reCAP: Dallas Mavericks vs. Philadelphia 76ers

11/28/12

The 76ers were coming off a close win against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday and last night they were playing against another sub-par team in the Mavs. Elton Brand, a former 76er for the past four years, was coming back to Philly, but in a Mavs uniform. O.J. Mayo is the Mavs best player on the team right now averaging 21.5 points per game and the 76ers had to find a way to contain him. With the 76ers having the fifth worst offense in the NBA and the Mavs having the third worst defense in the NBA, could the 76ers have another offensive outburst like they had in their past two games? The only key injury in this game was Dirk Nowitzki for the Mavs. He had surgery on his knee that will make him miss the first 6-8 weeks of the regular season.

The 76ers yet again started off hot in the first quarter, but simmered down once the Mavs woke up on offense and played with intensity on defense. The 76ers turned the ball over nine times, which is a lot in the first half. The Mavs, just like the 76ers, are a team that wants to run up and down the floor on offense. The one thing I liked in this half was that the 76ers went to the free throw line 18 times. That’s something you see from the 76ers in a game, not in a half. Both the 76ers and Mavs are good three-point shooting teams. The 76ers were nailing their three’s, but the Mavs were not. At the end of the first half, the Mavs led 56-53. Evan Turner led the 76ers with 14 points in the half. Chris Kaman led the Mavs with 13 points and finished with 20. Also, Brand had a stellar first half scoring 12 points and grabbing five rebounds. He finished with 17 points and eight rebounds in his return to Philly.

The 76ers took control of the second half although they made it interesting in the end. Whenever the 76ers went on a big run, the Mavs would answer back with a run of their own. The Mavs never went away. The Mavs had a chance to win or tie the game in the final seconds when Jrue Holiday fouled Mayo. Mayo had to shoot two free throws to tie the game. He missed the first free throw. He had to intentionally miss the second free throw in order for the Mavs to get one more chance to win or tie the game. Jae Crowder got the offensive rebound and heaved up a three at the buzzer and it just missed from going in the basket to win the game. In the end, the 76ers won 100-98.

In the first half, the Mavs took care of the basketball. In the second half, the 76ers forced the Mavs to turn the ball over 12 times. This is a rare thing for anyone to say, but Kwame Brown played fantastic basketball in the second half. It wasn’t on the stat sheet that made him fantastic, but his defensive presence was felt when he was guarding Kaman and players that were taking shots in the paint. Thaddeus Young scored 11 of his 20 points in the second half. He also finished with seven rebounds. Turner had 22 points and led the 76ers in that category. Holiday had a steller game finishing with 18 points and seven assists. I will give a shoutout to Maalik Wayns for scoring 10 points tonight. He’s an undrafted rookie from Villanova, and is from Philly. His energy was felt in this game by attacking the basket swiftly and drawing fouls. Vince Carter ended with 15 points and Darren Collison had 12 points, six assists, and five steals.

Overall, the 76ers shot the ball well and attacked the rim tonight. They had 32 free throws attempted, which is a season high for them. They outrebounded the Mavs, which is a good thing because the Mavs are one of the worst rebounding teams in the NBA. It seemed like Holiday went back to his old ways in the beginning of the season when he committed six turnovers in the game. The 76ers also did a great job defending Mayo. He was held to only 11 points, which is 10 points below his average, but he did have seven assists. The fans received free Big Macs since the 76ers scored 100 points and everyone goes home happy.

Should Doug Collins continue playing Maalik Wayns since he’s been playing well consistently? Sound off and stay tuned to my next entry on Friday when the 76ers travel to Charlotte to take on the Bobcats. 

reCAP: Carolina Panthers vs. Philadelphia Eagles

11/26/12

The Eagles and Panthers are two of the worst teams in the NFC. One had a 3-7 record and the other was 2-8. This is the marquee matchup that ESPN broadcasted on Monday Night Football. Last night’s game was the third worst matchup in the history of Monday Night Football. The second worst matchup was in 1994 when the 3-7 New York Giants faced off against the 1-9 Houston Oilers. The worst matchup in Monday Night Football history was in 1975 when the 1-11 San Diego Chargers played against the 3-9 New York Jets. Last week the Eagles were clobbered by the Washington Redskins and mustered only two field goals. Could they score more than six points this time? The Panthers have had trouble with closing out games this year. They have blown leads in three games this season including last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Could the Panthers close a game out if they have the lead late in the game?

In the first quarter, the Panthers looked like the exciting team that they were last year. Cam Newton found backup tight end Gary Barnidge and wide receiver Brandon LaFell in the endzone to make it a 14-3 game. The Eagles got a 36 yard field goal by Alex Henery and they had a chance to score a touchdown on their first drive, but yet again failed to execute in getting to the endzone.

In the second quarter, the Eagles had a solid quarter and took a 15-14 lead at halftime. Henery kicked two more field goals. One of his field goals was from 41 yards and the other from 45 yards. The big score for the Eagles was a 65 yard touchdown run from rookie running back Bryce Brown.

In the third quarter, Newton started with a methodical 95 yard drive that resulted in him getting a one yard rushing touchdown and did his superman celebration in the endzone. That made the game 21-15. The big play of that drive was a 55 yard reception by Louis Murphy. Even though he caught the ball, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie got flagged for a pass interference penalty because he was not looking for the ball when he made contact with Murphy. After that touchdown, the Eagles committed their first turnover of the game. This time it was a fumble by Brown, who was already having a career game in his first start. Thankfully, the Panthers did not score points off of Brown’s turnover. On the Eagles next drive, they scored a touchdown to reclaim the lead 22-21. Brown scored another rushing touchdown, this time from five yards. The big play was a pass interference penalty on the Panthers for making contact with Jeremy Maclin when going for the interception. In my view, I thought that was a weak call because one of the Panthers defenders made very little contact with Maclin when going for the ball. In the last minute of the quarter, when the Eagles had good field position to start another drive, another fumble happened. The second fumble of the game was from who else, but Bryce Brown.

The Panthers started the fourth quarter with a 23 yard field goal by Graham Gano to put the Panthers back on top at 24-22. The Eagles then turned the ball over on downs when Brown couldn’t run for a first down on fourth-and-one on the Panthers 40 yard line. This led to another Panthers touchdown on a 2 yard rush by Newton to make it 30-22. It could have been 31-22, but Gano missed the extra point to keep the Eagles in the game. The big play on that drive was a 31 yard pass from Newton to Steve Smith. Another critical miscue on the Eagles were two consecutive offsides penalties that they committed in their own territory. The Eagles had one more chance to make a comeback, but that fell short when Brandon Boykins returned a kickoff to his own 44 yard line, but he fumbled the ball and gave the Panthers possession at the Eagles 47 yard line. The Panthers ran out the clock and the game was over and they won 30-22.

Overall, Brown had a solid starting debut game. The only problem I had with him were the two fumbles he committed. In order for him to be a better running back, he has to not turn the ball over. Nick Foles didn’t dazzle that much in his second start, but he was not terrible. The offensive line was not as horrible as it’s been this season. They contributed with Brown’s big game. The defense looked confused again, and didn’t know how to play solid defense against a terrible team. The Panthers looked like everything was clicking when it mattered most. Cam Newton played like he did last year. At least for them, they held on to a lead late in the game and closed the game out on top.

Should Bryce Brown start for the remainder of the season? Sound off and stay tuned next week when the Eagles go to Dallas and take on the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football.

reCAP: Phoenix Suns vs. Philadelphia 76ers

11/25/12

After a week away from blogging, I’m baaaaaaaaaaack. The 76ers were coming off a loss last night in a game they could have won against the Oklahoma City Thunder. How would the 76ers respond tonight against the Suns, who are a mediocre team? Would they have tired legs from playing five quarters last night? The Suns have the worst defense in the entire NBA, but a top 10 offense. With one of the worst offenses in the NBA, could the 76ers score over 100 points against the terrible Suns defense? As of tonight, the only player injured on the Suns is Channing Frye. He will be out for the entire season due to an enlarged heart. After re-spraining his ankle last night in the loss against the Thunder, Jason Richardson suited up to play tonight.

The first half started off hot for the 76ers. They had an 8-0 lead to start the game and looked like they had the energy in the beginning of this game. Unfortunately the Suns responded to that hot 76ers start with an offensive spurt of their own. They made it a close game for the entire first half. Both teams didn’t shoot particularly well, however the 76ers made 50% of their three-point shots. The 76ers looked tired during a portion of the second quarter. When Doug Collins’ players looked tired, he had to go deep into his bench and play seldom-used rookies Arnett Moultrie and Maalik Wayns. I can’t name any players for the Suns that stood out for me this half, but I can name a standout star for the 76ers. That player was Jrue Holiday scoring 13 points and dishing out six assists in the first half. Evan Turner collected 10 of his 16 points in the half. The 76ers led at halftime 46-41.

The 76ers and Suns were both clicking on offense in the second half. The question was who would make more critical stops on defense? The 76ers were in control for most of the game. However, every time the 76ers went on a run to try and put the game away, the Suns would always have an answer to make it interesting. In the third quarter, the 76ers largest lead was 10 points. The Suns made that lead evaporate quickly. The player that stepped up for the 76ers was Holiday. He had a double-double tonight. He scored 20 of his career-high 33 points in the second half and finished with 13 assists. Along with Holiday and Turner scoring double digit point totals tonight, Thaddeus Young had 10 points and Lavoy Allen scored 11 points in the game. Marcin Gortat was having his way for the Suns in the second half scoring 13 of his 18 points in the third quarter. That was when Spencer Hawes was defending him. Hawes is not an aggressive, tough minded player on defense that could stop Gortat. Michael Beasley scored 15 of his 21 points in the second half. He missed a very critical shot that could have tied the game in the fourth quarter and forced overtime. He missed a point blank layup that the 76ers rebounded. Also scoring double figures in point total for the Suns were Goran Dragic, Luis Scola, Jermaine O’Neal, and Sebastian Telfair. Dragic and Scola both had 10 points. O’Neal finished with 11 and Telfair scored 12 points. The 76ers won tonight’s game 104-101.

Overall, the 76ers came out with a much needed win. Once again the 76ers got outrebounded by the Suns 41-33. That’s not terrible, but the 76ers will have games like this because they are not a physical team. They shot well and that is how they will have to win games. The 76ers took care of the basketball, too, only committing eight turnovers. What the 76ers have to keep doing is stay aggressive on offense and draw fouls like they did in the second half tonight. They can get to the free throw line more often and have a chance of scoring points instead of trying to shoot jump shots and hope they fall in. At least the 76ers gave their fans free big macs tonight for scoring over 100 points. I have to give a shoutout to Jermaine O’Neal. Everyone thought he was over the hill and finished, but he drank from the fountain of youth and has played well for the Suns.

With his last two performances, should Jrue Holiday be in the category of top point guards? Sound off and stay tuned for my next entry on Tuesday when the 76ers host the Dallas Mavericks.

reCAP: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Philadelphia 76ers

11/18/12

The 76ers must be feeling good these days. They have been beating most of the teams they should be beating. This game was a game they were supposed to win, but did they? The Cavaliers are a bad team with a young star in Kyrie Irving. Jrue Holiday will have his work cut out guarding Irving on defense. The 76ers were coming off a much needed win against the Jazz on Friday. Besides Andrew Bynum, there are no injuries to report for both teams.

The first half was not an exciting half to watch. The 76ers were playing down to their level of competition. Neither team shot well, but somebody had to score more points than the other. Having said that, Evan Turner and Nick Young both shot well. Those two players combined shot 9-12 in the half and scored 21 points. Anderson Varejao and Alonzo Gee both scored eight points in the half. The 76ers led at halftime 43-42.

The 76ers woke up and decided to play in the second half. The Cavaliers continued their dismal shooting woes, but the 76ers shot better than they did in the first half. This game was close for most of the game until the fourth quarter when the 76ers decided to run away with the game. The 76ers won this game by a final score of 86-79. Spencer Hawes had a big fourth quarter scoring 10 of his 14 points. He also grabbed nine rebounds in the game. Turner had a fantastic game and finished with 19 points, six rebounds, and nine assists. Holiday also scored 14 points and had nine assists. Jason Richardson finished with 12 points and nine rebounds. He looked tired during the latter part of the game, which is why he shot 5-14 overall. Nick Young shot well and had 13 points, but had to leave the game in the fourth quarter feeling dizzy. Gee ended with 17 points. Varejao and Tristan Thompson both had double-doubles. Varejao scored 14 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. Thompson also scored 14 points and snatched 13 rebounds.

Overall, the 76ers got the win, but there’s more work to be done on the offensive side of the ball. The team still hasn’t gelled with one another. They have too many new players on the team and are not 100% familiar with the playbook Doug Collins has for his team on offense. I do have to give a shoutout to Holiday. His defensive presence on Irving was phenomenal. After Irving scored seven first quarter points, he only scored two points for the rest of the game. Other poor shooters for the Cavaliers were Philadelphia native Dion Waiters and CJ Miles. The 76ers struggling shooters tonight, besides Richardson, were Lavoy Allen, Holiday, Hawes, and Thaddeus Young.

What exactly will make the 76ers a better shooting team? Since I will be on vacation for the rest of the week, I will be missing a few 76ers games. You can still sound off and stay tuned as I will be back on Sunday when the 76ers host the Phoenix Suns.

reCAP: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Washington Redskins

11/18/12

The Eagles and the Redskins both came into this game at a 3-6 record. Both teams don’t have a lot to play for other than who sucks the most. Nick Foles was making his starting debut for the injured Michael Vick, who has a concussion. The Eagles’ fans were clamoring for Foles to start since the beginning of the season because he had a terrific preseason. The Redskins have an explosive offense. Robert Griffin III, A.K.A. RG3, the second overall draft pick of 2012, is their quarterback. Another player in their fiery offense that has been carrying the Redskins is rookie running back Alfred Morris.

The first quarter started as a disaster for the Eagles. Foles started out throwing an interception to DeAngelo Hall who was tackled at the Eagles nine yard line. The pass was intended for Brent Celek who has had hands of stone as of late. Two plays later the Redskins struck first on the scoreboard with a six yard touchdown pass by RG3 to Darrel Young to make it a 7-0 game. He was wide open on the play. Would Foles respond after the Redskins scored first? Unfortunately, that was not the case. Instead Foles threw another interception. Although this time the interception was caught by Brandon Meriweather at the Redskins 20 yard line who ran 25 yards to the 45 yard line.

The second quarter began with a 41 yard field goal by Alex Henery to make it 7-3. LeSean McCoy played a big role on that drive picking up 45 yards on two screen passes. Right after that field goal, the Redskins got another touchdown. This time RG3 threw a 49 yard pass to Alderick Robinson to make it 14-3. He was wide open on the play because Nnamdi Asomugha looked confused on who to defend and thought he would have help from the safety defending that play. The Eagles couldn’t score any more points in the first half, and LeSean McCoy fumbled on his own 13 yard line and the Redskins recovered the fumble. They would make this a 17-3 game at halftime when Kai Forbath kicked a 25 yard field goal.

The Eagles scored another field goal in the third quarter from 42 yards to make it 17-6. Brent Celek caught a 22 yard pass that took the Eagles to the Redskins 20 yard line to get them into field goal range. After the Eagles scored, the Redskins got another big play touchdown. This time RG3 threw a 61 yard bomb to Santana Moss that he unbelievably caught in double coverage to make it a 24-6 game.

The fourth quarter began with the Redskins having the ball. The Eagles stopped them on their first drive at the Eagles 18 yard line. The Eagles did nothing on offense on that big stop by the defense so the Redskins decided to score another touchdown. This touchdown was their last in the game, which was a 17 yard touchdown pass from RG3 to Logan Paulsen to make it 31-6. That was ultimately the final score. RG3 had a big play in the drive, which was a 28 yard scramble to the Eagles 20 yard line. One final thing to note in this game, McCoy and Celek both left the game on the final drive of the game and were evaluated for concussions. Celek passed his concussion test and is deemed ok. McCoy on the other hand, failed his concussion test.

Overall, Foles looked like the rookie that he is. The Redskins were blitzing him like crazy giving Foles no time to throw his passes. Foles’ interceptions were not his fault alone. His first interception was thrown into tight coverage that Celek tipped in the air. His second interception was a pass he should have thrown out of bounds, but tried to play hero ball and throw the ball deep to DeSean Jackson. The Redskins offense was not efficient, but explosive and took advantage of the Eagles miscues on defense. The Redskins scored 10 of their 31 points off of turnovers.

Should the Eagles continue playing Foles or switch to Michael Vick when he’s healthy? Sound off and stay tuned for my next entry when the Eagles host the Carolina Panthers on Monday Night Football.