Admit it, you thought the game was over, right? You figured this was the same Sixers team that had sleepwalked its way through the last two weeks of the NBA season after clinching a playoff birth. Late in the third quarter, with Philadelphia down 79-61 to the Orlando Magic, you would have been right. Dwight Howard was dominating, and rookie Courtney Lee was in the middle of an 18 point game. What was a four point deficit at the half had turned into an 18 point hole, and with the way Orlando was playing, there was no way the Sixers would be able to come back, right?
This time, you would be wrong.
Thanks to the play of Andre Iguodala, Andre Miller, Lou Williams and Donyell Marshall, the Sixers managed to make it a game late in the fourth quarter. That 18 point lead had been cut to just one, and with Iguodala at the line, it looked like Philadelphia would take the lead for the first time in the second half. Of course, it wouldn't be that easy, as the Sixer guard missed both free throws. Once again, you could have assumed the game was over, as Philadelphia had spent all their energy just getting back into the game. With just under a minute left, Dwight Howard slammed the ball home, seemingly shutting the door on Game 1, putting the Sixers behind in the series.
This time though, the heart and the hustle that had vanished during the end of the regular season came back. Donyell Marshall, a 45% three point shooter on the season, drained a three to tie the game at 98. Then, Andre Iguodala took the ball on the next Philadelphia possession and did exactly what we had all been hoping for since Allen Iverson was traded to Denver. He took control of the game, and nailed a 22 foot jump shot with just 2.2 seconds to play, putting the Sixers on top for the first time since late in the first half. Orlando's last shot was off, and Philadelphia had the first major comeback victory of the playoffs.
What does this all mean? Well, if you remember, the Sixers won Game 1 last year against Detroit, and ended up losing the series in six games, so it might not mean that much. However, this did show that when the chips are down, this Sixer team might just be able to push through and show some heart and determination. Dwight Howard was huge for Orlando, scoring 31 points and bringing down 16 rebounds. Very few teams have an answer for Howard, and the Sixers aren't one of them. They have to expect him to put up similar numbers in every game, despite his 16 ppg average during the regular season against Philadelphia. The Philadelphia defense played very well in the fourth quarter, basically stopping everyone but Howard, which is what is going to be needed if the Sixers are going to pull off the upset. Not only that, but the defense held the usually hot three point shooters of the Magic to just 5-18 shooting from behind the arc, while the Philadelphia bench outscored Orlando's 42-13.
So for now, enjoy the upset in Game 1 to cap what was an excellent Philadelphia sports day. Hopefully, when Game 2 comes around, the Sixers can prove that this wasn't just a fluke, though taking home court advantage away from the Magic is certainly a good thing regardless.
Player of the Game: Andre Iguodala. How can it not be? The clutch game winning shot with 2.2 to play, after missing two free throws just minutes before. He finished the game with 20 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists. All in all, not a bad game.
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