Game Recap:
Despite six solid innings by Joe Blanton, the Phillies could get nothing going on offense until the ninth inning, losing the game when Chris Coste struck out with runners on the corners.
What went right?
Not a whole lot tonight.
Joe Blanton pitched six strong innings, giving up three runs on eight hits and striking out five. He allowed a fifth inning solo home run to J.J. Hardy and a two run double to Mike Cameron in the sixth.
The Phillies bullpen pitched great in relief of Blanton. Chad Durbin, Clay Condrey, Scott Eyre and Ryan Madson held the Brewers without a hit for the final three innings of the game.
Jayson Werth continued his hot streak, going 2-4 with his second homer of the season in the ninth inning.
Chase Utley reached base for the 33rd game in a row with a first inning single.
What went wrong?
The Philadelphia offense couldn't get out of the blocks against Braden Looper, and finished off by leaving 11 men on base for the game.
While he was solid, Blanton gave up yet another home run by a Philadelphia starting pitcher.
Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino still can't seem to get started, going 2-8 in the top two spots in the lineup.
Game Analysis:
There isn't really a lot to talk about from the game tonight. Braden Looper came out and owned the Phils for six innings, and despite a brief sign of life in the ninth inning, the bats were quiet tonight. Leaving 11 men on base isn't going to cut it in any game, especially after Joe Blanton gives you six good innings like he did tonight. Any time a pitcher can hold a team to four or less runs, your team should be able to win the game. That didn't happen tonight, and the Phillies are back under .500. Hopefully, this little see-saw ends soon, with the Phillies back over .500 for the rest of the season.
Tomorrow, Cole Hamels (0-1, 11.17 ERA) looks for his first win of the season against Dave Bush (0-0, 5.40 ERA). It's the first Business Person's Special of the season, so cut out of work early and go watch the Phils.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Foul Trouble, Offensive Rebounding Doom Sixers as Magic Tie up Series
It was a game that the Sixers didn't need to win, but would have loved to take from the Magic. After taking Game 1 in Orlando, the Sixers had already secured home court advantage in their first round series, but a win in Game 2 would have put all the pressure on the Magic. Instead, Orlando was able to out hustle the Sixers tonight, and even after losing Dwight Howard with 3:11 to play, the Magic held on for a 96-87 win that evened the series.
After coming back from an 18 point deficit to win Game 1, the Sixers came out on fire, with Andre Miller scoring 13 of the first 17 points for Philadelphia and giving the Sixers an early seven point lead. From there, the Magic turned to Dwight Howard, and while the Orlando big man only had 11 points and 10 rebounds for the game, his presence inside was enough to get both Samuel Dalembert and Theo Ratliff into foul trouble early. With both of them sitting on the bench with two fouls, the Magic were able to outplay the Sixers on the offensive glass, as several second chances for Orlando resulted in points. A tie game at the end of the first quarter turned into a seven point Magic lead at the half, then ballooned to as many as 18 points in the third quarter. The Sixers would get as close as five in the second half, but Orlando continued to get second chances at baskets, and made Philadelphia pay.
The Magic were also able to keep Andre Iguodala from getting anywhere near the basket in the first half. Iguodala finished with 21 points, but only one of those came in the first half, when Andre Miller and Thaddeous Young were carrying the load for the Sixers. Meanwhile, Orlando went with a shorter bench in Game 2, and it paid off. Anthony Johnson dropped 11 points off the bench, and the Magic were also able to hold Philadelphia's bench in check after a great showing in Game 1.
While this loss hurts, the Sixers still have some momentum in this series. They're taking it back to Philadelphia tied at one game a piece, which is more than most people would have expected, especially considering how they finished the season. They've managed to contain Dwight Howard and the three point shooters for the Magic, as the Sixers held Orlando to 6-23 shooting from behind the arc tonight. Somehow, they have to do a better job at containing Courtney Lee, who has just batted Philadelphia in the two games so far. In order to keep home court, the Sixers will need to find an answer for Lee, as well as keep their big men out of foul trouble to continue to contain Dwight Howard. It's not going to be easy to stop Orlando's franchise player for an entire series, but it's going to have to be done if the Sixers want to advance.
Game 3 is Friday night at the Wachovia Center. Show up, and make your voices heard...the Sixers need your support.
Player of the Game: Andre Miller. Still going with a Sixer, even in a losing effort. Miller had 17 of the first 25 points for Philadelphia, and finished the game with 30 points, as well as seven rebounds and three assists.
After coming back from an 18 point deficit to win Game 1, the Sixers came out on fire, with Andre Miller scoring 13 of the first 17 points for Philadelphia and giving the Sixers an early seven point lead. From there, the Magic turned to Dwight Howard, and while the Orlando big man only had 11 points and 10 rebounds for the game, his presence inside was enough to get both Samuel Dalembert and Theo Ratliff into foul trouble early. With both of them sitting on the bench with two fouls, the Magic were able to outplay the Sixers on the offensive glass, as several second chances for Orlando resulted in points. A tie game at the end of the first quarter turned into a seven point Magic lead at the half, then ballooned to as many as 18 points in the third quarter. The Sixers would get as close as five in the second half, but Orlando continued to get second chances at baskets, and made Philadelphia pay.
The Magic were also able to keep Andre Iguodala from getting anywhere near the basket in the first half. Iguodala finished with 21 points, but only one of those came in the first half, when Andre Miller and Thaddeous Young were carrying the load for the Sixers. Meanwhile, Orlando went with a shorter bench in Game 2, and it paid off. Anthony Johnson dropped 11 points off the bench, and the Magic were also able to hold Philadelphia's bench in check after a great showing in Game 1.
While this loss hurts, the Sixers still have some momentum in this series. They're taking it back to Philadelphia tied at one game a piece, which is more than most people would have expected, especially considering how they finished the season. They've managed to contain Dwight Howard and the three point shooters for the Magic, as the Sixers held Orlando to 6-23 shooting from behind the arc tonight. Somehow, they have to do a better job at containing Courtney Lee, who has just batted Philadelphia in the two games so far. In order to keep home court, the Sixers will need to find an answer for Lee, as well as keep their big men out of foul trouble to continue to contain Dwight Howard. It's not going to be easy to stop Orlando's franchise player for an entire series, but it's going to have to be done if the Sixers want to advance.
Game 3 is Friday night at the Wachovia Center. Show up, and make your voices heard...the Sixers need your support.
Player of the Game: Andre Miller. Still going with a Sixer, even in a losing effort. Miller had 17 of the first 25 points for Philadelphia, and finished the game with 30 points, as well as seven rebounds and three assists.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Phillies Recap: Phillies-11, Brewers-4
Game Recap:
Trying to obviously score before the rain set in, the Phillies scored four runs in the first and five in the fifth to provide all the offense they would need for Jamie Moyer to pick up his second win of the season. Pedro Feliz had his best game of the year, picking up three hits and adding his first home run of the season.
What went right?
As previously mentioned, Pedro Feliz had a great day at the plate, going 3-4 with 3 RBI and his first long ball of the season. The game upped his average to a very nice .359 through the first dozen games of the year.
While Chase Utley only had one hit and one RBI, he did show some great patience at the plate, walking three times and scoring once.
Jamie Moyer had his best start of the year, by far. He started the game with back to back strikeouts, and aside from Ryan Braun, who no one could stop tonight, held the Milwaukee offense in check for six innings. He picked up his second win of the season and dropped his ERA to 6.35.
Jayson Werth went 2-5, including a two run double in the first inning that started the scoring spree for the Phillies.
Shane Victorino is starting to look like he might be coming out of his slow start with a 2-4 night, including two runs scored and an RBI.
What went wrong?
Ryan Howard didn't have the best of nights, going 0-4 with three strikeouts. The big man is still hitting .313 on the year, however.
While Moyer did pitch well, he had problems with Ryan Braun all night, allowing two home runs from the former Rookie of the Year.
The weather decided to delay the end of what was a blowout, keeping me from getting to write this up before I should be getting ready to go to sleep.
Game Analysis:
In a matchup of last year's NLDS, the Phillies picked up right where they left off. The offense, which has started to look better, really came to life today, battering Milwaukee starter Manny Parra for four runs in the first, then adding five more in the fifth off of Jorge Julio.
This is the Phillie team that I remember watching from last season. While they may not score all the time, scoring runs in bunches can be just as, if not more effective than scoring a run each inning. While the Phillies have let some big innings slip through their fingers so far this year, they were able to put two such innings together today, and that ended up leading to a very happy, if also very wet, crowd at Citizen's Bank Ballpark tonight.
If the Phillies are going to continue on this little offensive tear they've got going, the Brewers are a perfect team to do it against. They lost both CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets during the offseason, and their pitching is quite thin. For players like Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino, this is a perfect time to get their licks in against subpar pitching. These series are the ones that the Phillies were able to take control of last year, as they played average teams with poor rotations. That trend is going to have to continue for the Phils, and it hopefully should.
Next Game
The Phillies send Joe Blanton (0-1, 9.00 ERA) to the mound to try and get over the .500 mark for the first time this season. Opposing him will be Braden Looper (1-0, 3.27 ERA) as the Brewers attempt to even the series.
Trying to obviously score before the rain set in, the Phillies scored four runs in the first and five in the fifth to provide all the offense they would need for Jamie Moyer to pick up his second win of the season. Pedro Feliz had his best game of the year, picking up three hits and adding his first home run of the season.
What went right?
As previously mentioned, Pedro Feliz had a great day at the plate, going 3-4 with 3 RBI and his first long ball of the season. The game upped his average to a very nice .359 through the first dozen games of the year.
While Chase Utley only had one hit and one RBI, he did show some great patience at the plate, walking three times and scoring once.
Jamie Moyer had his best start of the year, by far. He started the game with back to back strikeouts, and aside from Ryan Braun, who no one could stop tonight, held the Milwaukee offense in check for six innings. He picked up his second win of the season and dropped his ERA to 6.35.
Jayson Werth went 2-5, including a two run double in the first inning that started the scoring spree for the Phillies.
Shane Victorino is starting to look like he might be coming out of his slow start with a 2-4 night, including two runs scored and an RBI.
What went wrong?
Ryan Howard didn't have the best of nights, going 0-4 with three strikeouts. The big man is still hitting .313 on the year, however.
While Moyer did pitch well, he had problems with Ryan Braun all night, allowing two home runs from the former Rookie of the Year.
The weather decided to delay the end of what was a blowout, keeping me from getting to write this up before I should be getting ready to go to sleep.
Game Analysis:
In a matchup of last year's NLDS, the Phillies picked up right where they left off. The offense, which has started to look better, really came to life today, battering Milwaukee starter Manny Parra for four runs in the first, then adding five more in the fifth off of Jorge Julio.
This is the Phillie team that I remember watching from last season. While they may not score all the time, scoring runs in bunches can be just as, if not more effective than scoring a run each inning. While the Phillies have let some big innings slip through their fingers so far this year, they were able to put two such innings together today, and that ended up leading to a very happy, if also very wet, crowd at Citizen's Bank Ballpark tonight.
If the Phillies are going to continue on this little offensive tear they've got going, the Brewers are a perfect team to do it against. They lost both CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets during the offseason, and their pitching is quite thin. For players like Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino, this is a perfect time to get their licks in against subpar pitching. These series are the ones that the Phillies were able to take control of last year, as they played average teams with poor rotations. That trend is going to have to continue for the Phils, and it hopefully should.
Next Game
The Phillies send Joe Blanton (0-1, 9.00 ERA) to the mound to try and get over the .500 mark for the first time this season. Opposing him will be Braden Looper (1-0, 3.27 ERA) as the Brewers attempt to even the series.
Missed chances doom Flyers in loss to Penguins
Eight power plays compared to five. Forty six shots against 26. From those numbers alone, the Flyers should have easily won against the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight. It was not to be, though. Philadelphia missed chance after chance, while the Penguins managed to take advantage of the few chances they had to capture a 3-1 victory in Game 4, and a 3-1 lead in the playoff series. It's do or die time now for the Flyers, and they're going to have to do better than they did tonight if they want the series to come back to the Wachovia Center.
Over the first few games of the series, the focus was on the officiating, as it often is when the Penguins are in a series. While there could have been a case for some questionable calls in the prior games, tonight, the Flyers were given more chances on the power play, and they simply couldn't take advantage of them when they were presented. Marc-Andre Fleury was simply sensuational in goal for Pittsburgh, making several stops that could have resulted in goals for Philadelphia. You can't take that away from Fleury, especially after the way he had been peppered in Game 3. It takes a very good goalie to come back after giving up six goals in the prior game, and with the way Fleury played tonight, you can certainly say he is a very good, if not great, goalie.
You can also make a case for the first goal that the Penguins scored, as it was a fluke that managed to bounce of of Sidney Crosby and into the net as Simon Gagne made a solid defenisve play to take Crosby out of the play. However, the other two goals were more than legitimate, and since the Flyers only managed to get one puck past Fleury the entire game, that first goal for Pittsburgh was inconsequensal. Unfortunately for Philadelphia, and it seems like a common element tonight, but they just couldn't do anything when they had the chance.
So what does this mean for the Flyers? Certainly, Game 5 is a must win, but that goes without saying. Jeff Carter, Mike Knuble, Mike Richards and the rest of the 20 goal scorers for Philadelphia are going to have to find a way to get to Fleury again, because if he is able to play like he did tonight, it's going to be the end of the season for Philadelphia come Thursday night. On the same mindset, the Flyers are going to have to play better on defense. While they didn't give up any power play goals tonight, they still allowed three full strength goals. Sidney Crosby is going to have to be contained, and they're also going to have to contend with Evgeni Malkin. It's a double edged sword for the Flyers, and it's certainly not a good thing. The only thing is, they're going to have to take on that double edged sword, as well as the athleticism of Fleury, if they even want to get past Game 5. Do I like their chances? I can't say that I do, but stranger things have happened. Teams have come back from a 3-1 hole before, so it can happen. Just keep your fingers crossed, it might be possible.
Over the first few games of the series, the focus was on the officiating, as it often is when the Penguins are in a series. While there could have been a case for some questionable calls in the prior games, tonight, the Flyers were given more chances on the power play, and they simply couldn't take advantage of them when they were presented. Marc-Andre Fleury was simply sensuational in goal for Pittsburgh, making several stops that could have resulted in goals for Philadelphia. You can't take that away from Fleury, especially after the way he had been peppered in Game 3. It takes a very good goalie to come back after giving up six goals in the prior game, and with the way Fleury played tonight, you can certainly say he is a very good, if not great, goalie.
You can also make a case for the first goal that the Penguins scored, as it was a fluke that managed to bounce of of Sidney Crosby and into the net as Simon Gagne made a solid defenisve play to take Crosby out of the play. However, the other two goals were more than legitimate, and since the Flyers only managed to get one puck past Fleury the entire game, that first goal for Pittsburgh was inconsequensal. Unfortunately for Philadelphia, and it seems like a common element tonight, but they just couldn't do anything when they had the chance.
So what does this mean for the Flyers? Certainly, Game 5 is a must win, but that goes without saying. Jeff Carter, Mike Knuble, Mike Richards and the rest of the 20 goal scorers for Philadelphia are going to have to find a way to get to Fleury again, because if he is able to play like he did tonight, it's going to be the end of the season for Philadelphia come Thursday night. On the same mindset, the Flyers are going to have to play better on defense. While they didn't give up any power play goals tonight, they still allowed three full strength goals. Sidney Crosby is going to have to be contained, and they're also going to have to contend with Evgeni Malkin. It's a double edged sword for the Flyers, and it's certainly not a good thing. The only thing is, they're going to have to take on that double edged sword, as well as the athleticism of Fleury, if they even want to get past Game 5. Do I like their chances? I can't say that I do, but stranger things have happened. Teams have come back from a 3-1 hole before, so it can happen. Just keep your fingers crossed, it might be possible.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Sheldon Brown wants a trade
While it seems like every team has issues with players demanding trades, the Philadelphia Eagles have run into the same problem two years in a row. Last year, Lito Sheppard requested a trade that eventually saw him shipped off to the Jets for a fifth round pick. Now, Sheldon Brown has requested a trade, citing a "lack of respect," and the Eagles have already responded, denying his request, but I doubt that we've heard the end of this.
This year, Sheldon might have a valid concern. The Eagles have him under contract until 2012, but this upcoming season is the only one with any guaranteed money, meaning that Philadelphia can (and probably would) cut him before the deal reaches its end without any penalty. Of course, since Joselio Hanson signed a five year, $21 million contract this offseason, Sheldon can't be too happy about essentially being paid less than the nickel corner. Plus, with the Eagles sitting on a bunch of cap room, there figured to be at least a few players looking to get some more money out of the front office this year, particularly the players like Sheldon, who just turned 30, and probably has one more big money contract in him.
So, what do the Eagles do? After the soap opera drama that was the Lito Sheppard situation last season, perhaps it would be better if they were to try and find a trade partner for Sheldon. Of course, that means that they would almost certainly be taking a CB with the 21st pick in this weekend's NFL Draft. They could look at players like Vontae Davis, Victor Harris or Darius Butler as possible picks at that spot. They could stick with the players they already have, and put their faith into Joselio Hanson and Jack Ikegwuonu and pick a CB in the mid to late rounds of the draft. Or, they could just go to the table with him and redo his deal to see if he would be willing to stay on and be happy as an Eagle. Sheldon had a great season last year, not allowing a touchdown pass until the NFC Championship, and he and Asante Samuel formed one of the best corner duos in the NFL. It would be a shame to break that up after just one season, but it certainly looks like a reality now.
Although it seems unlikely, there is one last avenue...the Eagles could trade Sheldon to the Arizona Cardinals in a package for Anquan Boldin. The Eagles haven't ruled out making a move for Boldin, and it would certainly address a need position, though it would certainly handicap them in terms of drafting, since it would almost certainly require them to take a CB with that first pick. With everything else that's happened this offseason, who knows if this could happen? At this point, I'm not putting it past anyone to try something like this, though I doubt the chances of it becoming a reality.
Whatever happens, it just seems like the drama never stops with the Eagles. Just once, I'd like an offseason free of this stuff...is that too much to ask?
This year, Sheldon might have a valid concern. The Eagles have him under contract until 2012, but this upcoming season is the only one with any guaranteed money, meaning that Philadelphia can (and probably would) cut him before the deal reaches its end without any penalty. Of course, since Joselio Hanson signed a five year, $21 million contract this offseason, Sheldon can't be too happy about essentially being paid less than the nickel corner. Plus, with the Eagles sitting on a bunch of cap room, there figured to be at least a few players looking to get some more money out of the front office this year, particularly the players like Sheldon, who just turned 30, and probably has one more big money contract in him.
So, what do the Eagles do? After the soap opera drama that was the Lito Sheppard situation last season, perhaps it would be better if they were to try and find a trade partner for Sheldon. Of course, that means that they would almost certainly be taking a CB with the 21st pick in this weekend's NFL Draft. They could look at players like Vontae Davis, Victor Harris or Darius Butler as possible picks at that spot. They could stick with the players they already have, and put their faith into Joselio Hanson and Jack Ikegwuonu and pick a CB in the mid to late rounds of the draft. Or, they could just go to the table with him and redo his deal to see if he would be willing to stay on and be happy as an Eagle. Sheldon had a great season last year, not allowing a touchdown pass until the NFC Championship, and he and Asante Samuel formed one of the best corner duos in the NFL. It would be a shame to break that up after just one season, but it certainly looks like a reality now.
Although it seems unlikely, there is one last avenue...the Eagles could trade Sheldon to the Arizona Cardinals in a package for Anquan Boldin. The Eagles haven't ruled out making a move for Boldin, and it would certainly address a need position, though it would certainly handicap them in terms of drafting, since it would almost certainly require them to take a CB with that first pick. With everything else that's happened this offseason, who knows if this could happen? At this point, I'm not putting it past anyone to try something like this, though I doubt the chances of it becoming a reality.
Whatever happens, it just seems like the drama never stops with the Eagles. Just once, I'd like an offseason free of this stuff...is that too much to ask?
Phils vs. Padres Rained Out
I hate the rain. It makes work far less enjoyable, and it cancels baseball games, like the one tonight for the Phillies. The Phils will be back in action tomorrow night against the Milwaukee Brewers for the first time since knocking them out in the NLDS last year.
One can assume Jamie Moyer will pitch tomorrow, so he doesn't miss his spot in the rotation. He or Joe Blanton will face off against Manny Parra (0-2, 6.97 ERA).
One can assume Jamie Moyer will pitch tomorrow, so he doesn't miss his spot in the rotation. He or Joe Blanton will face off against Manny Parra (0-2, 6.97 ERA).
Sunday, April 19, 2009
What a Game! Sixers Make it a 3-3 Day in Philly Sports!
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.
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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