Reply With Quote
Sixers are on a roll right now and they're really athletic wouldn't be suprised if its fairly close
San Antonio (25-12) at Philadelphia (18-20) Preview
Game info: 7:00 pm EST Fri Jan 16, 2009
By Dan Pieringer
The San Antonio Spurs relied on an unlikely candidate down the stretch to beat the team with the best record in the Western Conference. Late heroics could again be in order when they meet the surging Philadelphia 76ers.
The Sixers look to extend their season-high winning streak to six games Friday night when they host a Spurs team coming off a dramatic win over the defending West champs.
San Antonio (25-12) led the Los Angeles Lakers by as many as 11 points in the fourth quarter Wednesday night before reigning MVP Kobe Bryant made a 3-pointer to put the first-place Lakers up two with 12 seconds remaining.
With Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker all on the court, the Spurs gave the ball to Roger Mason, who made a baseline jumper with 10 seconds left despite being fouled. Mason then sank the free throw and the Spurs held on for a 112-111 victory.
It was the second game-winning play of the season for Mason, who also hit a last-second 3-pointer to beat Phoenix on Christmas.
“He has the confidence to do it, and he has the license to do it,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “We all trust him.”
Mason, signed as a free agent in July, finished with 18 points Wednesday, going 7-for-11 from the field—3-for-4 from 3-point range.
He and the Spurs could be involved in another battle in Philadelphia, where the Sixers (18-20) routed Portland 100-79 on Wednesday night for their fifth straight win since a 108-106 loss in San Antonio on Jan. 3.
Philadelphia, tied for last in the league with 154 3-pointers, made a season-high 11 from beyond the arc Wednesday, a direct result of coach Tony DiLeo’s encouragement. The Sixers are near the bottom of the NBA in 3-point shooting (32.2 percent), but they’ve connected on 34 of 70 attempts (48.6) during their winning streak.
“It does get contagious,” DiLeo said. “When guys hit it, they know the next game they can hit it. They know the are free to shoot it.”
Sixers forward Andre Iguodala agrees. He made four 3s en route to a season-high 29 points against the Trail Blazers, and is averaging 23.2 points and 6.4 assists while shooting 54.7 percent from the field during Philadelphia’s run. He’s also 10-for-20 from beyond the arc in that stretch.
“Guys are just playing with a lot of confidence right now,” Iguodala said. “We feel like we can make any shot. We’re shooting with a rhythm, we’re shooting with confidence, and more than likely, it’s going to go in.”
Philadelphia hasn’t had a longer streak since it won seven straight from Feb. 26-March 10, 2007. It would have a better chance of extending its current run if Elton Brand can return Friday.
The two-time All-Star forward, who signed a five-year, $80 million contract over the summer, hasn’t played since sustaining a fracture and tear in his right shoulder Dec. 17. He returned to practice this week and will be evaluated again Thursday.
“Hopefully, he can come in and help us,” guard Andre Miller said.
Miller had a season high-tying 28 points and went 12-for-14 from the field in Philadelphia’s loss in San Antonio, while Iguodala had 25 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
The Spurs had five players with at least 14 points in that game, including Mason, who scored 19 and went 5-for-5 from 3-point range.
San Antonio has lost six of its last eight visits to Philadelphia, falling 103-96 there last March 15 as Miller and Iguodala combined for 57 points.
Notes
Spurs:
The Spurs were dominated in the paint, being outscoring 56-34... Behind Manu Ginobili's 27 points, the Spurs bench outscored L.A.'s 41-25. ... Robert Horry, who won NBA les while playing for both the Lakers and Spurs, was in attendance. ... Both teams were hot from the field as the Spurs shot 57 percent and the Lakers shot 56.6.
Sixers:
The Sixers have won a season-best five straight games and improved to 5-2 in 2009. ... The last time the Sixers won five in a row was from February 5-13, 2008. They have also won five of their last six at home. ... The Sixers never trailed in the win vs. the Trail Blazers. It marked the third time that they have accomplished that feat this season. ... Philadelphia improves to 7-7 against the Western Conference this season. ... F Andre Iguodala had a game high 29 points. Philadelphia is 6-6 when he scores 20-plus points this season.
Team Stat Leaders
Points
Tony Parker SA 21.2
Andre Iguodala Phi 17.1
Rebounds
Tim Duncan SA 10.1
Elton Brand Phi 9.8
Assists
Tony Parker SA 6.5
Andre Miller Phi 6.3
Team Comparison
Team Record Standings PF PA Road/Home Streak L10
San Antonio 25-12 1st Southwest / 2nd West 97.6 94.0 Road 10-5 Won 1 8-2
Philadelphia 18-20 3rd Atlantic / 8th East 95.8 95.9 Home 10-8 Won 5 6-4
Sixers are on a roll right now and they're really athletic wouldn't be suprised if its fairly close
Friday: Spurs (25-12) at 76ers (18-20)
Express-News
Time: 6 p.m.
TV: KMYS
Radio: WOAI-AM 1200, KCOR-AM 1350
STARTING LINEUPS
POS - SPURS - 76ERS
PG - 9 Tony Parker (6-2, 8th yr) - 7 Andre Miller (6-2, 10th yr)
In past two games vs. Spurs, Miller scored 28 and 32.
SG - 8 Roger Mason Jr. (6-5, 5th yr) - 33 Willie Green (6-3, 6th yr)
Another game, another game-winner for Big Shot Rog.
SF - 4 Michael Finley (6-7, 14th yr) - 9 Andre Iguodala (6-6, 5th yr)
Iguodala one of the league’s most dangerous transition players.
PF - 21 Tim Duncan (6-11, 12th yr) - 21 Thaddeus Young (6-8, 2nd yr)
Duncan flirted with triple-double vs. L.A. — 20 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists.
C - 15 Matt Bonner (6-10, 5th yr) - 1 Samuel Dalembert (6-11, 7th yr)
After L.A. game, Bonner has given up league’s 3-point lead to Mason.
SPURS RESERVES
12 Bruce Bowen, F, 6-7, 13th yr
20 Manu Ginobili, G, 6-6, 7th yr
3 George Hill, G, 6-2, 1st yr
7 Fabricio Oberto, C, 6-10, 4th yr
40 Kurt Thomas, C/F, 6-9, 14th yr
5 Ime Udoka, G/F, 6-5, 5th yr
11 Jacque Vaughn, G, 6-1, 12th yr
SIXERS RESERVES
30 Reggie Evans, F, 6-8, 7th yr
12 Royal Ivey, G, 6-4, 5th yr
8 Donyell Marshall, F, 6-9, 15th yr
50 Theo Ratliff, C, 6-11, 14th yr
4 Kareem Rush, F/G, 6-6, 6th yr
16 Marreese Speights, F/C, 6-10, 1st yr
23 Lou Williams, G, 6-1, 4th yr
COACHES
Spurs: Gregg Popovich
76ers: Tony DiLeo
INJURIES
Spurs: Ian Mahinmi (left ankle sprain) is out.
76ers: Elton Brand (right shoulder dislocation) and Jason Smith (right knee injury) are out.
PROJECTED INACTIVE PLAYERS
Spurs: Mahinmi, Malik Hairston, Vaughn.
76ers: Brand, Smith.
NOTABLE
After 112-111 victory over Lakers on Wednesday, Spurs have won 27 consecutive games when scoring 100-plus points, the longest streak in the league. ... They are also 7-2 this season in games decided by three points or less. ... The previous meeting with the 76ers fell into both categories: The Spurs won 108-106 on Jan. 3 at the AT&T Center, after leading by as many as 21.
- Jeff McDonald
I'll be at the game wearing my Argentina jersey behind the Spurs bench somewhere...
Philly has always been a tough place to play for the Spurs, so I'll be pleasantly suprised if they're able to get this one.San Antonio has lost six of its last eight visits to Philadelphia, falling 103-96 there last March 15 as Miller and Iguodala combined for 57 points.
Hope they get a 20 pt lead so Fab can get on the court, since Pop doesn't seem to like him anymore.
The guy got hurt, and Kurt finally hit his stride.
It's not a question of Pop liking him.
I know, I was being sarcastic. I just wish Fab would be played so he'd get a chance to hit his stride.
Btw, any news on Ian yet?
Last edited by Manufan909; 01-16-2009 at 04:35 AM.
Brand sucks everytime he meets td who makes him look more like a SF.
Sixers say Brand may play against Spurs
By Kevin Tatum
The Elton Brand Watch continued yesterday, and Sixers coach Tony DiLeo said the power forward has an outside chance of playing tonight when the San Antonio Spurs invade the Wachovia Center.
Brand has been out since suffering a dislocated shoulder in a Dec. 17 game against the Milwaukee Bucks. He returned to practice on Monday.
"He'll be a game-time decision," DiLeo said after the team went through a brief workout at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.
"There are still other factors, but I'm definitely optimistic," said Brand, who has taken some hits in practice the last few days. "In the thick of the season, there are no true practice dates, so it's kind of hard to gauge game-like situations. But it's encouraging to know [the shoulder] is not popping out again."
Coming off Wednesday's 100-79 pasting of the visiting Portland Trail Blazers, the Sixers will take a five-game winning streak and a record of 18-20 into their contest against San Antonio (25-12). The Spurs, who lead the Southwest Division of the Western Conference, were the last team to defeat the Sixers.
But in the 108-106 loss, the Sixers battled back from a 40-19 first-quarter deficit, and it took a buzzer-beating 15-footer by Spurs guard Tony Parker to put the visitors away.
It was the last game of a six-game road trip for the Sixers.
"A lot of things we did, we'll try to repeat," said DiLeo, who noted that San Antonio knocked down eight first-quarter three-point baskets. "Coming down the stretch, we had a chance to win it. And I think we're now playing better basketball than we were back then. I was really proud of the team because that was our last game of a long road trip, and the team could have just packed in and said, 'Hey, we're getting killed, and we'll just get on the bus, and get on the plane, and go home.' "
For center Samuel Dalembert, who shut down Portland center Greg Oden early in the game as the Sixers were taking control, the Spurs bring a different challenge in all-everything Tim Duncan.
Duncan had 26 points and 12 rebounds the last time the teams met. "Tim Duncan is Tim Duncan," said Dalembert, who has 14 blocks during the Sixers' current win streak. "When you guard those kind of guys, you have to approach it differently. They're tricky. They're unpredictable because they have the experience of the game. They try to get you in foul trouble. Oden was pretty much my game plan."
Notes. Sixers forward Reggie Evans, who was a career 51.5 percent free-throw shooter entering this season, has made 10 of his last 12 attempts to get to 63 percent. . . . Andre Miller, not known as a three-point shooter, sank six of his last seven attempts. . . . Andre Iguodala was 10 for 20 from three-point range as the Sixers built their five-game winning streak. The last time the Sixers won five in a row was last year, from Feb. 5 to Feb. 13. The last time they won as many as six in a row was from Feb. 21 to March 9, 2007, when they won seven in a row.
San Antonio Spurs (25-12) at Philadelphia 76ers (18-20)
(Sports Network) - In the midst of a season-high five-game win streak, the Philadelphia 76ers will take on the last team to hand them a loss when the San Antonio Spurs invade the Wachovia Center this evening for a showdown between surging teams.
The Spurs and Sixers squared off in San Antonio back on January 3, with the current Southwest Division leaders earning a 108-106 victory on Tony Parker's baseline jumper at the final buzzer.
Philadelphia hasn't tasted defeat since that narrow loss, and the team heads into its rematch with San Antonio off an impressive 100-79 rout of Portland Wednesday at the Wachovia Center.
Andre Iguodala led the way with a season-high 29 points, with Lou Williams and Andre Miller contributing 14 and 12 points, respectively, to the winning effort. The Sixers made a season-best 11 three-point field goals on the night and held the Trail Blazers to 39.4 percent shooting from the field.
The red-hot 76ers received more good news earlier this week, when star forward Elton Brand was able to make it through a full-court scrimmage without any setbacks. The two-time All-Star, who's averaging 15.9 points and 9.8 rebounds this season, has not played since dislocating his right shoulder in a game against Milwaukee on December 17.
Brand is expected to return for either tonight's contest or when Philadelphia visits the New York Knicks on Saturday.
Wednesday's triumph was the third win in a row at home for the Sixers, who own a 10-8 record as the host this season.
The Spurs are on a nice roll of their own at the moment, having won 10 of their last 12 contests to move one game ahead of New Orleans for first place in the compe ive Southwest Division. In its most recent time out, San Antonio came through with a thrilling 112-111 home victory over the defending Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.
Trailing 111-109 in the game's final stages, the Spurs' Roger Mason buried a shot from the left corner and was fouled with just 10.5 seconds to play. He promptly sank the go-ahead free throw to give San Antonio the wild win.
Mason ended with 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting, while teammate Manu Ginobili led the Spurs with 27 points. Parker and Tim Duncan each netted 20 for San Antonio, which blew an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter before rallying.
The Spurs have taken seven of nine matchups between these clubs since the start of the 2004-05 season. However, Philadelphia has won two of its three most recent encounters with San Antonio at the Wachovia Center.
Gotta keep Spurs killer Miller in check if the Spurs want to get a win. MASON FTW!!!!
Referee Assignments
Fri. Jan. 16
San Antonio @ Philadelphia: B. Salvatore; R. Olesiak; O. Poole
I hope Brand plays so they'll stop running and give the ball to Brand on the post
76ers are playing better now because the're running a lot. In the beggining of the season they played a lot of half court to give Brand shots
Can't make this game more difficult than it should be.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
