2/14/13
Huzzuh! The 76ers are finally at the All-Star break. That
last sentence will describe to you how exasperated I feel about the 76ers
season so far. This game against the Bucks made you want to feel like the
season is almost over. This was a critical game for the 76ers to win against
the Bucks with their playoff hopes on the line. The last game the 76ers had
against the Clippers, they were in blowout city. Would the 76ers mentally check
out of this game against the Bucks or would they play hard and put all of their
effort on the line? The Bucks were missing their best defender in Larry Sanders
due to a back injury. Could the 76ers take advantage of that injury and attack
the basket more than they’ve attacked all season?
The first half started out strong for the 76ers. They were
doing everything that I have been preaching for them to do all year. They were
attacking the basket and getting to the free throw line. The 76ers also played
solid defense on the Bucks star players Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis.
Having any team shoot 35% in a half is a recipe for success. The 76ers shot 56%
so you would think that’s a good start to this game right? I was surprised that
the 76ers got 10 trips to the free throw line in the half. That’s a rare time
you see that happen with this team. The one issue that made this a close game
was because the Bucks had nine offensive rebounds compared to the 76ers’ two.
Those offensive rebounds were critical because that’s how the Bucks were in
this game along with the turnovers the 76ers committed. The seven turnovers
were bad because most of them were live-ball turnovers, which contribute to
getting easy fast break points by the other team. The 76ers largest lead in
this game was 13 points, but they led at halftime 50-43. Nick Young led the 76ers
with 14 first half points. 12 of those 14 points were scored in the first
quarter. Jennings led the Bucks with nine points.
For anyone who follows the 76ers like I do, did you expect
the 76ers to implode and blow this lead? I was thinking they would, but the
question wasn’t how they would implode the lead, but when? The 76ers hot
shooting in the first half disappeared. The fourth quarter was when the wheels
really started to fall off. The two superstars for the Bucks took over in the
second half. Great players know how to rally their team when down by any
deficit. Jennings started the comeback in the third quarter and Ellis finished
the comeback in the fourth. The 76ers were close to getting this game into
overtime, but they failed to do so. The Bucks won 94-92, but Royal Ivey made a
mistake for the 76ers and didn’t call a timeout when he recovered the jump ball
that they forced with five seconds left to go in the game. Instead, Ivey threw
an errant pass and it got intercepted. I honestly don’t know why Ivey was
playing at the end of the game, but he’s not a guy you would put out there for
the last shot of a game. Evan Turner led the 76ers with 20 points. Spencer
Hawes finished with 19 points and nine rebounds. Jrue Holiday had a
double-double. He collected 16 points and 12 assists. For the Bucks, Ellis
finished with 27 points. Jennings had 21 points and four steals. Samuel
Dalembert collected a double-double. He scored 17 points and grabbed 14
rebounds. Mike Dunleavy Jr. contributed 11 points coming off the bench. Luc
Mbah a Moute ended with 10 points and eight rebounds.
Overall, I felt the 76ers played a solid game for three
quarters. The Bucks simply stepped up when the game mattered most. The 76ers
had 24 free throws in a game. That’s a lot to ask for by this team who barely
goes to the free throw line. Now the 76ers can go relax and enjoy the All-Star
break except for Holiday. He will partake in NBA All-Star Weekend as he will
compete in the Skills Challenge event. This event tests point guards’ abilities
to pass the ball, weave around defenders, and shoot the ball. Also Holiday is a
reserve in the All-Star game.
When the 76ers come
back after the All-Star break, is it worth talking playoffs with them? Sound
off, enjoy All-Star weekend, and stay tuned on February 20 when the 76ers
travel to Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves.
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