Hornets nail 10 triples, and the coffin

David West made it look easy.

It’s true, Andre Miller and Andre Iguodala are the clear-cut, no-brainer, leaders of this team. Miller sets the pace, Iguodala runs in it.

But lately, it’s become a theme that these two guys take over the game. And in some situations, there isn’t anything wrong with that. But in this case, it usually means the rest of the team is out of sync.

Against the Hornets last night, it was a valiant effort by the 76ers. In the end, New Orleans held on 98-91 behind 30 points and 10 rebounds from David West. Chris Paul had a relatively quiet 16 and 12 assists, but was certainly in the mood for finding others.

For the Sixers, Iggy and Papa Miller once again ran the show, while the other three starters struggled. Willie Green continues his desecration of the three-point arc, going 1-of-5 from beyond and 3-of-12 overall. Sam Dalembert played an uninspiring 13 minutes, scoring two points and grabbing four boards while looking genuinely disinterested throughout. Thaddeus Young struggled as well, hitting just five of his 12 shots in 41 minutes

-How can Andre Miller be a better shooter? The guy is filling it up lately, and we are finally getting the whole package from a guy who was destined to be a pass-first player his whole career. Miller is now shooting over 48 percent from the field and over his last five contests he is 41-of-68, a sweltering 60 percent clip. Miller is the undeniable MVP of the Sixers this season.

-David West is good. He smacked the Sixers around between 12 and 19 feet, hitting elbow jumper after elbow jumper. West made the defense pay for over-committing to the defensive switch. West and Paul together are one of the greatest combo’s of this new generation of basketball. The Hornets don’t play a fast-paced game, but they do so much in the half-court set. It’s your basic, run-of-the-mill pick and pop stuff, but it’s impenetrable from a defensive standpoint. When things are going well, it seems like everyone is open for the Hornets. That said, the Hornets shot over 60 percent from three, and most of that was predicated on the two man game. Paul and West found the open men and threes rained.

-Chris Paul hit a dagger late in the 4th, and is fast becoming one of those guys. He is beginning to show that killer instinct that few have. Kobe has it, Pierce now has it, Wade's still got it, LeBron is close, and Paul is joining him.

-Maybe the most impressive Hornets player was James Posey. He showed he was a glue guy last season with the Celtics and is playing the same role one again this year. With 16 points and 12 rebounds off the bench, Posey is the spark that is so vital when the postseason arrives.

-Why the Sixers haven’t moved Willie Green to the bench is beyond me. He is a shooting guard who cannot shoot, and for a team that clearly lacks that particular characteristic of the offense, it’s an ill fit. Replace Green with Lou Williams and go small, or put Speights in the lineup and move Iggy to the deuce.

-Speaking of Marreese Speights, the starting five from here on out should be: Miller, Williams, Iguodala, Young, Speights, now that I think about it. With Green not getting it done, and Dalembert becoming an increased liability, this has to be the lineup to go with. RUN, RUN, RUN!!!!

-The Sixers need some sort of change, they have become too complacent and maybe the joy of playing old-school basketball will refresh the players psyche. Or would that be asking too much? It’s become the No Balls Association, and this is one reason why. Too many half court sets, not enough flair. The Sixers need to bring the flair before the flame out.

-I do commend the 76ers on a nice comeback after a horrific first quarter in this game. They were quickly in a 21-8 hole and the second unit lit the spark and a 17-4 run ensued. That’s clearly why the Williams/Speights combo should be inserted immediately. No time to wait. The Pistons, Bucks, Bulls, and others are lurking.

-Sam Dalembert continues to disappoint. Instead of complaining, he should be trying to earn his $60 million.

4th straight loss could be a season killer

Looking at this picture may cause blindness or nausea. It's a half court game winner thats why.

Don't let this one get to you. Thats the best advice I can give.

After Devin Harris hits a fumblerooski 48-footer with Andre Iguodala in his grill to win the game, there's just nothing that you can do except shake it off. It's a fluke play and if you replay is 10,000 times, 9,999 times it goes your way. Hell, probably 10,000 times it goes your way. Not this time. If that makes sense?

This is the sort of loss that can sink a team, and the 76ers are right now on the cusp of a knockout punch. It sounds like i'm getting ahead of myself, because really the Sixers are still within the top eight teams in the East. But losses like this hit deeper.

They hit deeper because it was a game that after one quarter was 12 points in the Sixers favor. It was a game in which the Sixers missed 14 free throws in 37 attempts, an absurd amount on the road. That number itself basically gives you an amazing edge away from home; rarely will a road team see so many trips to the stripe. The Sixers also did what they do best, force turnovers, 16 to be exact. It was still not enough.

In trying to search for the positives, it's hard to get past one fateful play thats so freakish its hard to explain. All five starters got into double figures, led by Andre Iguodala and his 21. But again, the three-point shooting was non-existant and the free throws were even more of a gut punch.

All in all, loads of opportunities to win the game, yet the Sixers capitalized on none.

Willie Green finally snapped a streak of putrid basketball, putting up 14 points on 6 of 9 from the field. His two triples accounted for 66 percent of the Sixers output for the night, which is a good sign for Green, but on the whole, not so good for the team.

Sam Dalembert was an anchor in the middle; I guess the crying did wonders. He grabbed 10 boards and had three blocks, but again, had a few head scratching plays on the offensive end.

Defensively, there isn't much you can complain about. Outside of Devin Harris, who poses a problem for all teams, not just the Sixers, the Nets were shut down. Vince Carter had just 10 points and was ineffective in his 36 minutes. Keyon Dooling did hit dagger after dagger off the bench en route to 16 points in 30 strong minutes. Harris put up 39 points and per usual, made a team pay for their inability to stop a quick point guard.

Devin Harris is an incredible talent, and he got away with one at the end. It's one of those inexplainable shots that somehow falls. The important is getting past it quickly and while on that ride past Perth Amboy and Elizabethtown, looking forward to the task at hand. The lowly Washington Wizards are on the agenda. Not Devin Harris, not the New Jersey Nets, not a half-court, buzzer-beater to win it. None of that.

Though it does sting a bit, no?

Week in Review: Not good

Dalembert was seen wearing this

The All-Star break can be a help or a hindrance. In this case, it was the latter.

The Sixers came out of the long weekend and now find themselves losers of three straight, and in each loss the team failed to score more than 91 points. So much for pushing the pace.

In the three games this past week, their shooting percentages have been downright awful, hitting 38.5, 32.6, and 37.1 against Indiana, Denver, and Miami. Their three-point shooting has been a major problem as well, going 2-13, 4-13, 4-18 over the same three games. The Sixers needed to upgrade at the deadline by adding a shooter, but they could not get a deal done and are paying the price. They continue to heave up three's that they have no business shooting. Their so-called outside shooters, Willie Green and Lou Williams, are struggling. Williams is hitting less than 29 percent of his three's while Green is knocking down only 30 percent. It's hard to win in this league when you can only shoot inside of 18 feet.

While the defense has been good, it's just not enough to offset the ugly perimeter game. The inside game hasnt been there much either, as Sam Dalembert, an avid complainer, is not getting it done. Dalembert continues to make excuses, but the fact of the matter is, his offense sucks. He is complaining about a lack of playing time, but does he really deserve to be on the court for more than 25 minutes?

At this point, the Sixers best bet would be to go small and run, run, run. The lack of an outside threat hurts that notion, but the slowdown half-court sets are getting uglier by the quarter. They have the speed and athleticism to run people out of the gym, but shy away from the up-tempo game unelss it is off of turnovers. Instead of Dalembert, try Speights in the starting lineup and keep running. The rookie mistakes will be there, and the interior D may take a hit, but the fast-paced game would proivde the team a spark it really needs.

Luckily, Andre Miller's calf injury was not as bad as it looked, or the Sixers would be in trouble. He was fine on Saturday, putting up a season-high 30 points. But when your starting point guard puts up 30 and you're team as a whole scores just 91, something is missing. The 32-year old PG can't do it all, so someone needs to step up.

Andre Iguodala is somehow shooting 46 percent on the year, because his three point percentage is an awful 26 percent. Since the break, Iggy is just 13-40 from the field, and has hit one triple. For a guy who supposedly worked on his outside shooting, whatever he did didn't work. The $80 million man has to step up IMMEDIATELY.

Another loss or two, and the Sixers could be on the outside looking in. Thankfully Detroit is playing sloppy too, or this team would be sinking deeper. The fourth seed seemed like a reality seven days ago. Now, it's a fantasy.

The Wrestler was a great movie...

The movie "The Wrestler" was nominated for several Academy Awards, and I can now see why. Mickey Rourke plays "The Ram" an over-the-hill professional wrestler who is still hanging on to the glory years, stuffing himself with steroids while battling a bad heart. This engaging piece was provocative (lookout, Marisa Tomei!) and an accurate portrayal of what life must be like for a down-and-out ex-star who has no family, no money, and no conscience in the real world.

It was a hell of a movie, and if you think I've gone Gene Shalit on you, you're damn right I have. After the Sixers entertained me for an entire half, the third quarter got ugly. As the Nuggets crept back from a 16-point deficit in the first half, it became quiet obvious what was happening.

The Sixers were basically battling themselves, just as Mickey Rourke had in the film. A cause for concern is Andre Miller's calf injury, which should put a damper on all the trade rumors surrounding him. But the bigger story here is the lack of offense by the Sixers for the final three quarters. As a team, the Sixers managed to shoot just over 32 percent from the field, and also missed 10 free throws en route to a 12-point loss.

Andre Iguodala, responsible for Carmelo Anthony on this night, didn't have a chance. He fouled out in just 27 minutes as the entire Nuggets offense used him like a rented mule. Miller had been a bright spot before leaving with the leg injury, scoring 17 points and grabbing seven boards in just 22 minutes. If this is what its like without Miller, then I retract my previous post. Keep him.

Without Miller, the Sixers managed just 40 points through the final 19 minutes of play, while on the other side, Denver pulled away during this final stretch.

Marreese Speights did bring some intensity off the bench and put up a double-double in only 22 minutes on the floor. He continues to put up stellar numbers with the second unit in short spurts. Tony DiLeo and the rest of the coaching staff is really bringing him along nicely. Credit Jeff Ruland for working with the big man and keeping him focused.

But focus was not a noun in the vocabulary of the Sixers last night, as they shot out to a hot start, then faded miserably and looking amateur for three quarters. The first two games post-break have been disheartening. Effort has been lacking and the offense stagnant in the 96 minutes of play since starting back up. With Miller going down, there is no one to run the team. And a team currently struggling to score can ill-afford to lose their most consistent offensive threat.

Not what we had in mind for a stretch run. As they continue to 'wrestle' with their offense, I will continue to turn off the game when a great movie is on. Sorry, selfish.

31 games to go

Stretch. Run.

There isn't much time left. Just 31 games remain in the 2008-09 NBA season, and in those 31 games, a lot can go right, or wrong.

At this point last season, Sixers fans were worrying whether or not this was a playoff team. Their 23-30 record was an abomination for those who though the team would take another step forward. Last year's squad used the All-Star break as launching pad, and the Sixers finished out their final 29 games with a 17-12 record. Overall, 40-42 is not normally a positive sign. But a playoff berth in the weak Eastern Conference set them up with the Pistons in round one, where an upset brewed.

This season, things were certainly different heading to the break.

The Sixers sit three games over-.500 (27-24) and are vying for the fourth position in the East. It's a progression that has been one year in the making, but hasn't come without the bumps in the raod. The team was supposed to be in this position, or an even better one than 27-24, after the acquisition of Elton Brand. Needless to say, everyone knows how Year 1 of the Brand Project turned out.

Without Brand's help, the Sixers must focus on the checkered flag at the end of the course. That flag is less than two months away, and waiting for them is yet another step forward.

There is plenty still left to be accomplished by this team. The main objective is to secure a playoff spot, however, that's not thinking big enough for this team. This is basically the same Sixers club that took the Pistons to six games in round one last season, so they are chomping at the bit once again to get back there and make more noise.

In their sights is Atlanta, just three-and-a-half up in the standings, clinging to a small lead over the fifth seeded Miami Heat. The #4 seed is #1 right now for the 76ers. With no shot at the top three positions, they would be wise to make a move north in the standings, so as not to deal with Boston, Cleveland, or Orlando in the opening round. It is certainly possible.

The priority of this team is defense. Through 51 games, the Sixers have struck fear into their opponents by swarming to the ball, causing turnovers at an alarming rate, and quickly turning those mistakes into points. It is the essence of this ball club, and to lose sight of that would be inexcuseable. The 76ers are what we think they are; a group of long-armed, quick-footed workers who tirelessly come after you every possession, every quarter, every game.

Andre Iguodala and Andre Miller are the stalwarts and will be looked upon for guidance down the stretch. Iguodala wants to show the world he is a superstar and belongs on the same court as LeBron, Pierce, and Wade. There is no better time to prove it than now.

Miller believes he still has fuel left in the tank, and not just for this season, but for a few more following. The veteran point guard has been a lead-by-example player, and his quiet motivation has not ben mistaken for weakness by teammates. Everyone on the Sixers understands the value that Miller brings to the table. He is their rallying point.

Sammy D needs to bring just that. And Thad Young and Willie Green need to be their shooters unless a marksman is brought in pre-deadline.

The Sixers bench has been outstanding as of late, with rookie Marreese Speights turning the corner quicker than anyone expected. But what was once unexpected is no required, and this team knows that they need outstanding play from Speights off the pine. Along with Speights, Reggie Evans will continue to bring passion and a fervency that won't even be asked. He simply brings it every night. Lou Williams has to take a step forward too, giving good minutes as a backup to Miller.

If the Sixers keep the pace with which they are at, a 17-14 finish would be respectable. But to reach the next level, they must outdo Miami and Atlanta ahead of them, and stave off Detroit and others lurking in the rear veiw.

It won't be an easy challenge either, as 18 of their final 31 are on the road. And still to come away from the Wachovia Center are visits to Miami, Los Angeles (Lakers), Phoenix, Golden State, Portland, Detroit, New Jersey, and Cleveland, among others. That's a tough road ahead, and in their way is a ton of desperation. Miami is fending off the Sixers, Phoenix is trying to turn their fortunes around, Portland wants to move higher in the West, and Detroit and New Jersey want to overtake the Sixers and their sixth spot. A lot of animosity is on the way.

It's that time of year again and the Sixers still have proving to do. But this time, they are prepared for things to go their way.

Sixers first half review

It's actually not the end of the first half, since most teams are 50-plus games in already. The All-Star break is a nice defined line though that splits up the season and helps us decipher a beginning and end to the NBA year.

The 76ers began the year on a down note. They came out of the gate 9-14, Mo Cheeks lost his job, and Elton Brand began his Sixers career floundering. Tony DiLeo took over; the former Senior Vice President and Assistant General Manager, and the team took off with him. Since his inception, the Sixers have gone 18-10 and now sit in the sixth position in the Eastern Conference playoff hunt. Nice turnaround, I'd say.

While things haven't always been pretty, DiLeo has made it a priority to run more than they had through the first 25 games, and he has also implemented the three-ball into the game plan. The Sixers still rank dead last in three-point percentage, but it's a work in progress.

In breaking down the Sixers first half of the season, I will use General Manager and General Bad ass Ed Stefanski as a meter to guide you. With one Stefanski Head being bad, and five Stefanski Heads being downright awesome, let's breakdown the team through 51 games.

Offense:
-The offense gets 3 out of 5 Stefanski because it is still not where it needs to be. The shooting from the outside is horrendous, though the Sixers say they have outside shooters in Willie Green and Lou Williams. This is not a perimeter oriented squad; they are built to attack the basket and run out on the break. Their quickness has been exceptional, especially using defense as a starting point for the offense. They normally turn those turnovers in to points, which makes the offense look efficient.

Speaking of efficient, the most productive rookie so far this season has been Marreese Speights. No, he hasn't put up the same numbers as Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook or O.J. Mayo, but when he is given playing time, he certainly uses it to his advantage. Speights' game has soared in the last few weeks, culminating with a 24-point, seven rebound performance against the Suns in just 24 minutes of action. His PER (player efficiency rating) is through the roof at over 21. His true shooting percentage is also a paltry 57 percent, fifth for rookies. Needless to say, when DiLeo puts him out there, Speights rarely disappoints.

The stalwarts of the offense have been Andre Iguodala and Andre Miller. Iggy and the Stooges, as I like to call this team, have been able to make teams cower to them when they run the break, and that is predicated on these two gentlemen leading the charge. Miller is still putting together fabulous numbers at this stage of his career, posting, by far, a career high from behind the arc. His .333 percentage betters his previous high by about eight percent. He has the green light now, as do all of the Sixers, from the perimeter.

Iguodala has been on a tear since beginning the season with no 20-point performances through the first 17 games. Iguodala played the first few weeks with Elton Brand and seemed out of sorts. He figured it out once Brand his the injured list and hasn't looked back since. He's not up to 18 points per game and his peripheral stats are looking fine as well. Iggy is shooting 47% from the field, a career high, and 6.1 rebounds per game is also a career-best.

Other Sixers that have played well are Thad Young and Sam Dalembert. Sammy D leads the charge defensively, as the anchor in the front court. It's not always pretty with Sam on offense, as he still needs work on his post moves. He does have fairly reliable mid-range game though, but it's better that he doesn't put the ball on the floor, as it usually means turnovers.

Young is picking up where he left off as a rookie. His sophomore season is going exceptionally well, with his points per game jumping to 13.7 this season from 8.2 last. Young's newly found outside game has also been a blessing for this perimeter disoriented team. Not a bad first 50 though for these two front court mates.

Lou Williams has provided some pop off the bench, and Reggie Evans has given the team heart-pumping minutes. Willie Green can be special at times, but lacks a consistent outside jumper.

Overall, the Sixers still lack that shooter that could help space the floor. In many games early on, they have not seen consistent jump shooting, which could take them from average to above-average quickly. Still, with all of the trouble surrounding Elton Brand and his season-ending shoulder injury, the Sixers have stuck to their guns and gotten back to what they do best.

Defense:
-The defense is so good, they get four Stefanski's! The Sixers are holding their opponents to 95 points per game, on par with defensive elitists San Antonio, Houston, and Detroit. Forcing turnovers is their forte, pressuring the opposition into 16 per game, second best in the NBA. Another telling stat for this defense has been opponents shooting percentage, which is seventh best in the league at 45 percent.

Andre Iguodala and Thad Young lead the charge in forcing teams into giving up the basketball due to their length and quickness. Sam Dalembert gives them the anchor in the front court that can bang with the big guys. Dalembert is adept at shutting down some of the best, including Yao and Shaquille O'Neal recently. His penchant for blocked shots and timely rebounds makes him an interior presence that the Sixers cannot do without. Miller and Green do a fine job of taking on guard opposite them, using their size to their advantage.

Evans bench play usually brings people out of their seats and provides an unreal spark for the second unit. Through the first 50 games, Evans has seen himself in some big defensive positions, normally put up against the other teams power forward. And in the Atlantic Division, that means Chris Bosh, David Lee, and Kevin Garnett. Evans gets a A+ and five Stefanski's for his effort.

Coaching:
-I can't say I wasn't upset when the Sixers let Mo Cheeks go after just 25 games. I felt like he didn't have enough time to get this team in position to win, especially after trying to incorporate Elton Brand's different style in with the running team that defines the Sixers. Cheeks was let go, and the Sixers went on a tear up until the break. Whether DiLeo deserves all the credit is still up for discussion. DiLeo worked mostly without Brand, which seemed to be the problem. Cheeks failed at making Brand the focus of the offense, something that DiLeo did not have to do.

Overall the coaching between the two garners three Stefanski's out of five. DiLeo deserves credit for the turnaround, but Cheeks had little room for error, which was unfair.

DiLeo has allowed the team to unleash their perimeter game, no matter how sorry it is. That kind of thinking has given the Sixers confidence in that aspect of their game. They did not have a green light under Cheeks, which could have pressured them into make more plays inside the arc.

Although Cheeks did not get it done, he still should be praised for the job last season. Had he been in the same situation DiLeo was put in, he may have succeeded. The players have surprisingly taken to DiLeo's tactics and seems to be behind their new head coach 110 percent. All hands are on deck, which is vital for a young team still clawing for elite status.

Overall:
-The Sixers get three Stefanski's as they enter the break 27-24. They have played aggressive defense, which allows their offense to work freely through the fast break. It's clear the Sixers need to find a new shooter, and that could come at the deadline. However, their experiment with Brand went south quickly, and that was accelerated by his injury. We will have to wait until 2009-10 to see if Brand can connect with this group.

One negative has been the turnout at the Wachovia Center. The average attendance through 51 games is just 14, 747. This exciting team is not receiving the attention is should, but there are several factors that could be causing this downturn. Obviously the economy both nationwide and here in Philadelphia is a reason. People just don't have the money to come to an NBA game and spend $200 on tickets, drinks, food, and merch. It's no longer in the budget for most. Philadelphia may also still be riding high from the Phillies World Series title, as well as the Eagles run to the NFC Championship game. Whatever the case, go out and see these guys!

As it stands, the Sixers are making a run to the four seed in the East, something that seemed like a pipe dream in early December. The focus for the second half still has to be defense and intensity for 48 minutes. This team has talent, but they don't have the superstar that can put them over the edge in tight situations like a LeBron James or Kobe Bryant, or even a Paul Pierce. Andre Iguodala is blossoming into a fine player, and he may very well be the biggest key to success as we hit the end in April.

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

Speights, Sixers slap Suns silly

Marreese Speights, Marreese Speights, Marreese Speights. It's turning into a man crush, and I don't care. Forget about my waxing poetic, the guy is insanely talented and is beginning to harness it before our very eyes. During an uptempo first half, Speights played for 11 minutes and scored 16 points on an array of alley-oop slams and jumpers. At one point, Speights scored 12 straight points for the Sixers and pushed the team out to a 13 point lead over the winded Phoenix Suns. In the end, Speights and the rest of the crew blew the Suns out of the Wachovia Center by a score of 108-91.

What more can we say about this guy? He runs with purpose, gives the Sixers a spark on the court, and has learned to minimize mistakes. Speights continues to lead all rookies in PER in the NBA, and it's funny to see Robin Lopez on the opposite bench, wasting away. The Suns picked Lopez ahead of Speights, and now have the honor of watching him soar in for dunks and scream the basketball Gods as he runs back down to the defensive end. Elton Who?

It's been a beautiful thing watching Speights flourish before our very eyes, and in this game against the Suns he has outworked everyone put up against him. Amare Stoudemire, the perennial all-star, has been thoroughly outplayed by the youngster.

In the first half, the Sixers did not shoot well, but still put together a great defensive effort. The Suns shot 43 percent and did not make a three pointer in the half, and were forced into 12 turnovers. Andre Miller and company kept the Suns offense off-balance and did not allow Steve Nash to find his mates. The Suns as a whole appeared stagnant and unenthusiastic from the beginning. Perhaps Sunday night's big win over the Detroit Pistons, paired with the fact they are playing back-to-back east coast roadies, the Suns were doomed from the start.

The second half was more of the same ineptitude by the lackadaisical Suns, and more Marreese Speights. The Sixers as a whole exploited the sub par effort of Phoenix at every turn, and ran as much as possible. Here's a noble endeavor: why don't the Sixers go after a shooter at the deadline and run like the Suns used to three or four years ago? They are just as fast, if not faster, than those Suns teams of lore. They pose problems for other teams athletically, but are not a bad rebounding team like the Suns were under Mike D'Antoni. Just a thought.

But back to the game at hand. Thaddeus Young and Andre Iguodala teamed up with Speights and combined for 47 points of their own. 'Reese finished with a career-high 24 points in 24 minutes off the bench, and has quickly allowed for Elton Brand to fade into the background. Brand had surgery on Monday to fix the shoulder that had ailed him since December 19, and Speights made it seem like he was the nine-year veteran. On top of the 24 points, 'Reese grabbed seven boards and blocked two shots, plus hit 11 of his 16 field goal attempts. All in a days work for the rookie.

This wasn't just the Speights show either. Iggy and Thad supplied the offense, Dalembert gave them an interior presence, and Andre Miller quietly ran the show en route to the bitch slapping of PHX.




It's this balanced effort that often escaped the Sixers through the first half of the year. However, since the turn of the calendar to '09, that instability is quickly falling by the wayside, and the Sixers are playing great ball against the best. This Phoenix team was supposed to provide a true test, but it turned into a laugher. The Sixers have won 13 of their last 17 and are now two games over .500.

If the Sixers continue to run and force turnovers, they can be an absolute force. They turned 18 Phoenix turnovers into 20 points and sped out to 19 fast break points against a slow team, which helped put Phoenix to bed early. The Sixers now find themselves just three games out of the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Quite a turnaround from that 9-14 start to the year.

But that's way behind this basketball team. It's all about looking ahead, and forgetting about what could have been. It's all about what CAN BE.

Keep runnin' boys.

"I've got big balls. They're such big balls"

Did anyone else catch this? After dropping what appeared to be the game winner, Andre Iguodala used the old Sam Cassell "Big Balls" celebration following the 18-footer that somehow dropped.

Ray Allen then showed the crowd of 17,000-plus that his balls are just a wee bit bigger than most. Enjoy. And then not.

Don’t call it a comeback

Because the Sixers keep playing sloppy basketball. Eighteen turnovers is not what I call smart play. They get a bit of a mulligan by bringing it all the way back from a 14-point deficit in Houston where it is tough to win. The Sixers did just that, splitting the quick excursion to the Gulf Coast Region after a 95-93 win over the Rockets.

If you feel like this is a roller-coaster ride - watching the Sixers play for 48 minutes, raise your hand. Throughout a game, at several points I want to do a number of things, including: throw the remote, watch another game, watch the oxygen channel, flip back, hold my breath, scream obscenities. It’s like menopause for NBA fans. My chest feels heavy and it makes me want to lay down. It’s heart attack-worthy.

It’s so frustrating to watch leads slip away, yet incredibly rewarding when they provide an awesome turnaround like they did tonight.

The Negatives:

Sam Dalembert played incredible defense on Yao Ming. That might even be a bit of an understatement. He battled hard in the low block trying to keep the 7’6 Yao away from the hoop. Dalembert would seem over matched but really held his own.

So why is he on the negative list? Bonehead plays. I will call him “Brain Fart”. At times it looks like he has no idea why he’s in the arena. At one point he grabbed a rebound and tried to throw a fade route to Lou Williams streaking down the sidelines, only to have it go over his head and bounce out of bounds. Another sequence had him grab a great offensive rebound along the baseline, only to jack up an ill-advised shot over the long arms of Yao after getting the fresh shot clock. Although he dominated at times on defense, he ended up with a team-worst -11. Roller-coaster.

The turnovers are a real problem. The total stands at 39 over the last two games, an exorbitant figure. Their 15.5 per game is 25th in the league, so it’s amazing that they are even in some of these games. You have to take care of the ball, and right now it isn’t happening. If they could bring that number down a tick, there could be another win or two on the board.

Lou Williams also made some bonehead mistakes and did not shoot well. On a fast break during the second quarter, he tried to make a fancy pass to Marreese Speights on the right wing and threw it two feet in front of him, into the front row. His 17 points were deceiving because he took more bad shots than good in my opinion.

The Positives:

Sam Dalembert! Great defense, son! His four blocks, including the game-sealer out on the arc guarding Tracy McGrady, were huge. Sammy D, you must be this tall to ride the coaster.

Elton Brand made a statement as well, both offensively and defensively. In 26 minutes he put together a healthy stat line: 14pts, 7reb, 6-10FG, 6 blocks. Six blocks is the telling stat here. The Sixers had 14 altogether, exerting themselves defensively and taking no prisoners in the paint. Brand, teamed with Dalembert, shut down Yao, holding him to 13 points in 34 minutes.

Teamwork was also on display, and within that, they didn’t seem to miss a beat with Brand on the court. There had been so much talk about how the team would respond with Brand back and they showed tonight it shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

Marreese Speights lack of playing time had also been an issue, as he tallied just 15 minutes in the past two games; tonight, 21. Tony DiLeo listened to my constant bickering and kept him in the game long enough for him to be a +12 and score six points to go with six boards.

Andre Iguodala nailed a beautiful high arcing jump shot with 37 seconds left in the 4th quarter that put the Sixers in control down the stretch. In the first quarter, he also threw down a silly alley-oop dunk over Yao that should be on Sportscenter tonight. He took three 3-pointers tonight and did not make any, which is his Achilles heel. He did have 20 points however, including those big two late in the game.

An impressive stat came from the free throw line, another sickly part of the team. They usually shoot 74 percent, which is 29th in the NBA. Tonight, 20-for 21, a complete turnaround, and the Sixers needed every single one of them.

This is the kind of performance that leads to a nice winning streak. Beating a member of the elite club makes you feel all warm inside, doesn’t it?

Next up: Washington – Friday, January 30, 7pm