Philly Sports Jabronis
By Doug Ammon, Sixers.com
It’s been a common theme all season – a tough battle by Philadelphia done in by a rough stretch in a single period of the game.
The Sixers kept pace in the first half, going into halftime with a 52-50 lead against a Portland team that had won seven straight games. In the third quarter, though, things unraveled. The Trail Blazers outscored Philadelphia 39-28 in the third frame to take an 89-80 lead into the fourth quarter. The Sixers fought hard, making headways on their deficit multiple times down the stretch but never getting over the hump as they fell to 0-14 on the season after a 114-104 loss at home.
There were positive signs, however. The Sixers posted their lowest turnover total of the season (10) and went 20-for-24 (83.3%) from the free-throw line, another team-high on the year. Rookie Nerlens Noel had another strong outing after a career night against the Knicks on Saturday, notching 12 points (6/7 FG), five rebounds, three assists, three steals, and two blocks in 33 minutes off the bench.
Carter-Williams And Wroten Light It Up
For the third straight game, Michael Carter-Williams and Tony Wroten have started together in head coach Brett Brown’s backcourt. Carter-Williams scored a team-high 24 points and registered seven rebounds. Wroten scored 20, and was one assist shy of a double-double.
Sims Registers Season-high 22 Points
Henry Sims was only averaging 8.5 points per game heading into Monday’s game but was able to score 22 on 8-of-14 shooting against defensive stalwart Robin Lopez and the Blazers’ front line. Lopez is known to be a fierce rim protector, but Sims was able to consistently score around the basket as well as mix in a handful of midrange jumpers. He also was perfect from the line, going 6-6.
Hopefully he can have the same success against Robin’s twin brother Brook Lopez when the Nets come to town on Wednesday.
Inside The Numbers: 70
The Sixers scored a season-high 70 points (35/53 FG) in the paint against the Trail Blazers on Monday. Portland managed 46 paint points on 23-of-40 shooting.
Moment of the Night: McDaniels Denies Twice
It seems like every game K.J. McDaniels makes an explosive play that gets the fans out of their seats. On Monday he had two on the defensive end, both massive rejections and both at the ten-minute mark of a given quarter.
The first was an impressive block on a driving Steve Blake that saw McDaniels fly above Blake and send his shot careening into the camera section underneath the basket. The second was the denial of seven-foot center Chris Kaman right at the rim. Kaman thought he could elevate over the 6’6” swingman, but McDaniels sent his shot back and brought the crowd to its feet.
