<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">In what could be an opening-round playoff preview, the Detroit Pistons look to maintain their recent dominance over the Philadelphia 76ers when the teams meet at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Detroit, which owns the league's best record, has shot just under 50.0 percent while winning four straight at home over Philadelphia. In what may have been an NBA Finals preview, Detroit avenged a 37-point blowout loss to Dallas earlier this season with a 97-90 win Tuesday over the Mavericks. Chauncey Billups scored eight of his game-high 31 points in the final three minutes, helping the Pistons earn a season-series split with Dallas that could play a pivotal role in determining postseason homecourt advantage should they meet. "This is a very big win, but we won't know just how big for a while," said Billups, who also had 11 assists. "It might be huge, or it might just end up as another victory." Detroit, which leads Dallas by 2 1/2 games for the league's beat record, lost to the Mavs 119-82 on Nov. 19. Rasheed Wallace also had a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds. "It's a lot of fun to play games like this," he said. "Especially when you're going up against one of the NBA's best teams." The Pistons won despite another off night from scoring leader Richard Hamilton, who was just 6-of-14 from the field and finished with 14 points -- the fifth straight game in which he has scored less than 20. Hamilton, who was born about 45 miles outside Philadelphia in Coatesville, Pa., is averaging 33.5 points in two games this season against the Sixers. Philadelphia is looking to bounce back from one of its worst games of the season, a 92-79 loss Sunday to Indiana. It was the Sixers' second-lowest scoring game of the season, surpassed only by a 104-76 setback on Jan. 16 to Washington. Allen Iverson, the league's second-leading scorer, had 26 points and six assists against Indiana. Chris Webber added 24 points for the Sixers though no other Philadelphia player finished with more than eight points. "There's no way to explain it," Iverson said. "We got beat up ... We're not stopping anybody. It's hard to get into a running game or get easy baskets when you're always taking the ball out of bounds after the other team scores." The Sixers are clinging to eighth place in the Eastern Conference, two games ahead of Chicago and four in front of Boston. Philadelphia, though, has two games in hand over the Bulls and Celtics. The Sixers have two games against the Bulls sandwiched around a meeting with the Celtics starting April 5 in Phildelphia. </div> link: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/preview?gid=2006032920 First Quarter, so far its Detriot 20 Philadelphia 15
another game another loss. it was nationally televised, so i actually watched until a little bit after the fourth quarter. they were in the game and then all of a sudden, they just collapsed. one thing that really bothered me about the game was not that they lost or how they lost, since im not surprised any more, but its about andre iguodala. the guy went 5-6 i believe in the first half and didnt even shoot the ball at all in the second half. he has to be more aggressive when he has the ball and attack the rim.
I watched the game twice last night and it's amazing how lazy the 76ers play. Mo Cheeks is in a tough spot this late in the season and I don't envy his job at all. He's in a Catch 22 with this team because he's trying to make the playoffs, but at the same time his best players are not giving 100% effort out there. Chris Webber is completely done, the 76ers need to work a buyout with him. Shav needs to be in the starting rotation, he plays with a lot of heart and energy. He was right there crashing the boards with Ben Wallace. Dalembert has become a joke since he signed a monster contract. Jogs up the court, doesn't box out, can't catch a pass, what happened to the Dalembert in last year's Detroit series grabbing 20 boards?
I really don't tmhink Chris is the problem with this team. He has pretty much done his job for this team, there isn't nothing else he can really do. Cheeks doesn't even use him like he should, the offense should be ran through Chris more often because the 76ers don't have a very good point guard. Hell Webber might be their best passer. Dalembert was having an ok season, but ever since he got hurt he has sucked. This team has no desire or sense of urgency, the Atlanta Hawks play harder than they do. With that being said the Sixers do not deserve to make the playoffs. The Pistons weren't even taking that game seriously and they controled the game for four quarters.
The offense should be run through Webber? I used to think the same thing, but then when he started talking about how he wanted the ball more to make plays for everybody else, what happened? During the stretch Iverson was out, he was supposed to be the playmaker. When he got the ball, he looked to score. He sets others up, but not nearly enough times as he should. His game offensively is limited to shooting jumpers from the elbow. His defense is horrendous. His effort is horrendous. Everything. I'd look to move him in the summer, but there aren't many teams, if any, that would be willing to take him off our hands. As for Shav, I love the kid, but he shouldn't be in the starting line-up just yet. He should definitely be in the rotation, but he rarely gets the minutes he should. Dalembert played pretty well before he got injured, and now is in a state of depression because he can't believe Mo would rather start Hunter than start him, even though Hunter has clearly outplayed Dalembert over the past month. Iguodala looked like the player we wanted him to be the first couple of games after the All-Star Break. He looked to score every time he touched the ball, and for some reason that aggressive attitude has disappeared. Hopefully seeing Nate Robinson and Kenny Smith tomorrow night will rekindle that fire within him. Iverson is the only guy out there who is playing with any sense of urgency or intensity (in terms of our main players). I'm sure he's fed up with everything. I think it's time for either him or Mo to just get the team together, and unleash their wrath on them, and let them know what they truly feel about the entire situation.
