Sixers vs. Spurs Saturday Night.

[rickortreat]

The Spurs lost a tough one in Detroit without Mr. Clean, Bruce Bowen.  Considering that Detroit just lost to Phila. you'd have to believe the Sixers have a chance in their game with the Spurs.

The Sixers also played Friday, and managed to come back from 16 points down to beat Chicago by 4.  I didn't see the game until the end, and of course the Sixers looked great scoring 40 points in the 4th quarter using mostly bench players.  Rodney Carney shot 3 for 3 from the 3 point line, and his baskets came at the key times when the Sixers really needed a score. When he is on, he has a great shot.

The Spurs are still a great team, we talked about them stumbling when they were 7-3 in their last 10.   Most teams wish they could win 7 of 10.  Now, however, the Spurs are 6-4 and in real danger of going 5-5.

Both teams are traveling to Phila. so even though it's a home game, neither team is rested. As far as both  are concerned this is yet another tough game that they want to win, and know it's going to take a lot of effort.

The Sixers have a lot to feel good about, 2-1 so far this week, with consecutive wins in Detroit and Chicago.  Imagine how good they'd feel if they knocked off the Spurs!

[Reality]

Got to see about 2/3rds of the game.
For some reason the refs were blowing 'Sheed and dissing Timmay.
6 FTAs on the night and the most glaring a Tim Dunkar short banker that made it 82-80 with Sheed all over him, obivious foul for the 2+1.  No call.  Don't get that at all.

Disappointing loss but all in all the Spurs are right there.
The Lakers are losing now that they are playing some real teams.
New Orleans will get a taste of the injury bug with West probably missing at Detroit on Sunday.
Rockets are in a coma, what can you say.

So yes should be a good game at Philly.  I look for Bowen to be very energenic after the bogus suspension.
Spurs need to get Bones back and start making some treys.  Lord Poppycock has ordered D Stoudamire to shoot at will, actually not just "at will" but instead to force shots.  It's disasterous.

[Randy]

You are an idiot, Reality -- the Lakers aren't losing because they are playing some real teams -- they are losing because they've added more injuries in the frontcourt to their already banged up squad.

How well do you think the Spurs would fair without TD, Thomas and Fabs?  They got beat by the Hornets WITH all of those players -- and you want to whine about a Lakers loss when Gasol played 3 minutes before the ankle injury?  With 4 of their bigs out, the Lakers almost lost to the Hornets at the same point differential that the Spurs did healthy.   

[Laker Fan]

You're spittin' in the wind Randy, I was going to make THE EXACT SAME POINT to our resident moron, but I decided it was a waste of my time, the real fans on this board know the facts, so why waste time replying to a typical examples of his stupidity?

The Lakers have only lost to ONE quality team since Feb 1st, and that was last night without their number 2 scorer, on the road, and NO BIG MEN to fill the void left by Gasol's absence.

I can't help but notice how well those 5th seed Spurs are doing since Feb 1st, no scratch that, since March 1st, (see how nice I am? I won't hold that loss to Boston against them). Those back to back losses to "quality" teams like Denver, Phoenix, and then New Orleans, and Detroit don't mean much do they? And wasn't this the same New Orleans team that blew the Spurs out of the water by 25 while LA, with no big men, only lost by 10 to last night? I'm curious, just who has San Antonio beat besides Denver (once) in March? The answer? NOOOOOBOOOODY!

You know what they say about people in glass houses? Only the idiots throw stones.

[Reality]

For you two and your fellow Nozers sake, I hope the Collusionist Lakers and Spurs meet in the playoffs.

[Randy]

You mean the Lakers and the Collusionist Spurs in the playoffs this year?  We all know about the little "let's trade Barry so we can get him right back" collusion!

[WayOutWest]

For you two and your fellow Nozers sake, I hope the Collusionist Lakers and Spurs meet in the playoffs.

So I guess you are ignoring the points they made about the Spurs losses vs the Lakers losses?    OWNED!  you have moved up from owned to PWNED or PAWNED, which ever you prefer!! 

[Laker Fan]

For you two and your fellow Nozers sake, I hope the Collusionist Lakers and Spurs meet in the playoffs.

So I guess you are ignoring the points they made about the Spurs losses vs the Lakers losses?    OWNED!  you have moved up from owned to PWNED or PAWNED, which ever you prefer!! 

Thanks but no thanks WOW, I don't want him, I'll trade him to you for a six pack of cheap canned beer, that is if you don't mind me ripping you off in the trade.

[Derek Bodner]

5 games in 7 nights, with wins @bucks, detroit, @chicago, spurs, and the only loss being to the celtics.  Alright, I'm impressed.

[Laker Fan]

Good run by your boys Derek, I'm impressed as well, I still think they are first round and done in the grind of the playeoffs but you have to be happy wtih the way they're playing.

I ask yet again, what teams besides Denver have the Spurs beaten in March? NOOOOOOBBBBOOOOODDDDYYY!!!!!

Someone may be jumping off the bandwagon soon.

[rickortreat]

Why would you think they'd be first round and done, when they keep beating everyone?  It's like people thinking Houston was going to start loosing because they lost Yao. The Rockets keep winning and so do the Sixers.

And it's not like the Sixers aren't playing anyone good, they're playing the elite teams and winning.  The only team that's beaten them recently is the Celtics, but they're the best team in the league.  The reason the Celts are the best is that they play the best defense.  No one can execute well against their pressure check how teams do shooting against that defense!  Well, the Sixers stopped San Antonio and Detroit from scoring, and that was enough to beat them.  They won with defense. This is playoff style, half-court ball against the best teams in the game, the Champs from last year and the Champs from a couple of years ago. 

Don't say they don't have a chance in the playoffs.  They are playing the right way to do well, with defense, rebounding and running. They have some weaknesses, but they are compensating for them with hard work. They also are a bit more talented than they're given credit for.  I would rather have Andre Miller and Andre Igoudala than Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli. The Sixers strength is more in their backcourt, but that's where the game starts. 
 
Now the Sixers get a much needed and well earned rest before facing Denver next Wednesday.

[Laker Fan]

Let's not get ahead of ourselves here Ricko, I gave them props for for the little run they're on, and I meant it. But they're are still just 5-4 against winning teams since Feb 1st, good but not world beating. They've had a great March, and they're still not above .500.

Your enthusiasm for your team is awesome, but this post and previous downright silly posts asserting they're the 8th best team in the NBA are waaay off base.

1 game here and 1 game there is cool, but a 7 game series against playoff experience is something quite different, you will see that soon enough.

[rickortreat]

No, it's your comments that are off base since you can't seem to get into your head that the Sixers have changed quite a bit in the past 2 months, and are playing a completely different style of basketball.

They are now 1 game below .500, after spending the entire season well below that.  In the past 20 games, they are playing .700 ball, and in the past 10 they are winning at .800, including wins over elite teams in Detroit and San Antonio.  These accomplishments are not indicative of a sub-.500 team are they?  Even the 8th best team would be hard-pressed to manage the week the Sixers just had.

The same thing is also true of their stats- specifically the point differential between themselves and other teams. Consistently over the past several weeks they have been in ranked in the top 10, playing basketball at as high a level as any of them.  And, at the time of the season where teams are trying to play their best basketball and fighting for seedings.

The playoff seedings aren't even set yet, and people are thinking of the Sixers as being a quick out, because of their season-long record.  These same people thought the Sixers would finish dead last, and they were wrong about that too. They have a good chance to get to the 6th or even 5th spots, avoiding a first-round matchup with the Pistons or Celtics.  Instead they will get matched up against Orlando or Cleveland, where our guards give us a huge advantage.

There isn't a team in the East that looks forward to being matched up against the Sixers.  Apart from Boston who scares everyone, the Sixers are the team they want to avoid.  They remember the Pistons being knocked off by the Cavaliers last year- so much for their experience eh?  The only team I'm sure will beat the Sixers is the Celtics, any other team they meet they will compete against, and possibly win.

Depending on the seedings they should get to the 2nd round.  They are playing at a higher level now than every E.C. team with the exception of Boston (9-1) and Orlando (8-2).  And, no matter how many games Orlando wins, it still won't get that bad taste of loosing to the Sixers out of their mouths.

[WayOutWest]

Depending on the seedings they should get to the 2nd round.  They are playing at a higher level now than every E.C. team with the exception of Boston (9-1) and Orlando (8-2).  And, no matter how many games Orlando wins, it still won't get that bad taste of loosing to the Sixers out of their mouths.

IMO the Magic, Celtics and Pistons will have no problem with the Sixers.  The harsh reality of playoff basketball with hit the Sixers in the form of a 4-0 or 4-1 series loss.  The only teams the Sixers can upset are the Raptors and Wizards.  If they Sixers face the big three in the East in the first round they will be done for the simple fact they Sixers are an inferior team.  We will see come playoff time.

[westkoast]

Depending on the seedings they should get to the 2nd round.  They are playing at a higher level now than every E.C. team with the exception of Boston (9-1) and Orlando (8-2).  And, no matter how many games Orlando wins, it still won't get that bad taste of loosing to the Sixers out of their mouths.

IMO the Magic, Celtics and Pistons will have no problem with the Sixers.  The harsh reality of playoff basketball with hit the Sixers in the form of a 4-0 or 4-1 series loss.  The only teams the Sixers can upset are the Raptors and Wizards.  If they Sixers face the big three in the East in the first round they will be done for the simple fact they Sixers are an inferior team.  We will see come playoff time.

Agreed.

It's one thing to play one team, one night and not have much to go on because you haven't seen them in a while (or at all yet this year).  Its quite another to be able to make an adjustment game to game.  The Magic, Celtics, and Pistons have the players to make adjustments.  I just don't think the Sixers have the same amount of weapons to be able to switch up their game plan if what they did the previous game is no longer working.