Sixers win fifth wire-to-wire, see playoffs

At 23-30 (.434) your Philadelpha Seventy-Sixers today are tied with the New Jersey Nets for the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. Yes, that record here means playoffs.

Please try to forget that on the other coast one team between Houston, Golden State and Denver WOULD NOT make it to the post season, even being 32-20 (.615). This is today’s NBA, like it or not.

The main point of the 102-88 home win versus the Grizzlies is that Sixers have a serious (…) shot at the postseason.

Good? I would say “sad” for a NBA fan, but anyway. Since my suggestions to tank the season clearly weren’t listened (LOL) I’m enjoying the pleasure of a nice winning streak, that yesterday reached five.

Yes, many of the teams we met in this perfect homestand were below .500 but so were are the Sixers. Yes, many of them were either injury plagued or tired, some both, and most of them suck overall. But when you lose in those conditions and you try to remember these truths, others (rightfully) reply “excuses”. 

So we beat a Memphis team that after trading Gasol for ..well, garbage, will likely drop deeper, maybe even fall at the bottom of the rankings by the end of the year: Miami got Marion and Minnesota is at least fighting and lately won some games, that’s why I think THESE (horrible, sorry) Grizzlies have a good chance to end with the League’s worst record. I hope my friends from 3 Shades of blue will take the best part of this: the possibility to get the #1 pick in the 2008 draft.

Not much to say about the game, again: Sixers led from start to finish for the second time this season. I’ll write down just some points that I took note of while watching the game, in chronological order:

* “Sixers wear white throwback uniforms tonight… they had so many design changes through the years….”. “But this is the best of the pack, it lasted the longest !!” (even Memphis commentators on FSN/League pass notice it…). My campaign to bring the old unis back – full time !! – will be up on Sixers4guidos over the All Star weekend, stay tuned

* my boy Darko (in the picture…LOL), one silly turnover and two misses in the firt two minutes. He’s not focused. He’s awful, I have to admit.

* Sixers shoot 3/6 from three point in the FIRST QUARTER (26-21), with Lowry beating the buzzer with a nifty layup

* Reggie Evans, three bricks in two possessions to start the SECOND QUARTER, including a lefthanded layup that nearly breaks the glass. Ouch.

* Darko dribbles on his foot and the ball falls out of bounds. I feel sorry for him, really. He’s embarassing. I am embarassed. I don’t know why, it’s him doing it, not me, but I feel like that.

* Grizzlies GM smartly paired Darko with Kwame Brown. I know he only wants his 9 millions to come off the books in few months, but in the meantime the effects of the move are nearly comical. Kwame catches the ball, goes up for a dunk (or a layup? It could be… anyway, a shot !!) and… comes down with the ball. HE FORGOT TO SHOOT !!! Traveling violation. The embarassment reaches its peak.

* Rodney Carney comes off the bench and plays some nice full court defense, with a couple of steals, a (not completed) three point play and another basket. Good spark again.

* Rudy Gay is excellent: 19 on 7/14 AT THE HALF, after starting 1/7. Iguodala has 20 for us, he’s destroying Memphis with 9/12 from the field.

* Iguodala’s start of the THIRD QUARTER: airball – three pointer made – assist to Thaddeus Young – miss – thunderous dunk: 62-45 Sixers. Sam does the rest, blocking Grizzlies in the paint and finishing on the other side (72-50). Phily scores on 8 of its first 10 attempts.

* Hakeem Warrick shows some pride and fights, but the game seems over: 84-68 at the end of the third

* no, wait, Grizzlies unexpectedly come back IN THE FOURTH QUARTER and cut the deficit to only six: 92-86, 4 minutes to play ! Warrick rocks.

* Never mind, Andre Miller closes it with a jumper and a fantastic assist to Iguodala for another impressive dunk. Sixers win 102-88. 

SIXERS4GUIDOS BONUS STATS AND RANDOM THOUGHTS

In more than two hours of broadcasting, Grizzlies commentators never said anything remotely negative about their team, not even a single, soft critic. Are they used to these kind of games or they are just afraid to lose the job? Jeez… – Jason Collins’ fro is nice !! – Lou Williams missed a dunk in the fourth because he pulled a Rodney Carney and tried to do “the one” instead of a “simple” dunk – Grizzlies coach and former Sixer Marc Iavaroni, 1983 champ, was honored before the game. Congratulations guido Marc. – Dalembert had a very solid game, and Thad did his usual, nice, silent, effective job on both ends. I like this guy more and more, he really plays like he’s a veteran – Mike Conley apparently played – Sixers reportedly are interested in Kyle Lowry, he looked good – There are good chances that my 31-51 predicton will be off the mark, I don’t know whether to be happy or not, LOL – I was and I still am a Cheeks critic, but he deserves a lot of praise for what he’s doing with this team, honestly.

Check 3 shades of blue’s recap for a Grizzlies fans’ standpoint on the game.

Who’s next? Minnesota after the break. A good chance to make it six. Uh.