76ERS 101

 

 1/27/12 – Tonight the Sixers were looking to rebound from their tough overtime loss against the New Jersey Nets. They lost that game, primarily due to the excellence of Deron Williams, but also because they were very shorthanded in the front-court. The injuries started to take their toll on Wednesday night when the Sixers had no bigs to put in the game after Brand fouled out in overtime. In tonight's game they would once again be without Hawes and Vucevic, and they would need to find a way to get through it. Earlier today they signed free agent center Francisco Elson to sure up the front-court, who was able to get some minutes in tonight's game against the Charlotte Bobcats. Tonight's game was the third game of the Sixers long home-stand. It was also Jrue Holiday bobble head night, and a night where ownership partner Will Smith was in attendance. But most importantly it was a night where Doug Collins said his team needed to come out strong and show a ton of effort.

The matchup was against a Charlotte Bobcats team that, going into the game, had the league's worst record at 3-16. They have had a tough time so far this year and I believe they have arguably the league's worst roster. Their leading scorers are guards D.J. Augustin (13.6 ppg) and Henderson (15.4 ppg). They rest of the Bobcats include, rookie stud Kemba Walker (9th overall UCONN), rookie African Bismack Biyombo (7th overall Dem. Rep. of Congo), free agent pickup Corey Magette, B.J. Mullens, Boris Diaw, and Tyrus Thomas. In tonight's game they were without two of their biggest contributors in Augustin and Magette which only improved the Sixers chances.

In the first quarter the Sixers got after it right out of the shoot. They went on a tear in the first and got out to the early lead. This was done by playing good defense, getting into the passing lanes, and running the fast-break. The first quarter was all Sixers, going up 23-10 after 1. In the 2nd, Philly's guards were shredding the Charlotte defense. Holiday and Meeks were both in double figures by halftime and were really difficult matchups for the Bobcats. The 'Night Shift' was also really effective with Lou, Thad, and Allen making a huge impact. At the half Philly was up 59-37. The Sixers had an efficient first half shooting 4-7 from 3 point range and 9-10 from the 'charity stripe'. But the biggest play was when Iggy connected on a high alley-oop to Thad. Assistant coach Aaron Mckie said he was impressed by the 76er defense, transition game, and their ball movement. The first half saw the Sixers take advantage of hustle, getting 10 2nd chance points. But for the Bobcats it was frustrating, which was clear by coach Paul Silas' ejection in the 2nd quarter. The third quarter began with a Charlotte 7-0 run led by Kemba Walker. But Lou responded with a 3 and back to back buckets by Lavoy Allen led to a Charlotte timeout. This quarter stayed pretty close and the Sixers maintained their lead. An Iggy 3 and Jrue alley-oop to Thad put them up 77-51 after 3. In the 4th quarter, the Sixers saw everyone on their roster get some playing time. Brackins, Nocioni, and newcomer Elson all got to play and they played well. The Sixers held on to their lead in the fourth quarter and the Bobcats didn't threaten. Final score was 89-72. Here's the recap:

Box Score:

Philadelphia - 

1. Lou – 21:22 mins., 17 pts., 5 rebs., 4 asts., 1 stl., 1 TO

2. Jrue – 30:55 mins., 15 pts., 5 rebs., 3 asts., 4 stls., 3 TOs

3. Meeks – 32:41 mins., 14 pts., 4 rebs., 2 asts., 1 stl., 1 TO

4. Thad – 24:23 mins., 10 pts., 4 rebs.

5. Iggy – 26:57 mins., 9 pts., 4 rebs., 6 asts., 2 stls., 2 TOs

6. Allen – 28:22 mins., 8 pts., 7 rebs., 1 ast., 1 TO

7. Turner – 21:45 mins., 4 pts., 7 rebs., 1 ast., 1 stl., 3 TOs

8. Brand – 21:27 mins., 4 pts., 2 rebs., 2 asts., 1 TO

9. Battie – 12:37 mins., 4 pts., 4 rebs.

10. Nocioni – 9:11 mins., 4 pts., 3 rebs., 1 TO

11. Brackins – 6:30 mins., 0 pts., 1 reb., 1 blk., 1 TO

12. Elson – 3:50 mins., 0 pts., 1 reb., 1 blk.

 

Charlotte - 

1. Kemba Walker – 14 pts., 8 rebs., 2 asts., 2 stls., 1 blk., 3 blks.

2. Matt Carroll – 11 pts., 3 rebs., 4 asts., 1 TO

3. Derrick Brown – 11 pts., 5 rebs., 2 asts., 1 blk.

4. Boris Diaw – 10 pts., 2 rebs., 3 asts., 5 TOs

5. Tyrus Thomas – 9 pts., 7 rebs., 1 blk., 2 stls.

6. Gerald Henderson – 7 pts., 3 rebs., 2 asts., 1 stl., 3 TOs

 

This was a good win for the Sixers over a team that they absolutely should have beaten. The Sixers remain one of a few teams in the league who haven't lost back to back games yet this season. This is a testament to coach Collins, the team's willingness to put in the work, and their attitude. The Sixers, so far this season, haven't taken any teams lightly and they look to keep rolling against the league's lesser talent. The Bobcats are certainly one of the least talented teams in the league and will need a few years and maybe some luck, if they're going to be competitive any time soon. Tonight's game was also a homecoming of sorts for two Bobcats, with Matt Carroll (Hatboro-Horsham) and Gerald Henderson (Episcopal Academy) returning to Philly. Tomorrow the Sixers look to keep things rolling against another struggling franchise in the Detriot Pistons. Game is at 7 p.m. @ the Wells Fargo. CSN. More to come…

Tags: Basketball, NBA, Philadelphia, Philadelphia 76ers

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