Sixers Pull Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde To Tie Celtics

This was the best Sixers' playoff game I have watched since Iverson and Vince Carter were having dueling 50 point games in 2001 conference semifinals.  The Sixers started off the game on a cold streak that seemed likely to sink the series within the first 3 minutes of the game.  The Celtics picked up right where they left off  in game 3, which was running the court at will.  Brandon Bass played the role of Kevin Garnett scoring 10 in the first quarter and 13 for the half.  Rajon Rondo was also picking the Sixers apart, setting up his teammates to lead them to a 14-0 start.  Rondo ended up with 9 points and 9 assists for the half.  Paul Pierce was hot, running off of screens and knocking down every shot in his sight scoring 12 in the half.  The Sixers offense was anemic to put it mildly.  This was easily the worst first half of the season for the Sixers.   They shot 23 percent from the field and missed a total of 8 free throws.  They were down 15 because they could not hit open shots or get out on the break after misses and turnovers.



The second half started off with much of the same as the Celtics built their lead to 18.  However, the Sixers showed resilience by playing lock down defense for the rest of the game.  Anchored by Lavoy Allen's defense on Kevin Garnett, who looked like he had nothing left for Lavoy.  KG was not his all star self and I am not sure some if it has to do with him being in his 16th season or if it was because Doug Collins matched him up with Lavoy.  Lavoy's play was stellar all game, limiting KG to 3 for 12 shooting and 9 points.  He made a valiant effort to keep him from catching the ball in the lane and turning and elevating for the shot.  Lavoy also did not allow KG many open shots.

Charles Barkley: "San Antonio is a gold mine for Weight Watchers"

Sir Charles Barkley is at it once again. Last night after the Spurs victory wrapping up the series against the Clippers, the cast of Inside the NBA on TNT was at it again. Ernie Banks, Kenny "The Jet" Smith, Sir Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O'Neal went on to discuss moving out of the Atlanta studios and being on site for the Western Conference Finals in San Antonio.

It did not take long before Barkley took some jabs at the city of San Antonio. Barkley starts off with stating there are some "big ol women down there," and proceeds with "Victoria is a secret down there." Barkley had Smith shaking his head, and Shaq busting up laughing. 

I think the best line was when Barkley stated, "San Antonio is a gold mine for Weight Watchers...it's a mother load down there." It was definitely one of the funniest segments on any pre or post game show I have ever seen live. What made the entire segment so great was how hard Shaq was laughing, you could tell it was real. Also, another great part of the segment was watching how frustrated Smith became with Barkley's comments. 

Unfortunately nba.com will not let me post the video on this blog, they want traffic directed to their site. Click here and you will be taken straight to the video, watch a quick Hyundai sponsored ad and your golden from there.

When I watched it live I couldn't stop laughing. Last night proves once again why Inside the NBA on TNT is the best pre and post game show of any of the four major sports. Enjoy the video, I know I did. 

TNT's Shirt-Off Inspires 76ers Fan

If you did not happen to catch TNT's Inside the NBA Shirt-Off on Tuesday night, you missed another reason why this pre and post game show is one of the best on television. Aside from one of the best crews assembled lead by Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny "The Jet" Smith, and Sir Charles Barkley, they tell it like it is while rarely holding back, and always add something wild to the show.

Tuesday night was the highly anticipated Shirt-Off which featured Shaq versus Charles both taking off their shirts in studio displaying their new slim physiques. The video is posted below and is definitely worth a watch.

Unfortunately the Shirt-Off made its way to Philadelphia last night as you can see from the picture above, before Game 3 of the Sixers-Celtics series. TNT cameras were rolling when one Sixers fan decided to show off his goodies for the world to see. I was in the middle of putting away a burrito when I saw this fan live and immediately lost my appetite. At first glance I was not sure if he was mooning the camera but after close examination with the DVR, it is clear this fan does indeed have an ass crack where his stomach used to be.

This Sixers fan is the victim of too many cheesesteaks, Tastycakes, and God knows what else. As Sir Charles would say, "There is too many fat asses out there." Like I said, the video below is worth the watch.

Sixers Dig Deep and Take Game 2

Tough game on the eyes once again but the Sixers won in the end.  A strong game by Jrue Holiday and Andre Iguodala lead the Sixers.  Jrue had 18 points, 3 assists, and most importantly 1 turnover to lead the Sixers.  He had timely baskets in clutch situations and a less than ideal turnover in the next play.  His youth has a tendency to come out in the most inconvenient times but it was outweighed by his shooting and his teammates ability to step up.  Evan Turner had big buckets in the 4th quarter showing Doug Collins that he made the right decision in leaving him in the game.  Lou had arguably his best all around game in the playoffs with some decent defense, for Lou that is, on Rajon Rondo.  Rondo had his normal 13 assists.  Lou seemed to do a better job than Jrue keeping Rondo out of his normal rhythm and kept good care of the ball with no turnovers.  He played a solid 39 minutes off the bench.  The Celtics fell into deep slumps where they could not hit anything.

#Hashtag of the Day: #IllTradeBoozerFor

Carlos Boozer of the Chicago Bulls played so horendously last night that Bulls fans woke up angry.  Below are some funny tweets with the above-metioned tagline:

#IllTradeBoozerFor the Krabby Patty Secret Formula

— Tristan (@tristanyv) May 11, 2012

#IllTradeBoozerFor Lebron's hairline.

— Grandad (@GrandadJFreeman) May 11, 2012

#IllTradeBoozerFor 42 cents and half a left shoe.

— Luke Kligis (@Kligis) May 11, 2012

#IllTradeBoozerFor A piece of gum ....underneath a school desk

— DammmHeFly ♕(@ImTooSwavey) May 11, 2012

With Derrick Rose out with a torn ACL, the pressure fell on power forward Carlos Boozer. Boozer pulled down 13 boards, but that was the lone bright stat from last night's game. He went 1 for 11 from the field for 3 points, and only made it to the foul line once. Due to his lack of everything, Boozer only played 27 minutes in the game and accrued 3 turnovers in that time.

Sixers Complete Upset of Shorthanded #1 Seed

Yea, it was about that tough.

As a Philly sports fan I prepare myself for anything.  And as history dictates, I was preparing myself for the worst and hoping for the best.  For the first time in recent history the city of Philadelphia and the Sixers were rewarded.  Iguodala, who had a aggravatingly sub par year from the stripe, made two pressure free throws to win the game.  I am elated that the Sixers chose the playoffs as a time to pull out close games.  This is when it counts most, right?

The first half was exactly as I would have diagrammed it if I were Doug Collins.  The Bulls put forth a valiant effort, but just could not keep up with the Sixers' defense in the first.  Luol Deng had a strong first half with 10, but was forced to sit when an errant elbow cracked his face open.  He was assisted by spark plug and St. Joe's nemesis, John Lucas,III .  The Bulls ran the same screen and go play 4 straight times down the floor and it led to Jon Lucas scoring a quick 7 points.  The frountcourt of the Bulls played very aggressively and physically.  Leading to 14 points for Taj Gibson, 10 for Omer Asik.  Asik had a career game with highs for points and rebounds(9).

The energy of the Bulls was admirable but the Sixers could not miss it seems in the first half.  The Bulls decided to go under screens for Jrue Holiday and Jrue took the shot when it was given to him.  He led the team with 12 in the half.  Iguodala decided to go shot for shot with Deng in this game to go along with some decent defense.  Deng had 19 on .500 shooting but most of his shots were on put backs, and that is reflected in his gaudy number of rebounds(17).  Lou Williams got off in the second quarter scoring 11 points.  Lou took his defensive assignment seriously tonight.  He countered some shaky decisions with 3 steals that led to some easy baskets that always works wonder for his jump shot.

Chris ''Birdman" Andersen in the Middle of Child Porn Scandal

Chris Andersen, more notably known as "Birdman" is in the middle of a child pornography scandal. While no charges have yet to be filed, sheriffs from the Douglas County Internet Crimes Against Children's Unit searched Andersen's home Thursday afternoon, confiscating computers, hard drives, and thumb drives that are believed to be connected to the case. The Internet Crimes Against Childrens Unit is responsible for investigating child porn, Internet luring, child predators, and child pornography. Authorities said Andersen was very cooperative when answering his door and letting investigators enter his home.

Police have been investigating Andersen since February after receiving information from a law agency in California. Andersen lives about 40 miles south of Denver, and has been absent from the entire playoff series against the Lakers. The Nuggets have since excused Andersen from all team-related activities indefinitely.

This is a very sad and twisted story that still has many questions left unanswered. What makes Andersen's case even more sad is that he was extremely involved in the Denver and New Orleans communities, especially when it came to underprivileged children. He raised money for Mount Saint Vincent, a home for troubled and abused children. Andersen was also involved with Alliance for Choice in Education, which provides scholarships for low-income families to use in private schools.

Investigators are reporting that it could possibly take several weeks to a month to collect evidence from from the seized items taken from Andersen's home. I will continue to update as the details emerge.

Sixers Take on Bulls In Game 6

Alright ladies and gentleman, time for game 6.  I am eager to see how the Sixers respond to the Bulls taking game 5.  The Sixers need to make sure they live on the free throw line because that is how they won their games this series.  Jrue will need to keep up his aggressiveness and also find a way to jump-start the offense of his teammates.  I know it is a lot to ask but he has showed the potential to be an elite combo guard this series.  Now, he will have to do it when it matters most.  Spencer Hawes will have to continue his double double play that has been a big part of this series.  We will need him especially if Joakim Noah plays, at time of this post he is still a game time decision.  I guess they mean that literally.  Defense will be crucial to the Sixers getting out on the fast break and limiting the Bulls' second chance opportunities.  Our bench must come through, especially in those times of the game when the Sixers struggle to score.  That means Lou Williams and Thaddeus Young will have to show up big time.  Lou has been pretty consistent and needs to stay on the attack.  Thaddeus needs to do the exact opposite of what he has been doing this series.  Thad has had zero effect on the offensive side, while doing an average job on Boozer defensively.  The player who will be most important to me is Evan Turner.  His ability to drive to the bucket and get contact should keep him on the charity stripe. Foul trouble plagued him last game and he needs to realize that the Bulls are intentionally doing this.  He needs to control his temper.  I am predicting a 5 point win by the Sixers and we will await the dreaded Celtics who are their likely opponent in the Conference Semifinals.  Let's go Sixers!!

Amar'e Extinguished; Battier Punked

The Heat won game 5 on Wednesday, knocking the Knicks out of the first round.  With 4:48 left in the game, Amar'e Stoudemire lowered his shoulder into Shane Battier while driving to the basket.  That was Stoudemire's sixth and final foul.  Listen closely in the background.  The Heat PA Announcer makes a funny."..It's his sixth.  He has been extinguished from the game." Get it?  Relating to the fire extinguisher case that he got up-close and personal with a few games back.

It gets better from there.  Amar'e looks to offer to help Battier off of the ground, but quickly swiped his hand away once Battier accepted.

Bulls Stymy Sixers With Stifling Defense

This game was as ugly as the scratches on Spencer Hawes' face during the post game press conference.   It was not enjoyed by anyone, excluding Luol Deng who went 4 for 5 from 3 and 10 for 19 overall to score 24, until the Bulls sealed the victory.   The Bulls played relentless defense and were not nearly as enthusiastic on offense.  Carlos Boozer abused Thaddeus Young ritually.  He did whatever he wanted and scored 19 points on 20 shots, albeit, but he made key baskets whenever the Sixers came in sniffing distance of making a comeback.

The Bulls' front court for Chicago really controlled the game.  The clogged the lane and played impressive defense.  Their defensive interior led to them playing great all around defense and limited the Sixers to a paltry 11 free throws.  Whereas, the Sixers were shooting an average 30 free throws a game in their wins.  The odd thing is the Sixers set an NBA record low for average free throws per game at 11.4, and they have increased their average by nearly 250%.  The good thing is they seemed to have learned from the mistakes of the regular season but last night they had a relapse back into that negative behavior.

Getting to the charity stripe was a principal reason the Sixers were able to overcome their struggles in their wins and end up as the team with the most points.  The Sixers tried to drive early on but the referees were calling a tough game and they decided not to go to the hole as consistently as a result.  The two bright spots were Hawes and Jrue Holiday again, continuing their progress as a high low tandem.  Hawes had 11 points and 14 rebounds.  He did a great job on the boards but did not really do much to stop Boozer from scoring his 19.  He has had a solid series and season for that matter.  I just hope it is that dreaded contract year 'bump' that some people achieve just to receive a great contract.  No one wants to be 'Geigered' again here in Philadelphia.  Jrue missed plenty of shots but his numbers are still solid and he has had a pretty strong series.  He has really capitalized on not having Derrick Rose in the line up.

The rest of the Sixers on the other hand were horrendous.  Iguodola had an average game offensively but he got scorched by Deng who had previously been shackled by him.  Iggy knows that his best asset is his perimeter defense and to offset a bad offensive game he usually steps up.  This was not the case.  The same for Thaddeus Young, he has had an abysmal series and it was the same lame story last night.  Luckily Boozer has not been that good this series either and that has allowed Young to remain off of the fans 'boo' radar.

The Sixers had to expect this.  The Bulls are a good team with or without Rose and they proved that throughout the season.  It was highly probable that the Bulls would get at least one more game, now the Sixers must react appropriately.  Reverting back to the from of the previous three games should be a focal point for them when going over video today.  I predicted Sixers in 6 games prior to tip off of game one and it seems that my prognostication might be coming to fruition.  I am looking forward to the Sixers moving on tomorrow evening.

Sixers High-Low Decimated Bulls To Take a 3-1 Lead

Another great game played by the Sixers, that showed fortitude and resilience.  Jrue Holiday was abysmal the first half going 1-13, while keeping his turnovers limited.  Spencer Hawes really kept the Sixers in the game with some tough rebounding and timely outside shooting.  His game made Tom Thibodeau adjust his defense and bring his center Omer Asik out of the lane and take away the little interior defense that the Bulls did have.  Spencer Hawes proved to be too much for the remaining bigs of the Bulls.  Asik was over matched and could not defend both Hawes and the lane.

Hawes' play opened the lane for the Sixers' wings to do some damage.  It was great to see Hawes return to early season form after having a major portion of his season taken by injury.  I hope this is not just a push for a new contract and a new focused center that could really lead the Sixers deep into the playoffs.
(More After the Break)

Sixers Top Bulls, Tie Series 1-1

Elton Brand slams it down while the Bulls just watch. BLEACHERREPORT

Great all around team game played by the Sixers on Tuesday.  Evan Turner and Jrue Holiday really stepped up and overwhelmed the Bulls defense individually and simultaneously all game.  The backcourt of the Sixers proved to be too much with Evan scoring 19, grabbing 7 boards, and dishing 6 dimes.  Evan looked in control much of the game and dismantled whomever the Bulls put in front of him.  Jrue was even more spectacular with his jump shot dropping and using that to set up his driving.  He abused the Bulls defense for 26 points and dishing 6 dimes also.  The Bulls were punished for going under screens and not pressing the ball the way they were with Lou all season.  This was the best performance of Evan and Jrue's young career together and gives all the fans and haters of the Sixers something look forward to. With great support from the best bench in the business starring Lou (Williams) with 20, Lavoy (Allen) with 11 and 9 rebounds respectively, and Thad(deus Young) with 8 and 6 rebounds, it made their job easier.  Andre Iguodala had a solid all around game, including playing stellar defense on Luol Deng.    I personally thought before the series began that they were capable of winning, but now with Rose down I predict they will take it in 6.  If you do not believe me check my comments to SportsTalkDaily last week.  Evan is and will continue to show and prove.

Video Recap of Game 2

Durant Hits Game Winner in Game 1

The Oklahoma City Thunder are my pick to win it all this year, and Saturday night continued to show their maturation.  These guys are young, and have a leader in Durant who can hit the clutch shot.  In Game 1 of round one, with less than 10 seconds left in the game, and the Thunder down 98-97, the call goes to Kevin Durant.  He dribbled to the right, spins around Shawn Marrion, and nails a jumper at the foul line with less than 4 seconds left on the clock.

Amar'e Has Surgery on Hand

After the game 2 loss to the Heat on Monday night, Amar'e Stoudemire left the court, went H.A.M on a fire extinguisher case, and now the Knicks are at a loss without their star forward.  On Tuesday, Stoudemire underwent surgery to repair a small muscle in his hand.  The Knicks have listed him as "out" for game 3 and "doubtful" for game 4.

In the losing effort in game 2 in Miami, Stoudemire went 6 for 9 for 18 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block. The Knicks are now down in the series 0-2, and seem headed for an early ouster.

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