<div align="center"><font color="DarkRed"><font color="Black">@</font></font> </div> <font color="DarkRed"> </font> <div align="center"><font color="Blue">The New Jersey Nets</font> (20-15) @ <font color="DimGray"><font color="Sienna">The Philadelphia 76ers</font> <font color="Black">(18-19)</font></font> Time: Wednesday, January 80th, 7:00 Location: <font color="Sienna">Wachovia Center</font> </div> <div align="center"><font color="Blue"><font color="Black">TV: Yes Network</font></font> <font color="Blue"><font color="Black"> Radio: WFAN 660 AM</font></font> </div> <font color="Blue"> </font>[div=50%]The Sixers have not played too well this season. The reason for this is thier lack of bench production in addition to very low willingness to play defense. The Sixers have a very functional offense and they haved utilized it to win a number of games. But in this game the Sixers offense will not save them because the Nets can't deter it enough so that the Nets offense will out play the Sixers offense. Projected Starters Point Guard: <font color="Sienna">Allen Iverson</font> [imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/allen_iverson.jpg[/imgl] What is there to say about this guy? He is one of the best scorers in NBA history. He is showing not one sign of slowing down athletically, and gives just about any team hell on defense and offense. He did not have a good game when the Wizards visted. If you take a quick look at his game-by-game statistics, he usually has two games where he underachieves followed by "normal" games. The Nets can only hope that this trend will continue. Shooting Guard: <font color="Sienna">Andre Iguodala</font> [imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/andre_iguodala.jpg[/imgl] He is athletic and can play some defense. He can also score pretty well. He should have too much trouble getting his offensive game going against the Nets since in all probablility Carter will be defending him. The better he plays the tougher the Sixers are to beat. Small Forward: <font color="Sienna">Kyle Korver</font> [imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/kyle_korver.jpg[/imgl] The last time the Nets played against the Sixers, Korver destroyed them by make a very large number of the threes. Jefferson will be all over Korver in this game and it will be very interesting to see whether Korver will be able to pass the ball and attain a large number of assists. Power Forward: <font color="Sienna">Chris Webber</font> [imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/chris_webber.jpg[/imgl] He is not as dominant as before, but he can still cause the Nets trouble with his passing ability and low post moves. Webber will be very confident that he will have a big game because he probably does not think that Collins can defend his vast arsenal of moves. It will be insteresting to how he will try his moves on Clifford Robinson when Cliff comes off of the bench to replace Collins. Center: <font color="Sienna">Samuel Dalembert</font> [imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/samuel_dalembert.jpg[/imgl] He is a very active player and should get a lot of blocks against the Nets. He will have to focus his attention on Krstic. Whether he succeeds at the task of shutting down Krstic depends on what type of Krstic comes to play, but he will be a force for the Sixers nevertheless. <font color="DimGray"> <font color="Sienna"> Sixers' Keys To The Game</font></font><font color="Sienna"> </font> 1) Iverson needs to get a good number of steals. The Nets like to pass the ball, whether it be from Carter, Jefferson, or Kidd, Iverson should make them hesitate by using his speed to play the passing lanes. 2) Dalembert needs to stop Krstic. If Dalembert can keep under control the only offensive force that the Nets Posses, then the Nets will have to rely on thier jump-shooting ability almost exclusivly, always a good thing for an opponent. 3) The Bench needs a miracle performance. The Nets have Robinson, Vaughn, and Jackson off of the bench, while the Sixers have Salmons, and a bunch of guys whose names I do not even know. If there is one place where the Sixers will lose the game in, it is the bench. [/div]The Nets have won thier first game after a three game losing streak. Can they start up on another streak? The previous game in which the Nets played, thier opponent was undermanned. The Indiana pacers were without thier main player, Jermaine O'neal, and the Nets were only able to pull out with a five point lead. The game was at home, which means that the Net were not on top of thier game. Whether the Nets will player better tonight is another question. Tonight's game is somewhat important for the Nets considering that the Sixers are only three games behind the Nets in the Altlantic Division. A win for the Nets would spell a four game lead. One may ask why is a four game lead important, and the answer is: why not? Projected Starters Point Guard: <font color="Blue">Jason Kidd</font> [imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/jason_kidd.jpg[/imgl] Kidd had a good statistical showing in the previous game. He pulled down rebounds, scored points, and attained assists. If there is one player that we do not have to worry about underachieving in this game, it is Kidd. He has slowly but surely been bringing his averages up to where they are in his career. Kidd will have a very tough defensive assignment tonight however, as he will probably be the one who will be asked to guard Iverson. Shooting Guard: <font color="Blue">Vince Carter</font> [imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/vince_carter.jpg[/imgl] Carter is going to make the attempt to put up a lot of points in this game. It is not because he wants to or needs to out-score Iverson. It is because the Sixers do not really have anyone to defend him. Korver will certainly have the pleasure of guarding Vince, considering that Iguodala will be the only one who can contain Jefferson. Even if Iguodala will guard Carter, Carter is still not going to be deterred. Small Forward: <font color="Blue">Richard Jefferson</font> [imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/richard_jefferson.jpg[/imgl] There are two scenarios for Jefferson in this game. 1) Korver is assigned to defend him and Jefferson will take him to school and score a large number of points. 2) Iguodala will defend Jefferson and Jefferson will score ~15-18 points. If scenario #2 ends up occurring, then Jefferson will be able to give off a lot of assists to Carter. Power Forward: <font color="Blue">Jason Collins</font> [imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/jason_collins.jpg[/imgl] Collins will play defense on Webber. Although Webber has tremendous skill, Collins is just as athletic, and therefore will be able to keep Webber under control defensivly. If there is one thing that Collins will do well, it is rebound. Webber is too old to move around too well and therefore Collins will have a field day boxing him out. Center: <font color="Blue">Nenad Krstic</font> [imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/nenad_krstic.jpg[/imgl] Krstic will have it tough this game offensivly. A physical and athletic Dalembert will be on his every shot. Krstic should certainly prevail even though he will have a tougher game than normal. Krstic will get lucky if Webber is assigned to defend him because Webber to longer can play defense. <font color="Blue">Nets Keys To The Game</font> <font color="Black">1) Forget about stopping Iverson, because he is unstoppable. The Nets need to shutdown Korver. The last time the Nets played against the Sixer, Korver destroyed them by making many threes. It does not matter who guards him, so long as he does not do any damage. 2) Watch out for Dalembert: Dalembert is a very good shotblocker and the Nets need to do thier very best not to fall into his traps. Krstic needs to be especially alert as to the whereabouts of this guy. If the Nets can take Dalembert's defense out of the game, then they take away one player from the Sixers. 3) Bench needs to dominate as expected. The bench of the Sixers is much more inferior to the bench of the Nets, even without McInnis. The Sixers rack dead last in the league in average scoring off of the bench.</font>
Other keys to the game for the Sixers: 1. SHOW UP TO PLAY! 2. DEFEND. 3. REBOUND. They do those three things and it'll be a great game to watch, otherwise NJ just runs us off our home floor. Unfortunately I have a feeling you guys take this one...
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Other keys to the game for the Sixers: 1. SHOW UP TO PLAY! 2. DEFEND. 3. REBOUND.</div> Add "Close out the game" for that. From 82games, Philadelphia is first in the league for giving up leads late in the game.
Great overall game for the Nets. Nets never seemed like they would lose and just played great. Kidd 9 pts, 9 assists, 7 rebs, Carter 31 pts, 10 asts, 8 rebs. Jefferson 20 pts and 16 rebs. Also Uncle Cliffy with 15 pts. Let's just continuein play great. BTW what's with Iverson being disrespectful and leaving the court. I know you lost but that's not really acceptable. Good Preview
wow...total team win... i know people say that a lot but that was the case tonight. 16rebs for RJ and a near trib-doub for VC.... lets start another streak
Great game! Big 3 were awesome. Krstic had a nice game and Clifford Robinson made huge shots in the 3rd and 4th quarter that kept the Nets in front. Jason Kidd - 9 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds and 4 steals. Vince Carter - 31 points, 10 assists, 8 rebounds and 1 steal. Richard Jefferson - 20 points, 5 assists, 16 rebounds and 1 steal. Clifford Robinson - 15 points and 2 rebounds. Nenad Krstic - 16 points, 1 assist, 7 rebounds and 1 steal. They also played great defense. Nets with 6 turnovers. Sixers with 12 turnovers. Go Nets Go! NbaBaller, I think the reason why Iverson left with not much time on the clock might have to do with his knee injury?! Just IMO!
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">NbaBaller, I think the reason why Iverson left with not much time on the clock might have to do with his knee injury?! Just IMO!</div> It's possible but I just believe, he was just really mad.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting NbaBaller:</div><div class="quote_post">It's possible but I just believe, he was just really mad.</div> uhh duhh. yeah of course iverson was fuming over his team. He is not happy right now in Phili and Mark Jackson (nets color analyst) said its not professional and unnacceptable for AI to leave his team while the game is still going on....maye a fine or suspension is on the way?
He's done it before. He did it last year against Memphis (in Memphis). The team was playing like crap, they were down by a lot with under around 8 seconds left in the game. He took the ball put it on the floor, and left. No suspension, no nothing. He's unhappy with the team, definitely, and I don't blame him. Congratulations on winning the Atlantic.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting BigMo763:</div><div class="quote_post">He's unhappy with the team, definitely, and I don't blame him.</div> he still should not have left....stick with your team...they run out the clock..you run out the clock dude...its not over yet....wait for the end of the season to congratulate the winner of atlantic divsion ok? theres plenty of time what if nets 3 game losing streak sixers 5 game win streak anything can happen
Anything can happen yes, and I still believe in the Sixers, but from the effort I've seen from them the past 10 games or so, it doesn't look likely. That was more of a statement out of frustration than anything else.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">maye a fine or suspension is on the way?</div> Suspension would be too extreme so he might get a fine. If he is lucky, maybe they will just give him a warning and that's about it
