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

Game Time

(That's me, # 10, second to left. To my left (your right) is a young Kyle Lowry)


Who: Grizzlies (15-36) @ Sixers (26-24)

What: The Grizzlies are a beaten up bunch, and have their tales between their legs coming to Philly. They have won two in a row, and when you have 15 wins total on the year, that's saying something. However, they have lost six of their last 10, and have lost two important players in the process. Rudy Gay is out with a hip flexor, and will also miss the All-Star Slam Dunk Contest this Saturday. Kyle Lowry, the Philly native and former teammate of mine in high school (name drop!) is out due to an ankle injury. (p.s. Check out my stats!)

As for the Sixers, spirits remain high following a huge win over the Phoenix Suns on Monday. The 108-91 drubbing of a former elite team adds to the big wins for the Sixers and proves they can hang with just about anyone. "[Philly] played well. They definitely came out and raised the intensity," said Suns forward Amare Stoudemire after the Suns were run out of the building. "We fired back, we hung in there. We had a chance in the fourth quarter to fight back and get that win, but we just couldn’t do it."

Where: Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, PA

When: 7pm (game 51)

Why (The Sixers need this win): If they lose, its a complete letdown. You cant blow out the likes of Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, Shaquille O'Neal and Grant Hill, and then get beaten on your own court by a decimated Grizzlies team struggling to score points. Another win puts the Sixers closer to the vaunted 4th spot in the East, a plateau that is very much reachable. Another victory also gives them that much more confidence at the end of a long home stand. After this, the Sixers hit the road for five of the next six, with their only home game against the Denver Nuggets on February 18. End the seven game home stand on a nice note, boys.

How (The Sixers can win): Shutting down O.J. Mayo. Without Gay, they are missing their prized wingman who poses problems both inside and out. However, Mayo is their only viable offensive weapon at this point. The Grizzlies as a whole manage just over 93 points per game, good for 29th in the NBA (30 teams folks). They are also among the worst three-point shooting teams in the league, so forcing outside shots pretty much assures a win against this downtrodden squad.

The key for the Sixers is keeping spirits high by getting Marreese Speights involved often and keeping the intensity level up. This is a proverbial trap game, and a loss to a medicore team can shatter confidence quickly. Run, run, run, and force the ball outside on defense, and a win should be easily attainable.