Nov 24 2008
Brand leads Sixers over Golden State
The Sixers are finally starting to play like a team that could compete for an Eastern Conference. With last night’s win over the Warriors, the Sixers moved above .500 for the first time this year and have won five of their last six games.
Elton Brand led the way with 23 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, and a block. Andre Iguodala contributed 15 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and a block, and Thaddeus Young added 12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and an assist. The unsung hero for the Sixers may be Samuel Dalembert, who scored 8 points, but was a man in the paint with 16 rebounds and 2 blocks. Andre Miller tacked on 9 points, 8 assists, and 3 steals, but he turned the ball over 6 times, so it wasn’t his best night. Willie Green and Lou Williams provided a spark off the bench with 9 points and 7 points, respectively.
The Warriors were paced by Kelenna Azubuike, who scored 16 points and added 5 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal, and a block. Stephen Jackson added 12 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, and a block. Andris Biedrins, who was totally abused by Sammy D, tacked on 10 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals. Off the bench, C.J. Watson poured in 12 points and Brandon Wright had 10 points. Ronny Turiaf had five blocks.
The Sixers held a 27-17 lead after the first quarter and their advantage ballooned to 22 points in the second quarter before Golden State began to chip away. At halftime, the Warriors cut their deficit to 18 points at 57-39. Golden State clamped down on D in the third quarter and outscored Philly 23-15, which made it a 10-point game at 72-62.
The Warriors unleashed an offensive onslaught in the beginning of the fourth quarter. Golden State scored 14 of the first 18 points in the fourth quarter, which was capped off by back-to-back three-pointers by unheralded rookie Anthony Morrow that tied the game at 76-76 with 6:32 left. The two 3s were his only points of the game. Then, with the Sixers holding an 84-81 lead, Miller nailed his third trey of the season with 2:15 remaining that put the game out of reach. He iced the game with a pair of free throws.
The Sixers return to the court tonight when they travel down to Charlotte to take on the Larry Brown-led Bobcats. I’m a little skeptical if the Sixers will be able to pick up a W after playing last night, but it’s not like the Bobcats are a good team, so in theory, the Sixers should win.
Go Sixers.
