It wasn't the biggest crowd for the Sixers last night for their home opener, but with the World Series taking place tonight, and Pearl Jam finishing up their four night stay at the Spectrum, something had to give. The good news for the people that did attend was that the Sixers looked a lot better than they did against Orlando, as they handled Milwaukee for a 99-86 win.
The Bucks looked off all night, save for Michael Redd and Brandon Jennings. The Sixer defense did a good job at shutting down Milwaukee's offense, and their offense in turn was well balanced, with six players, including all five starters, finishing with double figures. It's the exact kind of attack that the Sixers need this year to be successful, and while the Bucks certainly aren't on the same level with the Magic, a win is still nice, especially in front of the home crowd.
Andre Iguodala had a much better showing last night, leading the way with 19 points, as well as nine rebounds and seven assists. He started out making his first three shots, and looked much more comfortable last night than he did on Wednesday night. It was a nice turnaround for the man who is going to be looked towards for leadership this season. Elton Brand contributed last night, scoring 17 points and bringing down six rebounds in just 29 minutes. It wasn't his best showing, but he did what he had to do. Samuel Dalembert was...Samuel Dalembert. He's never going to be the dominant big man that the fans want, but he contributes in his own way, scoring 10 points and pulling down 13 rebounds.
The bench had a couple of nice contributors as well. Jason Kapono logged 24 minutes and scored 10 points on 4-8 shooting. He already looks like the outside threat the Sixers were missing last year, as he nailed two three pointers, and had several other long twos that helped turn the Bucks away in the second half. Marreese Speights had a busy night in just 13 minutes, scoring four points and picking up seven rebounds while also getting called for five fouls. I'd like to believe if not for the foul trouble, he would have played more last night, but while he was in there, he didn't look too bad. Jrue Holiday got his first action, and scored his first bucket of his NBA career in seven minutes of work. It was limited time, but he didn't look half bad out there.
It wasn't the best showing last night, but it was a win against a team that the Sixers should beat. They lost control on defense every now and then, but the offense did enough to keep the Bucks out of striking distance for most of the second half. As they showed against the Magic, they might have problems with their defense going south against better teams, but it's still a work in progress. Regardless, the Sixers pulled off a win last night in their home opener, and that's always something to be happy about. If the rest of the sports weekend goes that well in Philadelphia, I think everyone that reads this blog will have a smile on their face.
The Sixers take their act on the road tonight, as they add a third chapter to the Philadelphia/New York sports weekend, taking on the Knicks in MSG.
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