the ocean,as he's played like an absolute knucklehead in the second half...But sturdy efforts by the emerging Larry Sanders,great two way play from Ersan Ilyasova (sorry guys, but that guy should have been a Sixer), and the return of JJ Redick to their rotation will hold off any hope the Sixers can muster...Regarding the picture of Jrue on this article, is it me, or has this young man aged tremendously during this season?...Our All-Star looks MUCH older than his 22 years old....Life with Doug, no doubt.

— bearsfriend

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 11:25 PM, 04/02/2013

Yeah, bearsfriend, I think its pointless to talk about the Sixers playoff chances. Even assuming they beat Charlotte, they'll never survive the 3 road games at Atlanta, Miami and Brooklyn. That's Ok, I think the team is showing some character by playing their best ball down the stretch. I never have respect for teams that "tank" the end of a season. Professionals are paid and trained to try to win every time they play. Besides there's really nobody in the draft that's an impact player anyway.

— nmlawyer

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 1:24 AM, 04/03/2013

nmlawyer:what the closing stretch of games, including the wins, should tell us is answers on certain players...as well as value building for some others. But does it? While a Hawes HAS built his value, do the Sixers necessarily have a better idea about an Arnette Moultrie?..While we know Thad always gives effort and will outquick certain 4's, would the team be better fitted if he were a 3?...Will ET EVER be a good player without the ball, or should he initiate more?...Should Jrue run more off the ball?...While N Young is a goner, is D Wright a keeper?...While the "dive for looseball" mentality of a D Wilkins/R Ivey should be lauded, most fans probably would just assume see higher upside potentials from a different type of player (i.e. younger player, the kind DC is allergic to, thus there are not many on this roster)...Last, while the perception of this Draft is that of similar type talent from 3-13...I'm sure that any could "impact" the Sixers, as their talentbase is real thin...a team that needs to get deeper...Depending what they do in FA or trades, they may not look "big" in the Draft, but there are a few savvy big guards available (freshman like Smart,Mclemore,Carter-Williams all interesting as cruncher,shooter, or smooth playmaker)...While I'd never question DC's heart, and never really thought his players "tuned him out", I still question his off season visions/moves...IMO, the closing stretch did have good efforts against the Pacers,Nets, and the Heat games(twice), but basically won games against bad teams at home, and still showed little on the road...After last season,we all needed more.

— bearsfriend

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 9:40 AM, 04/03/2013

Your starting five down the stretch should be Hawes, Moultrie, Thad, Jrue (playing off the ball) and ET (playing point). We'll learn about Moultrie. As @bearsfriend said, we'll learn more about ET as a point guard (pro or con). It'll give us a better idea of what we have going into the offseason and the front office will be able to act accordingly. Of course, it also could prove that DC has been wrong all along about ET, Moultrie, Thad at power forward, etc., etc., etc. And, make no mistake, being right is more important to DC than doing what is right for this franchise.

— iceman

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 4:09 PM, 04/03/2013

I absolutely agree with this idea. However with the Sixers 'still in the hunt' there is no chance Doug will do it. He has foolishly taken the win now approach over evaluating talent and grooming young players.

— blah

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 10:49 AM, 04/03/2013

University of Pittsburgh's center, Steven Adams just declared for the draft. He is young (would have been a sophomore), 7'1, still bulking up and getting better. Yes he would have been better with another year of college, but the sixers should get him under their radar. (Comes from New Zealand by the way) No he is not a DC pick and pop Big. He plays with his back to the basket. Lots of talent, just needs to develop some (sixers aren't in win mode for a few years anyway).

"Strengths: Bigman with tremendous combination of size, length and athleticism ... Just scratching the surface of his considerable talent ... Extremely fluid. Runs the floor like a deer ... Tremendous rebounder with huge, soft hands and strong arms ... Has a great frame with broad shoulders and already has good amount of strength/weight .... Plays the game with a lot of energy/exuberance. Blue color work ethic/attitude. Has been shielded from the AAU sytem and the pampering and hype that he would have received had he been raised in the USA basketball system ... Tremendous motor and shows a willingness to compete and be coached ... His upside is considerable and he really hasn't developed any bad habits ... Has been working on correcting his jumpshot in the past year, and it has shown considerable improvement, as it had a hitch in it last year at the 2010 adidas Nations (Chicago) and now appears much more fluid ... His feel for the game is surprising considering the amount of time he's been playing the game at a high level ... His passing is good for a bigman showing excellent touch on outlet passes ... Excellent shot blocker. His length makes it very easy for him to block shots, even when he's slightly out of position ... Huge, soft hands makes him a great rebounder "

http://www.nbadraft.net/players/steven-adams

— The2ndMostInterestingManInTheWorld

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 11:36 AM, 04/03/2013

Interesting guy: great stuff, as Adams' recent announcement goes against what he said when Pitt got knocked out of the NCAA's...Read that he has ,no lie, 18 siblings...so that's got to play a role...The guy has that Myers Leonard body tone, and I love when you wrote "runs like a deer"...Still a project (similar to the Maryland kid,Len), and his current stock in the last third of the first round (unless the Combine and workouts really captivate someone)would bode that the Sixers would have to either trade down for multiple picks...or ship an ET, or even part with Thad....something I've actually heard COULD happen,as his stock has moved from iffy contract to a guy who has made his salary a thing of the past as he's a heck of a producer as a starter (just still a tweener in some matchups, IMO)...If the Sixers go guard/wing early, maybe your Aussie holds appeal in what would be a creative Draft plan....And yes, reading scouting reports and scanning YouTube highlights beats drivel of DC fighting till the last drop of blood...Where was the ball movement and spirited play back in middle of the season?

— bearsfriend

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 12:44 PM, 04/03/2013

Excuse me, he's the youngest of 18, so he's got 17 siblings. Wondering how he moves so well as he's reportedly got size 19 boats.

— bearsfriend

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 2:51 PM, 04/03/2013

all you have to to know that this is a bad team is to look at this team record against winning teams. This team hasnt gotten better its just that unlike most bad teams they are not tanking for a lottery pick. The only downside of winjing is that next year the so calledsports writers will point to this as promise like they did with last years playoff run when they gotten lucky when Derrick Rose went down. The true story should be the cleaning house of the front office and coaching staff and getting rid of anybody who has a long term contract or over the age of 25. Stayng clear of the free afent market exept for one year deals and draftng the best available player they can regardless of position and finding a young coach to coach them and getting whoever they can get from OKC or San Antonio to be the GM. Anything else will be just more of the same or the Secaucus Sixers version of groundhog day

— bgwille