Grizzlies bite, but don't draw blood

Too close for comfort. I think that was a TV show with the guy from "Caddyshack". It was also the description for last night's Sixers/Grizzlies game at the Wach.

The Grizz are a monumental failure on offense, and showed it last night. They shoot just 44 percent from the field, which is in the bottom half of the league, and score just 93.2 points nightly. Offense is not their forte. So this should have been much easier, right?

Well it was a win for the Sixers; a 91-87 close shave as Andre Iguodala and Sam Dalembert sealed it in the end with two free throws. But this is yet another case of playing down to your opponent.

While the Sixers are not a great shooting team themseleves, they did manage to fire at a 51 percent clip last night, but somehow only scored 91 points. Nine missed free throws will do that to you. On the other hand, it was a decent defensive effort by the Sixers, forcing the sloppy Grizz into 23 turnovers on the night. The Sixers had just nine of their own, and when the TO differential is that high, it usually means a win. However, it wasn't that simple.

Hakim Warrick made it anything but simple for Iggy and the Stooges, putting up a career-best 31 points. Included were an array of slashes to the basket and posterizing dunks. Luckily, Warrick, the Philly native, was all the offense they could muster. Take away Warrick's otherworldly performance, and Memphis shot just 40 percent from the floor. When holding opponents to under 90 points, the Sixers are a paltry 11-2. So overall, an above average defensive job.

In my Game Time preview, I thought the Sixers needed to keep the ball from getting inside too often. That did work to an extent, as they held the Grizzlies center Marc Gasol to just five shots (he did make four, though). Warrick did get to the basket with ease at times, but most of the Grizzlies shots were from the outside, which I figured would bode well for the Sixers. However, the Grizz knocked down six three pointers on the night, meaning their hand was a bit hot for what they are used to. Missing Rudy Gay has gotten other guys involved, but clearly they are missing their most well-rounded player.

Offensively, the Sixers turned those 23 Memphis turnovers into a delectable 26 points. The name of the game for the Sixers is run, and while they didnt run Memphis back to Graceland, they got the win in the end. Their 19 fastbreak points were a sign of the swarming D, and then taking advantage of it quickly on the offensive end.


But this wasn't a win until the final minute, and you can thank Andre Iguodala for that. In the first half, his play was stale, scoring just two points in the first half. And that bucket came with just 53 seconds remaining. In basketball, it's the fourth quarter that counts, and Iggy made the Grizzlies pay for keeping him under wraps for so long.

Iguodala went nutty nuts, scoring nine points in the final stanza, and dropping the game winner on the Grizz with 25 seconds to go. He is becoming a man before our very eyes (tear).

The general, Andre Miller, was the only consistent offensive weapon for Philly, putting up a 24/9 line on the night. He has been quietly playing at a high level, using his distribution skills to keep everyone involved and displaying his new-found shooting touch from the outside. Forget about Iggy, Miller has been the real MVP of this team in 2009.

Next up: All-Star Break, Pacers 2/17