NBA: 76ers Fans, Unite!

$100 ticket giveaway!

2009-04-24T12:53:00.000-07:00

Hey - so Coast to Coast Tickets has a Facebook page now, and they're trying to raise awareness for it, so they're giving away a $100 gift card in a random drawing of their Facebook fans on May 4th. Definitely enough for two tickets to the 76ers...

Looking right now, there's only 81 fans total, making that a 1 in 81 shot if the drawing happened today (sure there'll be more when the drawing happens, but still those are pretty good odds)!

Their Facebook page is here:

Coast to Coast Tickets on Facebook

and they're posting bonus entry codes on their Twitter too here:

Coast to Coast Tickets on Twitter

2008-11-25T11:05:00.000-08:00

Well, we fell to the Bobcats, but here's hoping we pull it out for Wednesday's game against the Magic!

2008-10-30T11:39:00.001-07:00

Get out there and vote next Tuesday, November 4th, 76ers fans!

2008-10-20T10:56:00.000-07:00

From http://www.nba.com/sixers.com:

Sixers waive Antywane Robinson

Philadelphia, Pa. - October 20, 2008 - Philadelphia 76ers President and General Manager Ed Stefanski announced today that the team has waived Antywane Robinson. He appeared in three preseason games for the Sixers, playing a total of 15 minutes. The roster now stands at 15.

Robinson (6-8, 220) played all four seasons at Temple University, earning Atlantic-10 All-Conference Second Team honors his senior season. In 116 career games played for the Owls, he had 85 steals to 54 turnovers. He has yet to appear in a regular season game since going undrafted in 2006, but played preseason games for the Atlanta Hawks in 2007. After being waived by the Hawks, Robinson joined the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the D-League before playing overseas for Elan Bearnais Pau-Orthez of the French League.

Wachoviwhere?

2008-10-16T08:36:00.000-07:00

All we hear about in the news lately is the economy. It's a mess, no doubt. But let's talk about the real problem it's going to cause - fan confusion. I mean, really, with all these banks dying left and right, what are the stadiums and arenas going to be called? How will I search for the Wachovia Center information I need? Will it be another bank's name? Or will it be The _______ Center? Or, God forbid, might we revert back to something like the 76ers Center? Gasp!

Maybe this will actually be a positive change for the world of sponsorhip and naming rights. The going rate probably just dropped. maybe I'll put in a bid.

We've Got Ivey

2008-07-25T11:50:00.000-07:00

Free agent Royal Ivey is joining the 76ers. It took a few days of negotiations, but they agreed on a multiyear, minimum-salary contract. He did great last season with the Bucks, so let's hope he continues to improve on our team.

Oh, did we deny you your tenth win again? Sorry about that...

2008-02-25T14:47:00.000-08:00

Ow, must suck to be Miami. Twice in a row they're denied their tenth win... I'd say I feel sorry for them, but I'm just happy to see such a good performance from the 76ers that I'll save my sympathy for another time. :)

76ers schedule is out

2007-08-22T12:41:00.000-07:00

The first game on the schedule is against the Raptors in Toronto. This could be a great thing, because they won their last game at Air Canada Centre. Maybe if they start off on the right foot they can improve last year's lackluster performance. Here's hoping!

Philly misses out on playoffs

2007-05-10T12:48:00.000-07:00

The 76ers reminded us all again this season that...well, wait...what did they remind us of? I dunno, but we are lucky to even have a pro team in town. The opportunity to watch people play ball at that level is not something everyone gets, win or lose.

2007-01-17T08:04:00.000-08:00

The 76ers got another spanking, this time from the Raptors on Monday's home game. Final score was 104-86, and it was just ugly; even coach Maurice Cheeks agrees.

Sixers are lost...

2006-12-15T12:17:00.000-08:00

The Sixers dropped their ninth straight game, 101-81, to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.

I feel bad for the sixers, just an awful situation for a team to be in right now. It's like adding insult to injury cause we know darn well they will not get anyone, or anything equivalent to what they are trading.

The Sixers play the Mavericks today, and the Spurs tomorrow... lets hope we can turn things around :-)

Fresh Prince buys 76ers

2006-12-07T14:13:00.000-08:00

In a strange twist of fate, actor Will Smith announced that he is in negotiations to buy the Philadelphia 76ers. By becoming an NBA owner, the fresh prince will join the likes of Nelly who co-owns the Charlotte Bobcats, Jay-Z, who co-owns the New Jersey Nets, and other celebrities that have no business owning a team.

So, is co-owning an NBA team like a fashion statement now? Or, maybe it’s more like trading cards for millionaires.

“I’ll trade you my Philadelphia 76ers for your New Jersey Nets.”

Carter Drops 41 on 76ers

2006-12-03T13:30:00.000-08:00

New Jersey Nets guard Vince Carter had his most productive game of this short season by scoring 41 points against the Philadelphia 76ers. Allen Iverson did his part for the 76ers with 37 points and 10 assists, but the fire power of the Nets was too much with 3 players on the Nets scoring more than 20 points. Little rest for the 76ers as they host the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight.

Sixers face a tough road out west

2006-11-15T14:37:00.000-08:00

Our Philadelphia 76ers are in Seattle tonight facing the SuperSonics and hoping to halt their current losing streak at three. Their season had opened with a nicer, if somewhat unexpected streak of three wins.

Speaking of 3s, look out for the 3-pointers, guys. Seattle likes to include a lot of them among the 105 points they are averaging per game right now; they're making 39% of them. We beat the Sonics once last year, and they beat us once. But our loss was without Allen Iverson--Allen, don't get injured tonight, because we want you to win at Key Arena like you've done the other four times you've led our team out there.

Magical Finish for Philadelphia

2006-11-04T19:16:00.000-08:00

Actually, the 76ers whole game against the Orlando Magic was pretty solid. As in over 56% shooting percentage, which included 39 points from Allen Iverson 28 from Kyle Korver. Still, the Magic kept things exciting with Grant Hill scoring 25 points, including the two that tied everything up at 103.

Iverson charged back to capture the lead for the Sixers with 2.2 on the clock, and Hill missed his answering shot at the buzzer. That was all the magic I needed.

NBA Basketball has lost a legend

2006-10-29T11:35:00.000-08:00

The Philadelphia 76ers have had impressive teams and records in our history, but the first NBA team to become a dynasty was the Boston Celtics. That was due in large part to coach and then general manager Red Auerbach, who past away last night at age 89. He led the Celtics to an astonishing 16 championships and got people to take professional basketball very seriously.

Kyle Korver Got 76ers So Close!

2006-10-16T09:36:00.000-07:00

With 51 seconds to go, Kyle Korver put the Sixers ahead 100-97. But that only lasted five seconds until the New York Knicks' Jamal Crawford tied it up. Then Crawford got to ice the game with less than 2 seconds on the clock. Korver got his hands on the ball one more time, but no go. So the whole thing ended Knicks 102, Philadelphia 100.

Pretty exciting anyway. Plus, I think we'll reverse things when it counts. Let's see, New York will be here December 23rd. Okay, time to start my holiday shopping early. 76ers tickets make the best Christmas presents.

upcoming changes to defense

2006-10-02T16:29:00.000-07:00

The 76ers will be focusing in on defense this season. After a lackluster run last year, Philly’s doing all it can to get the ball rolling on a better course this season. Defense could easily be called the critical weakness of last season, and King is expecting his players to make a strong individual effort during Training Camp in Barcelona. For fans, this may amount to a statement of the obvious. We all know we can’t afford to learn the hard way, not this time around.

At least I don’t have to hear him gloat!

2006-06-25T20:51:00.000-07:00

I am glad the Detroit Pistons did not win the NBA Championship this year. I am sorry the season is over though. The off-season is so boring and there isn’t much on TV that I enjoy as much as basketball. I have some games on my Tevo but it just isn’t the same. This summer I think I will get some baseball game tickets to pass the time and fill the void. I could stand to spend some quality time at the ball park with my friends. Sports rule!

My Brother the Flip-Flop Fish Guy

2006-05-15T17:52:00.000-07:00

I have to cheer for the Cleveland Cavaliers in their series against the Detroit Pistons because I have family in Detroit. I just can’t have them winning a championship because I would never hear the end of it. Before he moved to Detroit my brother was a Dallas Mavericks fan and took all the credit for the Dallas Mavericks rise to the top. Technically he should be a Philadelphia 76ers fan because we grew up in Philly but he changes favorite teams like he changes jobs. Actually the two tend to always coincide. He is worse than a fair weather fan. I bet he has like ten jerseys in his closet that he doesn’t wear anymore. What a putz. Go Cavs!

Sixers fan in mourning.

2006-04-24T16:35:00.000-07:00

Everywhere you look now, there are writers doing special year-in-review style evaluations of the Philadelphia 76ers 05-06 season. I am a little bitter so I am not reading them. I was there after all, at most of the home games cheering the 76ers on only to see them go 38 and 44 with no hope of a playoff berth. Where did the Sixers go wrong?

Knicks get nothing from the Sixers

2006-04-02T21:14:00.000-07:00

It was nice to see the Philadelphia 76ers snap their losing streak with a win over the New York Knicks. It was not a very difficult thing to do, but it came at the right time. Even more confidence building was the fact that we did it again the very next night. Two in a row has a nice ring to it.

Once more! With feeling!

2006-03-10T15:21:00.000-08:00

With our record fluctuating from winning to losing, it appears the Philadelphia 76ers are running out of steam. How else can one explain the erratic win-loss record and our inability to use Chris Webber and Alan Iverson to their full potential. We were leading at the half and Webber and Iverson came out in the third with guns blazing, but once again we lost all our momentum by the fourth.

Suns to Bright for 76ers Defense

2006-02-03T20:24:00.000-08:00

The Philadelphia 76ers were on a pretty good run until the Phoenix Suns came in and ruined it. They were on fire that night and completely dominated our defense. The Suns scored 123 to our 99 and John Salmons had the most 76ers points with 19.

Just Wondering

2005-06-06T14:47:00.000-07:00

So how many of you 76er fans out there are really 76er fans?

How many of your fans jumped on the band wagon because of the addition of Chris Webber, and for those of you who follow this team all season, when did you become a 76er fans?

How did you become Hawk fans?

Why did you become a Hawk fan?

Flase

2005-05-30T09:05:00.000-07:00

You have to love the media. They will say anything to get a rise out of professional athletes. For example the New York Daily News last weekend posted a report that Chris Webber was unhappy with Allen Iverson’s play.

The paper tried to explained how Webber didn’t like the fact that Iverson was a ball hog and dribbled too much, but Webber came out recently denying those reports claiming them to be completely false.

Good Call

2005-05-24T16:19:00.000-07:00

Wow! I did not see that coming but I am happy the 76er’s front office made the decision to recruit an old fan favorite Maurice Edward Cheeks was introduced as the 21st head coach of the 76ers at the Spectrum, the building that he helped put on the map as a player.

“I welcomed the call. It’s a situation I’m extremely excited about. It’s a feeling because I played here obviously but I think it goes deeper than that. The people here in Philadelphia are sports people. They love their sports, and they’re very passionate about their basketball, football and baseball. They’re very passionate about it and it makes me excited about coming back here and coaching because it’s a very passionate city.” - Maurice Edward Cheeks

All-NBA First Team

2005-05-19T15:15:00.000-07:00

The little guy did it again. Philadelphia 76ers Allen Iverson earned once again an All-NBA First Team selection for the 2004-2005 season. That makes it number three for Iverson, who was also named to the All-NBA First Team in 1999 and 2001.

Iverson now joins the ranks of Julius Erving, Charles Barkley, Billy Cunningham, Dolph Schayes and Wilt Chamberlain. All these players have 3 or more All-NBA First Team honors. Did I mention that they all played for the 76ers while doing it.

A look back

2005-05-11T13:04:00.000-07:00

from NBA.com

What comes of that optimism will ultimately determine where the 2004-05 season lands in Sixers history. The further development of the team's young talent and the acquisition of Webber could make it a significant season that launches a run at a championship in the next few years.

However, the things that Iverson did, the records that Korver set, and the impressions that Iguodala made cannot be taken away. Those will make the 2004-05 season one to remember.

Game Over

2005-05-04T14:08:00.000-07:00

And five games later the Philadelphia 76ers are watching the rest of the play-offs from home. One has to wonder were did they go wrong?

In my disappearance from writing, I found my self downing my sorrow at the bar after watching the 76ers get taken to school the first two games. In the first game the 76ers lost 106-85 and in the second game they lost 99-84

Then there was light in game 3, when the 76ers dropped Detroit in 115-104 contest. I was just about to start wring again and call it ‘a new hope’ but I was wrong. In the fourth game Detroit took it with a 97-92 finish, and to seal the deal the 76ers dropped an 88-78 contest… and that was all they wrote.

A Pathetic Display

2005-04-19T17:18:00.000-07:00

Charley Rosen / Special to FOXSports.com

If this was an important game for the Sixers, it was a highly critical game for the home-standing Nets.

Since the Sixers close out the regular season against a pair of patty-cake teams at home (Milwaukee and Atlanta), it's hard to imagine that they'd fail to qualify for a spot in the postseason. Even so, it's incumbent upon a playoff-bound team to step up their intensity during the final week of the regular season. The Nets, though, have no leeway whatsoever.

Forget about New Jersey's remaining opponents (Washington at home and the Celtics in Boston), a win coupled with Cleveland's loss in Detroit earlier in the day, would slide the Nets into the eighth playoff slot and allow them to control their own destiny. On the flip side, losing to the Sixers would severely damage the Nets playoff hopes and crush their confidence.

What is the appropriate recipe, then, for whipping Philly?

Down the Stretch

2005-04-11T11:08:00.000-07:00

What a run for Philadelphia 76ers. Very much in playoff contention, the 76ers road getting there this season has not been pretty at all. And with Webber and Iverson out for several games it is surprising the effort but forth by the whole team.

"We did everything that you need to do defensively to win the game against a good team. Everything we needed to do, we did down the stretch."

Philadelphia coach Jim O'Brien knows his guys are in a due or die situation and his team like he says is doing it down the stretch which is what it takes to be a playoff off contender.

Webber's double-double overshadowed by Mobley's 30

2005-03-30T16:28:00.000-08:00

(AP), from ESPN.com

Chris Webber is ready to move on. After dressing in the visitors' locker room, wearing Philadelphia's black uniform and hearing one last roar from the crowd, his seven seasons in Sacramento finally feel like the past.

And his warm memories of his time with the Kings will last much longer than the sting of this loss.

Webber had 20 points and 10 rebounds in his first game back at Arco Arena since the Kings traded him last month, but Cuttino Mobley scored 30 points in Sacramento's 118-109 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night.

In recent days, Webber did his best to think about anything instead of his trip back to Sacramento. It finally hit him during a phone call with Mike Bibby last week -- but strangely, it didn't bother him.

"You've got to remember, I'm still friends with these guys," Webber said. "I talk to them every day about everything. ... I want to keep these memories here in Sacramento as the best I've ever had. I just want to enjoy what I had."

Webber spent parts of seven seasons in Sacramento, leading the team in scoring for five straight years while the Kings made six playoff appearances and won two division titles in the longest sustained period of winning in the franchise's history.

The sellout crowd showered Webber with cheers, including a lengthy standing ovation during pregame introductions -- but the Kings controlled most of the second half with the up-tempo offense Webber so loved to play.

Mobley hit six 3-pointers in his best game since joining the Kings, and fellow newcomer Kenny Thomas had 20 points and 15 rebounds against his former team.

After hitting four of his first five shots, Webber never got in a rhythm. The five-time All-Star went 8-for-26, missing nine of his 12 shots after halftime -- and after he returned to the game with 5:37 to play, Sacramento scored nine straight points to clinch the win.

Webber left the game to mild cheers with 16.9 seconds left, and he headed up the tunnel to the 76ers' locker room with time still on the clock. He was followed by Allen Iverson, who had 34 points and eight assists.

"None of this compares with being traded," Webber said. "Being told you're traded, nothing compares to that. ... It's been tough, but that's life. What's great is I'll always have the memories to fall back on. Nothing can make this a bad day for me."

Although the Kings decided to reconfigure their roster without their longtime power forward's surgically repaired knee and $127 million contract, the fans haven't forgotten the good times he provided. Dozens turned out in jerseys and T-shirts featuring Webber's No. 4, and many others held up signs in tribute.

"I'm just glad everything is over," Iverson said. "All the excitement around the whole thing is over, and know now he can officially get out of Sacramento and make Philly his home."

The Kings' recent additions dominated their ninth straight victory over Philadelphia. Mobley was outstanding from outside, where he led the Kings' 11-for-15 shooting on 3-pointers, and his rebound dunk with 3:40 to play punctuated the victory.

Brian Skinner -- who joined the Kings along with Thomas and Corliss Williamson in the trade -- had 13 points and a career-high 19 rebounds, patrolling the lane with the force and smarts he rarely got a chance to show as a benchwarmer in Philadelphia.

Even Bibby emerged from his eight-game shooting slump in the fourth quarter, scoring 13 of his 18 points as the Kings buried Philadelphia with 36 points. Peja Stojakovic had 26 points, hitting two 3-pointers.

The 76ers are 9-7 since acquiring Webber, while the Kings improved to 10-8 since his departure. The full impact of the trade won't be known for years, but Sacramento won both of the clubs' head-to-head meetings since the deal.

The Kings' three former Sixers had their homecoming just three days after the trade, when Sacramento won 101-99 at Philadelphia on Feb. 26. Webber had a chance to win that game in the final seconds, but missed a layup after grabbing an offensive rebound.

This game was important for Webber, but Thomas and Skinner also couldn't wait.

"I went to bed at around 8 o'clock last night, so I was really looking forward to it," Thomas said. "I was just trying to come out with a lot of energy. ... Overall, our energy was unbelievable. I think this was one of the best games we've played since I've been here."

It's Webber Time

2005-02-24T18:00:00.000-08:00

On behalf of the Sixers' I am happy to hear about the trade that brought Chris Webber over to help out Iverson. I don't know how the Sixer's lured him over from the Kings who are doing well enough, and really have to no reason to let go of Webber.

O well, we will take him.

Go Sixers!!!

Still Hope

2005-02-10T10:33:00.000-08:00

What more can you ask for?

In game where the winning team never led by more than 6 points at a time, it is hard for that to settle if you are the loosing team. In this case it was the Sixers.

In a final score of 98-95 the Sixers are now 2-3 in the month of February, and 23-26 over all. Despite having a below average winning percentage, the Sixers are still only 2 games behind the Celtics for first in the lack luster Atlantic Division.

It looks like we are going to have to wait this out till the end of the season.

1st win without Iverson

2005-01-31T16:13:00.000-08:00

From sports.yahoo.com:

The Philadelphia 76ers had been winless in four games without Allen Iverson this season. They were determined to end that trend Saturday night.

John Salmons scored a season-high 19 points, Kyle Korver added 16 and Philadelphia beat the Dallas Mavericks 93-89 without the NBA's leading scorer.

Iverson, averaging 29 points per game, missed his third straight game due to a strained left rotator cuff.

``We were without our leading scorer, so everyone else had to step up and be aggressive,'' Salmons said. ``A.I. wasn't there to bail us out, so we had to make our shots and chip in as a team.''

If the Mavericks thought the 76ers would be pushovers without the Answer, they were mistaken.

The Sixers compensated with solid defense, limiting the Mavericks to 36.7 percent field goal shooting (33-for-90).

``Team defense and containing everybody is our main concept,'' Salmons said.

Dirk Nowitzki led Dallas with 25 points, nine rebounds and a career-high six blocked shots, but he went only 7-for-25 from the floor. Michael Finley was 6-for-23 from the field, finishing with 14 points.

``You have to give Philly credit, they made us work for our baskets,'' Finley said. ``We had a lot of shots near the end of the shot clock which are tough shots. Credit their defense for taking us out of things we normally do. ...This was a terrible game for us all the way around. Nothing seemed to be clicking for us.''

Erick Dampier had 14 points, a career-high 26 rebounds and a season-high seven blocked shots for the Mavericks, who had won six of their previous seven.

``It's a shame to waste an effort (from Dampier) like that on a loss,'' said Jerry Stackhouse, who had 16 points for Dallas.

The Sixers lost in overtime at New Orleans on Friday night, but they kept their poise down the stretch 24 hours later.

Korver scored seven of their last nine points, including two free throws with 2:23 remaining to give Philadelphia the lead for good, 89-87.

``I tried to rebound, I tried to guard, I tried to do it all,'' Korver said. ``We wanted to come out and play hard and we got the win. We were just going at them and challenging them and it worked.''

Corliss Williamson added a pair of free throws with 44.8 seconds left to extend the Sixers' lead to 91-87 before Jason Terry's 20-footer with 39.8 to play got the Mavericks within two.

But Terry missed an open 16-footer with 13.9 remaining after Nowitzki had drawn a double-team. Korver converted two foul shots with 11.1 left for the final margin.

``Dirk drew a lot of attention and he made a good pass,'' Terry said. ``I was there, I had a good look at it. It didn't fall.''

The Sixers held an 80-73 lead early in the fourth quarter before the Mavericks went on a 11-0 run capped by Stackhouse's 17-footer to take an 84-80 advantage with 4:46 to play.

But Philadelphia moved back in front 87-85 with 2:56 remaining on Korver's 3-pointer.

The 76ers, who led by as many as 11 points in the first half, carried a 75-70 edge into the fourth quarter.

Philadelphia went on a 12-3 run for a 44-35 advantage with 4:34 remaining in the first half. Salmons had 13 points to help the Sixers take a 52-43 halftime lead.

Our defense really pulled us through this game, however, I would like to see Iverson back on the court soon. Its good to know we can play without him, but he is our leading scorer by far and he leads in assists. Lets keep up the intensity and hope Iverson will return soon. GO 76ERS!

Our division is a blessing in disguise

2005-01-26T15:30:00.000-08:00

From sports.yahoo.com:

On an impromptu Philadelphia Eagles appreciation night, Allen Iverson hoped some of that championship magic rubbed off on the 76ers.

``It was something you always want to be a part of,'' Iverson said. ``That's the same thing with me. Just being able to try to get to the Finals and win it. That's the ultimate goal.''

Iverson had 45 points and 11 assists, leading the Philadelphia 76ers to a 106-98 victory over the Miami Heat on Monday night.

Samuel Dalembert added 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Sixers, who took over down the stretch in a matchup of Eastern Conference division leaders.

With Donovan McNabb, Terrell Owens and Brian Westbrook highlighting a group of Eagles watching courtside, the game was practically an afterthought for fans still in a frenzy over the Super Bowl.

All the Eagles received rousing standing ovations when introduced -- the loudest for McNabb -- and chants of ``E-A-G-L-E-S!'' filled the arena. The Eagles were the reason the game was moved to Monday night -- it was originally scheduled for Sunday but was pushed back so it would not conflict with the NFC championship game.

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Iverson came over at halftime and hugged McNabb, while Owens said he could return from his ankle injury to play in the Super Bowl against New England.

``Spiritually I've been healed and I believe that I'll be out there on that field Sunday, regardless of what anyone says,'' Owens said.

Shaquille O'Neal scored 24 points and Dwyane Wade had 17 points and 11 assists for the Heat, who were coming off a 29-point win the night before against New Orleans.

A Super Bowl appearance is about the only thing that could overshadow a matchup of Shaq vs. A.I.

With the score tied at 83 midway through the fourth quarter, highlights of the Eagles season were shown on the videoboard and the fans got up again for another thunderous ovation.

``I kind of got goose bumps with the whole thing,'' Iverson said. ``I know it's a great feeling to be a part of that team and just to know you've got fans like that.''

Perhaps feeding off the energy from the unusually lively crowd, the Sixers went ahead on Dalembert's dunk and Kyle Korver's 3-pointer.

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AP - Jan 24, 10:06 pm EST
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The Sixers led by five when Andre Iguodala grabbed a defensive rebound and fed a streaking Iverson, who crashed hard with Wade on an off-balance layup for a 94-87 lead.

Iverson pointed and cupped his ear toward the crowd as he ran toward the bench during a timeout. The NBA's leading scorer shot 13-for-30 from the floor, made 18 of 19 free throws and had just one turnover in 45 minutes.

Iverson scored more than 40 points for the fifth time this season and posted his 12th double-double.

``He was spectacular tonight,'' Philadelphia coach Jim O'Brien said. ``Those stats are beyond belief.''

O'Brien, though, refused to believe the Eagles rallied the Sixers.

``They played the Miami Heat, the best team in the East. I don't think they need to feed off anything,'' he said.

Though both teams are in first place, the Sixers are two games under .500 in the Atlantic Division while Miami leads the Southeast with a 30-13 mark. But the Heat have gone just 5-6 since a 14-game winning streak, prompting O'Neal to challenge his teammates.

``We can't keep playing like this,'' he said. ``I was telling the guys in the shower we have 40 games left and we need to go 30-10.''

O'Neal got a rare dose of his own game early.

Late in the first quarter, the 6-foot-11 Dalembert went straight up under the basket and stuffed O'Neal's dunk attempt off a rebound, sending the big man crashing backward and onto his back for a few seconds. Iverson picked up the loose ball and sank a 17-footer.

O'Neal was back with a statement of his own a few possessions later, though, when he slammed home a ferocious dunk over Dalembert.

Our division has been terrible so far this season. Without a team over .500, it really brings to shame all we can bring to the table. We have moved to the top of our division with a 19-21 record, which will actually hurt us in the long run. We will gain too much confidence from a normally mediocre or less than mediocre record. We need to show everyone that we deserve to be where we are. Lets stay at the top, but show why we are at the top. Once we brake .500, we will be smooth sailing, however, the hard part is getting there.

Iversons hard work to spark the season up, fails..

2005-01-16T13:44:00.000-08:00

From sports.yahoo.com:

Moments after running a play to get Richard Hamilton a layup, the Detroit Pistons added a twist to set up Tayshaun Prince for a short jumper.

Prince's 11-footer with 24.5 seconds left put the Pistons ahead and his two free throws sealed a 99-95 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night.

``They thought we were going to Rip (Hamilton), so it surprised them,'' Prince said.

Hamilton scored 25 points and Prince had 19 for the Pistons, who extended their season-long winning streak to five games. Detroit has won 12 of 16 since falling to .500 on Dec. 11.

``We definitely are playing a lot better,'' Prince said. ``But are we on a roll? We've been winning games, but we still haven't been playing the way we would like.''

Allen Iverson had 28 points on 9-of-26 shooting, 13 assists -- tying a season high -- and only one turnover for the Sixers.

``I don't know how you can guard him,'' said Pistons coach Larry Brown, who had an up-and-down relationship with Iverson when he was in Philadelphia. ``He still gets a lot of shots because they run a lot of things for him, but more so than ever before, if you help on him he gets it to somebody right away.''

The Pistons led by as much as 16 points and were ahead by seven with less than 4 minutes left before Philadelphia rallied.

Iverson's two free throws put the Sixers ahead -- for the first time since the opening minutes -- with 2:12 to go and they led 93-88 after Kyle Korver made three free throws.

Chauncey Billups' 3-pointer and Rasheed Wallace's long jumper put Detroit ahead 95-93.

``This is probably the best win for us all year because we did gut it out,'' Brown said. ``They could have packed it in.''

After Prince's floater over two Sixers, Korver missed a 3-pointer that would've put the Sixers ahead and Kenny Thomas missed a jumper in the final seconds.

Iverson deferred to his teammates on the possession, but didn't regret it.

``It was perfect,'' Iverson said. ``I'd take it anytime. I'd take the shot Kenny had.

``You can make all the excuses you want, they were just better.''

Ben Wallace had 14 points and 12 rebounds and Billups added 12 points and nine assists for the Pistons. Reserve Lindsey Hunter scored 11 and Antonio McDyess had 10 points and seven rebounds.

Thomas had 16 points and 12 rebounds, Marc Jackson scored 14 and Korver added 11 off the bench. Reserve Corliss Williamson, who helped the Pistons win the NBA title last season, had 10 points.

Iverson, with a sore ankle and shoulder, played 44 minutes a night after playing all 48 minutes and scoring 32 points in a win against Toronto.

The Pistons led 51-42 at halftime and 76-66 after the third.

``Tough loss,'' Sixers coach Jim O'Brien said. ``It was a good comeback by us. We just couldn't knock down the necessary shots. I give credit to the Pistons for knocking down big shots when they had their backs to the wall.''

Last game we beat the Raptors, but it seems that Iverson worked so hard to try to get the season back in motion for this. I have to admit its a disappointment but luckily we have the worst division in the league and we are only 2 games back. If we can pull off games like the Toronto game, we can pull ahead of the rest. Lets get back on our feet and take advantage of a struggling division. GO 76'ers!

Inching too the top

2005-01-05T15:53:00.000-08:00

From sports.yahoo.com:

Allen Iverson felt right at home in the red-and-orange uniforms of the old Syracuse Nationals. The rest of the 76ers are looking quite comfortable on their eight-game road trip.

Iverson scored 29 points, Andre Iguodala had 19 points and nine rebounds and Philadelphia hung on to beat the Golden State Warriors 112-104 Monday night.

Kenny Thomas also scored 19 points for the 76ers, who were just as cool as the flamboyant throwback uniforms they wore. Philadelphia made 13 of 14 free throws in the fourth quarter and executed almost flawlessly to improve to 4-2 thus far on its longest road trip in 10 years.

``I love them. They make me feel really young,'' Iverson said while looking down at the jersey with checkered piping and ``Nats'' in script on the chest.

``The ball is going to be in my hands at the end of the game, but if they do anything to get it out of my hands, guys have to step up and make plays. I have all the confidence in the world that those guys can do that,'' Iverson said.

Iverson, the NBA's leading scorer, converted a three-point play with 5:18 left, breaking a 94-94 tie and kicking off an 8-0 run. Golden State rallied within 106-104 with seven straight points in the final minutes, but Iguodala and Thomas combined to go 6-for-6 on free throws in the final 38 seconds.

``People didn't think we were going to win as many games as we have out here so far,'' Thomas said. ``I think we're showing that we can play with the best teams in the West.''

Troy Murphy had 29 points -- including a career-high four 3-pointers -- and 17 rebounds for the Warriors, who had just nine players in uniform. They lost their second straight following a four-game winning streak.

Leading scorer Jason Richardson and Mickael Pietrus sat out with minor injuries, and forward Eduardo Najera went on the injured list earlier in the day to make room for Zarko Cabarkapa, acquired in a trade with Phoenix.

The Warriors scored fairly easily against Philadephia, making a season-high 11 3-pointers, but even their unorthodox box-and-one defense on Iverson couldn't slow down the Sixers.

``It's a little difficult without J.R.,'' Murphy said. ``He takes a lot of shots for us and creates a lot. ... That is tough. To shoot (51.4) percent and lose is pretty demoralizing.''

Richardson missed his second straight game with a sprained left ankle, and Pietrus was held out with a sore right ankle. The Warriors missed the fourth-quarter scoring of Richardson, who has emerged as a dependable late-game performer.

Iverson scored 21 points -- 15 in the second quarter -- on 8-of-11 shooting in the first half for the Sixers, who had lost in their last three trips to Oakland. He had an entertaining matchup with Warriors guard Speedy Claxton, one of the NBA's few players quick enough to stay with the diminutive scorer.

``Iverson will always find a way to score,'' said Derek Fisher, who scored 15 points. ``They have some other guys who can play, and Allen kept his teammates in the game. We allowed those guys to be effective.''

Claxton had 21 points and six assists, and Mike Dunleavy added 17 points and eight assists for Golden State.

The Warriors gave up two future second-round draft picks to acquire Cabarkapa, the Suns' first-round pick in 2003. He never got consistent playing time in Phoenix, but Golden State has been intrigued by the 6-foot-11 forward since his playing days in Europe.

Cabarkapa is expected to join the team before its upcoming four-game road trip.

Iverson never ceases to lead his team on. He continues to play wonderfully ever game, and is really helping our tema out. If we get a couple more wins, we could pass up the Knicks without a problem. GO 76ers!

Iverson Sizzles Again; Sixers Top Pacers

2004-12-24T13:13:00.000-08:00

from NBA.com

Allen Iverson didn't have another 50 points in him. But he did have some help.

Iverson scored 40 points in his bid for history and was part of a late surge that gave the Philadelphia 76ers a 102-90 victory over the struggling Indiana Pacers.

A three-time scoring champion currently leading the NBA at 28.2 points per game, Iverson had scored 50-plus points in each of his last two games, becoming just the seventh player to turn the trick.

The superstar point guard made 12-of-23 shots and 14-of-16 free throws for his 54th career 40-point game - and fourth in the last six. However, he failed to join Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan as the only players to score 50 in three consecutive games.

Iverson had 30 points early in the third quarter, when the Sixers trailed by double digits. They began to play better as they spread the ball around and Marc Jackson, rookie Andre Iguodala and little-used Kevin Ollie became involved in the offense.

"I'm glad it didn't take that (scoring 50) to win," said Iverson, whose three-game total of 145 points is a career high. "I felt good, and I hope it would have been there if we had needed it. But a lot of guys did things to help us win, especially Kevin Ollie. I think he won the game for us tonight."

"Kevin gave us steadiness tonight," Jackson said. "He was where he was supposed to be defensively. He slowed it down when we needed to and made sure everyone was on the same page."

The Pacers still held an 86-81 lead midway through the fourth quarter before Iverson responded with a pair of hoops and Iguodala drained a 3-pointer for an 88-86 lead with 4:31 to go.

Reggie Miller, who scored 30 points, tied it with a jumper. But Williamson scored inside to trigger a 12-0 surge that included 10 free throws. Four came from Iverson, who pressed the tempo, drew a charge and baited Jamaal Tinsley into two technical fouls.

Jackson scored eight of his 18 points in the fourth quarter. Ollie, who had six points this season, scored six of his eight in the final period, when the Sixers scored 36 points.

Ollie had four assists without a turnover and also shadowed Miller as best he could.

"It felt good to come in and contribute any way I can," Ollie said. "My job is to come in and be aggressive. When you're out there with Allen, you know the other team is going to try and load up on him. When I got it, I just tried to get in the seam and make something happen. AI held us together in the first half, and the rest of us stepped up in the second."

"You guys don't know what he does to help prepare me every day in practice," Iverson said. "He gets me ready to compete night in and night out. I'm glad he got the opportunity and made the best of it tonight."

Philadelphia has won three straight road games and returns home for Christmas before embarking on a seven-game road trip.

Jeff Foster had 18 points and 12 rebounds and Tinsley scored 17 points for Indiana, which has lost nine of 11. It committed 21 turnovers, leading to 27 points for Philadelphia.

"We gave the game back to them in the fourth quarter," Foster said. "We turned the ball over and just plain lost it. I hope we can learn from this and remember that we have to play four quarters, not just three."

Despite Iverson's attack, The Pacers led throughout the first three quarters. Ollie opened the final period with a pair of hoops and a layup by Jackson gave the Sixers a 72-71 edge, the first of six straight lead changes.

The Pacers learned before the game that All-Star forward Jermaine O'Neal, who has served 15 games of his 25-game suspension, could be reinstated Thursday.

"He wasn't in this game," Foster said. "This was our game and we lost it ourselves."

Heat Improve to 7-0 Agaisnt East Teams

2004-11-23T14:35:00.000-08:00

from ESPN.com

MIAMI (AP) -- Shaquille O'Neal took just seven shots and still made the Miami Heat offense go.

The Philadelphia 76ers' preoccupation with O'Neal created repeated opportunities for Dwyane Wade and Damon Jones, and the Heat won 93-83 on Sunday night.

Wade sliced through the 76ers' defense for 25 points and Jones tied a career high with five 3-pointers, including four in the final period. O'Neal added 19 points to go with 12 rebounds and six blocks.

The Heat's third consecutive win gave them the best record in the Eastern Conference at 8-3.

"This is like the best team I've been on in a while," O'Neal said. "We've got good shooters, and I've got people not worrying about their stats. It's a good fun team to be on, and I look to have fun this year."

Philadelphia played without Allen Iverson, who skipped the trip to nurse a bruised elbow. Glenn Robinson and Aaron McKie are on the injured list.

"I thought everybody stepped up and played well in Allen's absence," said the 76ers' Corliss Williamson, who scored a season-high 18 points.

Wade had 17 points in the first half without missing a shot. He finished 7-of-13, capping his performance with an acrobatic reverse layup that brought a roar from the crowd, and shot 11-of-13 at the free-throw line. Jones matched a season high with 17 points.

O'Neal said his teammates failed to get the ball to him a couple times when he was open but shrugged off the oversights.

"They've never played with a big man of my caliber," he said. "I'm a special big man, you know."

The 76ers know it, which is why they sacrificed perimeter defense to contain O'Neal.

"You've got to give up something," coach Jim O'Brien said. "And they made shots."

O'Neal was a formidable presence on the defensive end, too, and the 76ers shot just 38 percent.

"He stepped it up defensively," Jones said. "We couldn't give him the ball as much as we wanted to. He just did it in other ways, getting rebounds and blocking shots."

The Heat increased their lead in the Southeast Division to one game over Orlando. They're 7-0 against the Eastern Conference but just 1-3 against the West.

"We're doing what we're supposed to be doing," O'Neal said. "We just have to keep getting better."

Marc Jackson scored 21 points for the 76ers, who lost their third consecutive game. Kyle Korver, making his first start this season in Iverson's absence, added 15 points.

Willie Green had 10 assists and zero turnovers but shot 1-for-14.

"We did some good things," O'Brien said. "We just didn't do enough to beat a good team."

The 76ers didn't lead until Korver hit a 3-pointer to put Philadelphia up 42-40. Miami trailed 58-56 midway through the third period before running off nine consecutive points -- including three free throws by O'Neal -- to grab the lead for good.

Jones' fourth 3-pointer gave Miami a 10-point lead for the first time at 83-73.

"All I can do is just try to continue to alleviate the pressure off of Dwyane and Shaq by making plays out on the perimeter," Jones said.

The Heat won despite 19 turnovers. The 76ers had 17.

Sixers Ready To Get It On

2004-11-01T13:42:00.000-08:00

by Brian Smith, Sixers.com

With the franchise's most successful preseason in 14 years now behind them, some 76ers players are a little bit sore, while others are having a great time and eagerly awaiting Wednesday’s season opener in Boston.

The Sixers made it through most of their 6-2 preseason schedule unscathed. But on Thursday night in New Jersey, several players suffered some bumps and bruises. The most serious malady came to Kenny Thomas, who took a hand to the face late in the game that injured both his eyes – he has an abrasion on the right and traumatic iritis in the left.

“Kenny has a chance of playing against Boston – we just don’t know,” said Head Coach Jim O’Brien. “He saw an ophthalmologist Thursday night. He’ll be doing nothing probably until Tuesday at the earliest.”

Three other players missed practice with injuries Friday – Brian Skinner had some pain in his right knee after a collision in the New Jersey game, while Kevin Ollie was feeling the effects of a hip pointer and John Salmons was resting his strained groin.

In addition, Glenn Robinson remained away from the team tending to personal family matters. The sudden circumstances may leave O’Brien with some decisions to make heading into the Boston game, but he’s not worried about what he’ll do.

“It’s not difficult at all,” he said. “We just go to the next option, which [at small forward] is Corliss [Williamson], with Josh [Davis] backing him up. We’re not going to overreact to injuries. We have 15 people under contract, and if somebody gets banged up, somebody else needs to step in and play at a high level.”

The players that were practicing were doing so at full-speed, as has been the case throughout the preseason. It’s that work ethic that has impressed O’Brien more than anything else about his team over the past month.

“I like the way they practice,” he said. “They practice hard and they practice with great intensity. To date, they’ve never taken a practice off, even for a little bit. I like that. I think that always gives you the foundation at the beginning of the year, and the best teams in the NBA generally practice the best.”

And many of them were having fun doing it. That includes Allen Iverson, who’s relished his point guard responsibilities and enjoys his new coach’s way of conducting practice sessions.

“I honestly feel that the practices are a lot more enjoyable than they have been for me,” Iverson said. “I think it’s just coming in and being able to compete. [O’Brien] lets us be free out on the basketball court. We have our drills and go through our drills, but they’re always competitive.

“I don’t think he stops the pace as much as coaches have before. We could play 5-on-5 and coach would stop every play. I think he might be looking out for me by making practice fun. It keeps me interested, and I’m just looking forward to coming in here every day.”

Among the other things that have Iverson happy are O’Brien’s offensive sets and the players that Iverson has around him.

“I’m free out there on the court,” Iverson said. “I’m able to get up and down the court on made and missed baskets. I’m where I can help my teammates out and make things easy on myself… so it’s just been fun so far.

“It’s hard for teams to do things that they’ve done in the past, by me coming off screens and guys doubling down and triple-teaming and double-teaming me all game. It’s gonna be hard for guys to do that with this system, because everything’s so spread out and we’re on the floor with a lot of shooters. You’ve gotta pay attention to Kyle Korver and his jump shot, and Willie Green. And we’ve got big guys who can shoot the ball. It just makes us that much stronger because people can’t concentrate on me so much.”

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the preseason has been the play of rookie Andre Iguodala. The Sixers used the ninth pick in the 2004 Draft on Iguodala because they felt he could have a big impact on the team, and so far, they’ve been right.

“I would say he’s a significant surprise from the standpoint that he’s just finished his sophomore year,” O’Brien said. “Our people felt he could be a really quality player, but you never know until you get somebody in camp, get to know how quickly they learn and what their makeup is. For any rookie to come in and earn a starting job has to be a surprise.”

He’s certainly surprised his teammates.

“I just can’t believe he’s a rookie,” Iverson said. “The way he’s playing and came in here about his business, and won a starting job, that says a lot about him right there. The things he was doing on the court [Oct. 28 in New Jersey], I didn’t know he had it, and I’ve been practicing with him for a month and I didn’t know he had some of the stuff that he has.

“He just has that swagger about him. He steps out on the court and he’s not out there looking up to anybody. He feels like when he steps on the court, it’s about him. When he steps on the basketball court he feels like he’s the real AI. I want him to feel that way. It’ll make it a lot easier on me and a lot easier on my teammates.”

Said Aaron McKie: “Andre can just flat out play. He can do a little bit of everything – he can rebound, he can pass, he can dribble, post-up, shoot. He’s one of those new-era kind of guys where theyr’e 6-7, 6-8 and they’re bringing the ball up the floor, posting up, shooting threes. He can do all of that.”

Overall, the preseason seems to have created an air of optimism among the 76ers, which has the players ready to get out there and play for keeps.

“It’s exciting because when you look in these young guys’ eyes, they’ve got fire in their eyes and they’re ready to get out there and do it,” McKie said. “A lot of our young guys got a lot of experience last year, and that should be able to help us out this season coming up. I think coming into any season you should be optimistic and be excited to see the outcome of everything.”

Welcome!

2004-08-12T15:20:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by my new 76ers blog! I'll be up and running with regular posts soon, so be sure and come back!