Sixers Stay Hot Against the Blazers

Stop me if you’ve heard this before; the Sixers performed well the majority of the game before sloppy play and poor offense in the fourth quarter caused them to lose the lead.  Funny thing happened Monday night though, Philadelphia did just enough down the stretch to hold on for the victory, 101-100.

The Sixers came out fast, outscoring Portland 10-0 on fast break points in the first quarter, and looking like they were the team fighting for a playoff spot rather than the other way around.  The one downside was the Sixers’ defense of LaMarcus Aldridge, who abused Spencer Hawes and rest of the front line, accruing a remarkable 16 points and 4 rebounds in the first quarter.

Throughout the game, the Sixers continued to build their lead by sharing the basketball and finding guys for open jumpers.  The team tied a season-high with 31 assists on the game and 5 players finished in double digits in scoring.  That sort of balance was a staple for Philadelphia in their successful playoff run last season.  Then, up 14 looking to cruise to an easy victory, the Sixers took their hand off the throttle and allowed an 8-0 Blazers run to end the 3rd quarter and allow Portland back in the game.

For a while during the fourth quarter, it looked like the old Sixers were rearing their ugly heads with an untimely 7 turnovers in the final frame.  Portland continued their hot shooting from behind the arc, hitting 6 of their 12 three-pointers in the last period to take their first lead since the first quarter.  However, the Sixers all-star stepped up for the hometown squad, scoring 11 of the his team-high 27 points in the fourth to will the Sixers to victory.

Even so, the Sixers wouldn’t be the Sixers if they made things easy on their fans.  With Philadelphia up one with 7 seconds left, Holiday tripped over Dorell Wright’s foot and Thad Young’s pass went straight out of bounds to give Portland a final shot to win the game.  The Blazers attacked the Sixers with their own all-star, as Aldridge was isolated against Hawes in the mid-post.  To Hawes’ credit, he stepped up defensively on the final possession and forced Aldridge into a tough turnaround jumper.  The shot clanged off the rim and the Sixers secured their first winning streak in over a month.  

Holiday really stepped up in the final quarter but was phenomenal for Philadelphia all game with those 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists against only one turnover.  Thad Young was his usual active self, with 4 steals and 2 blocks to go along with his 19 points.  Finally, Spencer Hawes had another excellent game on the offensive end, tallying 18 points and 13 rebounds.  He may have done a poor job against Aldridge most of the game but he came up big when it mattered most.

For the Blazers, it was a two-man show featuring their all-star big man and presumptive rookie of the year point guard, Damian Lillard.  Aldridge finished with a game-high 32 points and 14 rebounds, even hitting his second three-pointer of the season.  It was a testament to how well Aldridge played that the Blazers went to him on the last play rather than Lillard, who was also outstanding.  Lillard finished with 27 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists, showcasing the full repertoire of his offensive game by hitting 5 of 7 threes and willing his way to the rim seemingly on command.

So the Sixers finish off a 3-1 homestand that must represent their best stretch of basketball all season.  The team will look to maintain the positive momentum as they hit the road against the Clippers Wednesday night.