SB Nation Philly - Sixers Beat Lakers 95-90 Behind Lou Williams' 24https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48987/philly-fave.png2012-02-06T23:30:55-05:00http://philly.sbnation.com/rss/stream/25399002012-02-06T23:30:55-05:002012-02-06T23:30:55-05:0076ers Schedule 2012: Spurs And Clippers On Tap This Week
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<p>After taking out the <a href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Los Angeles Lakers</a> 95-90 on Monday night, the <a href="https://www.libertyballers.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Philadelphia 76ers</a> have just two more games to play during the week. Both should be rather stiff challenges, however.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">San Antonio Spurs</a> will visit on Wednesday night at 17-9 and winners of their last five games. Even with <span>Manu Ginobili</span> out of the lineup with a broken finger and <span>Tim Duncan</span> showing his age, the Spurs have managed to keep winning games thanks to a good bench and, of course, some help from <span>Tony Parker</span>.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.clipsnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Los Angeles Clippers</a> are somehow 14-7 on the season. While <span>Blake Griffin</span> garners highlights, <span>Chris Paul</span> continues to be the biggest difference in the team's turnaround. They may be receiving <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/#!/WojYahooNBA/status/166736836910256128">some bad news</a> soon regarding <span>Chauncey Billups</span>, however.</p>
<p>Here's the complete Sixers weekday schedule with TV/Radio information:</p>
<p><b>Wednesday, 2/8</b>: 76ers vs. Spurs(7:00 p.m. ET, TV/Radio: CSN/94 WIP)</p>
<p><b>Friday, 2/10</b>: 76ers vs. Clippers (7:00 p.m. ET, TV/Radio: CSN/94 WIP)</p>
<p><i>For more on the 76ers, head over to the SB Nation blog <a target="_blank" href="http://www.libertyballers.com/">Liberty Ballers</a>.</i></p>
https://philly.sbnation.com/philadelphia-76ers/2012/2/6/2781328/2012-philadelphia-76ers-nba-scheduleLouis Bien2012-02-06T21:44:36-05:002012-02-06T21:44:36-05:0076ers Vs. Lakers Final Score: Sixers Outlast Lakers In 95-90 Win
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<p>The <a href="https://www.libertyballers.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Philadelphia 76ers</a> took the lead for the last time on a Lou Williams 3-pointer with 2:05 left in the fourth quarter. The previous 46 minutes featured 16 lead changes in what was a nailbiter of a match throughout. Philadelphia took remarkable care of the ball, committing just four total turnovers for the 95-90 win.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Los Angeles Lakers</a> lack of an effective trigger man has hounded the team throughout the season. That deficiency was especially clear on Monday night, with Jrue Holiday putting up 13 points and six assists (and a game-leading plus-11 rating) to zero turnovers. The Lakers, meanwhile, committed 16 team turnovers, including five each for Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum.</p>
<p>The Sixers held LA to just 42 percent shooting from the field, including 29.2 percent on 24 3-point attempts. Philadelphia shot better from beyond the arc than they did overall. Williams and Jodie Meeks went 3-for-6 and 3-for-5, respectively, from long range to pace the team. Williams' 24 points were behind only Bryant's 28 for the game, but he needed 13 less field goal attempts to get there.</p>
<p>Philadelphia improved to 18-7 with the win, putting them four games ahead of the <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Boston Celtics</a> in the Atlantic Division. They came in fifth in Tom Ziller's latest <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2012/2/6/2774721/nba-power-rankings-super-bowl-catchup">NBA Power Rankings</a> for SB Nation.</p>
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<th class="td-left"> <span>Final - 2.6.2012 </span> </th> <th>1</th> <th>2</th> <th>3</th> <th>4</th> <th>Total</th>
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<td class="td-name"><span class="loss"> <a href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Los Angeles Lakers</a> </span></td>
<td>24</td>
<td>26</td>
<td>19</td>
<td>21</td>
<td class="highlight">90</td>
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<td class="td-name"><span class="win"> <a href="https://www.libertyballers.com/">Philadelphia 76ers</a> </span></td>
<td>21</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>24</td>
<td>25</td>
<td class="highlight">95</td>
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<p class="foot clearfix"><span class="link-more"><span>Complete Coverage ></span></span></p>
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<p><i>For more 76ers coverage, be sure to check out <a href="http://philly.sbnation.com/">SB Nation Philly</a> and <a href="http://libertyballers.com/">Liberty Ballers</a>. </i></p>
https://philly.sbnation.com/philadelphia-76ers/2012/2/6/2776614/76ers-vs-lakers-final-score-game-recapLouis Bien2012-02-06T10:02:13-05:002012-02-06T10:02:13-05:00Sixers Vs Lakers: Game Time, TV Schedule and More
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<p>The Lakers come to town desperate for a road win while the 76ers can further establish themselves with a victory over a perennial power.</p> <p><span>Kobe Bryant</span> gets to return home once again. The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Los Angeles Lakers</a> star will be looking to get his team going on the road, somewhere that has been brutally unkind to them.</p>
<p>The Lakers (14-10) are 3-8 so far this season away from the Staples Center while the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.libertyballers.com/">76ers</a> (17-7) are a stellar 12-3 at home. Philadelphia is coming off of a 98-87 road victory over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Atlanta Hawks</a> which put the Sixers three and a half games ahead of Boston in the Atlantic Division.</p>
<p>It's been the Kobe show in L.A. without much of a supporting cast so far. <span>Andrew Bynum</span> is having a superb year, averaging 17 points and 12 rebounds per game. <span>Pau Gasol</span> has good stats with 16 points and 10 rebounds on average, but he's been unhappy with the offense and very inconsistent. The guard play has been bad for the Lakers around Bryant as well and <span>Metta World Peace</span> has been completely non-existent.</p>
<p>For Philadelphia it's business as usual with its great depth. With a win tonight, the 76ers will have won six of seven before hosting San Antonio on Wednesday.</p>
<p>Philadelphia has shown the ability to beat very good teams this season, so this will just be another notch in the belt if it can pull out the victory. With the Sixers stifling brand of defense, they have a chance every night.</p>
<p>Mr. Bryant will be looking for a huge win Monday night at the Wells Fargo Center. Philadelphia has to remind him that while he's home, his team is still on the road.</p>
<p>TV: COMCAST</p>
<p>Time: 7:00 p.m. ET</p>
<p>For more 76ers coverage, be sure to check out <a href="http://philly.sbnation.com">SB Nation Philly</a> and <a href="http://libertyballers.com">Liberty Ballers</a>.</p>
https://philly.sbnation.com/2012/2/6/2774892/sixers-vs-lakers-game-time-tv-schedule-and-moreMatt Verderame2012-02-06T07:24:48-05:002012-02-06T07:24:48-05:00Philadelphia 76ers Pass First Big Test, Hold 3.5 Game Lead In Atlantic
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<p>Decisive wins over the Orlando Magic, Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks have added weight to the Sixers 17-7 record, while a demoralizing loss to the Miami Heat sandwiched in the middle showed they still have work to do.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.libertyballers.com/">Philadelphia 76ers</a> spent the first month-plus of the season beating up on bad and short-handed teams. They did so in impressive fashion, but their strength of schedule left many questioning the import of their 14-6 record just a week ago. Decisive wins over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/">Orlando Magic</a> (15-9), <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blogabull.com/">Chicago Bulls</a> (20-6) and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Atlanta Hawks</a> (16-8) have added weight to their 17-7 record, while a demoralizing loss to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.hothothoops.com/">Miami Heat</a> sandwiched in the middle showed they still have work to do.</p>
<p>Later this week, the Sixers should get word they'll send their first representative to the All Star game in six years. If you check the power rankings all over the Internet, the Sixers are in listed in the top five. National media outlets are writing about the Sixers almost on a daily basis. ESPN has added two more Sixers game to their schedule, they'll be televised nationally six times in the month of March alone. If national recognition was the goal, the Sixers have reached it.</p>
<p>Of course, recognition was never the team's goal. Or at least it shouldn't have been. The goal is to win games. Win the division, get home court for a round or two in the playoffs and win at least one round once they get there. More than a third of the season has gone by, the Sixers are three-and-a-half games ahead of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.celticsblog.com/">Celtics</a> in the Atlantic Division, they've got another extremely tough week ahead of them. It's time to take stock of what they need to do to hold onto the division and grab a top-four seed in the East.</p>
<p>With the number one defense in the league (both in PPG allowed, and the much more important defensive efficiency rating), it's obvious how they got where they are. The simple answer is to keep defending like they have been, though that's certainly a tall order with their upcoming schedule. Over their four games last week, all against solid, or better, playoff teams, they held their opponents to a combined 97.57 points-per-100-possessions, which is a bit off their league-leading 95.0, but still better than the second-best team in the league (Portland). The defense held up, and that's including the big loss to Miami.</p>
<p>On the offensive end, the Sixers are using an unconventional formula to remain in the top ten in efficiency. It's obvious they spread the ball around, they've had eight different leading scorers this season and they have eight players averaging nine or more points per game. Without an offensive superstar, in the traditional sense, they rely on ball and player movement to get decent looks at the hoop which they convert at above league average percentages. Three big problems on the offensive end, though. They don't get offensive rebounds (worst in the league), they hardly ever get to the line (second-fewest free throw attempts per game) and they shoot a terrible percentage when they do get to the line (72.2%, fifth-worst in the league). How do they overcome these offensive problems? Simple, they don't turn the ball over, at all. They lead the league by a country mile in turnover percentage (10.7%). It's not difficult to do the math. A turnover equals zero points, without exception. Even a bad shot has say a 25% chance of leading to points. Over the past four games, against top-notch competition, they were even better at taking care of the ball, turning it over on only 7.5% of possessions.</p>
<p>It might not be realistic to expect the Sixers to maintain these lofty levels of efficiency on both ends of the floor, then again, they also haven't been at full strength for the past three weeks. <span>Spencer Hawes</span> finally returned to the lineup against the Hawks on Saturday only to see <span>Elton Brand</span> miss the game with a thumb injury. Honestly, though, they've been so good on the defensive side of the ball even a moderate drop off wouldn't doom their chances at winning the Atlantic or finishing with a top-four seed.</p>
<p>Let's take a look at the Atlantic. Currently, the Celtics are making a strong push back from their dreadful start. They crushed the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/">Grizzlies</a> yesterday to move to 13-10 on the season, they've won 8 of 10. People are saying they're definitely back, and at this point, you'd have to say they're the one team in the division the Sixers need to worry about. If you look a bit closer, though, Boston has really played the easiest portion of their schedule to this point. Like the Sixers, they've played 15 home games already, but they've actually only played 8 on the road (Philly has played 9). Their strength of schedule (winning percentage of the teams they've played) is a bit better than the Sixers (.450 for PHI, .461 for BOS), but if you look closer at the schedule, Boston has a rough road ahead of them. In this lockout-shortened season, every team has to contend with short rest and tough travel. The Celtics haven't been hit by that bug yet. They've only played four back-to-backs so far (the Sixers have played six, and a back-to-back-to-back). The Celtics are an old team, a team that has already been hit by injuries to key members of their rotation, and they've got 18 home games left on their schedule to 25 on the road, 11 back-to-backs, 1 back-to-back-to-back and a stretch of seven games in nine days, with five of those games on the road, in April.</p>
<p>This division is right there for the Sixers to take. They probably won't even need to maintain their torrid pace to take home the Atlantic, but they may have to finish with about 44 wins in order to secure home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, which has to be the goal.</p>
<p>The thing the team has been great at this year is complete tunnel vision. They've been able to forget the previous game and avoid looking forward to the rest of their week, let alone the rest of the season. Standing in front of them tonight will be <span>Kobe Bryant</span> and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Los Angeles Lakers</a>. The Lakers have been a terrible road team this season (3-8 away from Staples), but they are a matchup nightmare for the Sixers. <span>Andrew Bynum</span> and <span>Pau Gasol</span> are two of the best big men in the league, and the Sixers lack for any real legitimate big defender. If Los Angeles is determined to play through Bynum and Gasol, the Sixers won't have much of a chance. The equalizer in this matchup is the Lakers complete lack of three-point threats. As a team, they shoot below 30% from deep, with <span>Troy Murphy</span> as the only regular in their rotation who shoots better than league average. The Sixers can, and should, double Bynum and Gasol whenever they get the ball on the blocks. Get the ball out of their hands and make the Lakers beat them from beyond the arc.</p>
<p>After the Lakers, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/">Spurs</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.clipsnation.com/">Clippers</a> will head into the Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday and Friday before the Sixers head on the road again to face <span>Kyrie Irving</span> and the suddenly relevant Cavs on Saturday. Another tough week, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Tonight, it's the Lakers and Kobe. That's all that matters.</p>
https://philly.sbnation.com/philadelphia-76ers/2012/2/6/2774399/sixers-pass-first-big-test-hold-3-5-game-lead-in-atlanticBrian Ward