Apr 10 2009
Sixers and Flyers stumble on the road
With the NBA and NHL regular seasons rapidly coming to a close, both the Sixers and the Flyers have already clinched playoff berths. However, each team’s playoff seed is very much up in the air, and neither team is playing particularly well down the stretch. Due to the recent poor play of both teams, low seeds and quick playoff exits may be what awaits the Wachovia Center’s two tenants. The Sixers and the Flyers were both on the road last night and both teams took one on the chin. The Sixers led by as many as 14 points early in the second quarter and held a slim third quarter lead before the Chicago Bulls pulled away for a 113-99 win. The Flyers didn’t have much luck either as they fell behind 2-0 early in the first period before the New York Rangers edged them out for a 2-1 victory. Bad times.
Let’s start with the Sixers, who have been pretty awful since Thaddeus Young went down with an ankle injury. Although Philly and Chicago were tied 50-50 at halftime, the second half belonged to the Bulls. Both teams shot 52 percent, but the Bulls outscored the Sixers 63-49 in the second half thanks to their unselfish play. There wasn’t much difference statistically between the performance of both teams, but Chicago just played better ball and executed better.
I’m starting to sound like a broken record, but the two Andres carried the Sixers. Again. Iguodala notched his 11th double-double of the season with 19 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds, and a steal. Miller also filled up the stat sheet with 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Willie Green had a notable night, which is rare for him, by adding 12 points and four rebounds. Off the bench, Louis Williams continued his torrid April performance by pouring in 16 points with three dimes, three steals, and a board. Marreese Speights also chipped in nine points and three rebounds in a reserve role.
The Bulls were paced by a pair of 24-point scorers. Ben Gordon scored a double dozen to go along with seven rebounds, three assists, and a steal, while Tyrus Thomas poured in his 24 points with four boards and two steals. Rookie Derrick Rose had a solid night with 16 points, eight dimes, two boards, two steals, and a block, while John Salmons added 14 points, three assists, and two rebounds. Off the bench, Brad Miller chipped in 15 points, six rebounds, six assists, and two steals.
With the loss, the Sixers remain in sixth place in the Eastern Conference and trail the fifth-place Miami Heat by a full game with only four games remaining. Philly will look to break out of their slump tonight when they return home tonight to host LeBron James and the Eastern Conference-best Cleveland Cavaliers. Something tells me another loss is on the way for the Sixers.
Go Sixers.
Now, let’s talk about the Flyers, who have been inconsistent for pretty much the entire second half of the season. As a result, they squandered their chance to seize first place in the Atlantic Division from the New Jersey when the Devils went into a free fall and the Flyers had what looked like a very manageable schedule. With two games left in the regular season, Philly is in a three-way tie for fourth place with the Carolina Hurricanes and the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are two of the hottest teams in the NHL right now. Since the Orange and Black have a game in hand on both teams, they are going to need to at least win one game and go to overtime in the other game in order to clinch the fourth spot. However, if all three teams finished tied, Carolina would be the four, Pittsburgh would be the five, and Philly would be the six. As a result, this weekend is extremely important for the Flyers.
Philly definitely outplayed the Rangers last night, but a controversial call by the referees in the first minute of the game cost the Flyers a chance at a win. New York opened the scoring just 52 seconds into the game when the Rangers stormed the crease. Despite the fact that Martin Biron had the puck covered, the Rangers took multiple swipes before the puck and Biron slid into the net. Marty blantantly had the puck covered up for a long enough period of time that the refs should have stopped play, but they blew the call on the ice and compounded the error by actually affirming the call after watching it on replay. Unbelievable. The controversial goal was credited to Markus Naslund.
A little over 11 minutes later, the Blue Shirts strolled the red light district again when Ryan Callahan deflected Derek Morris’ blast from the right point. The Flyers cut the deficit in half when Danny Briere scored a power play goal midway about through the second period. Unfortunately, that was the only time that Henrik Lundqvist slipped up all night. King Henrik stopped 37 of the 38 shots that he faced to pick up his 37th win of the season. Biron was no slouch himself in net, making 29 saves. It was just one of those nights when the puck doesn’t bounce your way.
The Flyers will play their final road game of the regular season tomorrow afternoon when they look to complete a season sweep of the New York Islanders. This game is definitely a must win for the Flyers.
Let’s Go Flyers!
