Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Posted: 7:19 p.m.
By Dei Lynam
CSNPhilly.com
Maybe it is their youth, maybe it is their makeup or maybe its just the preparation they put in, but in three of the four games played in their first round playoff series with the Miami Heat, the Sixers have held double digit first quarter leadsa trend they would like to see continue.
I think early in the game we have been very good about getting some stops and triggering our running game, head coach Doug Collins said. But I do think it is about energy. I think guys have come out and been really focused and from our standpoint we have really needed that because the games we have played well in we have gotten off to great starts so when they have made a push we have had a little bit of a cushion.
Those pushes for the Heat have come in the second quarter, when Miami comes with its second unit, which plays with great energy itself; they also crank it up defensively, especially with Joel Anthony and Mario Chalmers.
I think the biggest thing is taking care of the ball, Andre Iguodala said. When they bring their second unit in they go small, which makes them a little quicker, and areas defensively a little better, so we cant turn it over and we have to make them work and not allow easy baskets.
The Sixers committed 14 turnovers in Game 4, which led to 17 Miami points, but generally the Sixers have been a team all year long that has valued the ball.
Iguodala, who scored his series-high 16 points Sunday, likes his teams chances in Game 5 because he has learned, that no matter the day or the opponent, this roster has a hunger that they want to keep feeding.
NBA
I think we go out and we are just aggressive and guys are just trying to savor the moment and make the most of it so they come ready to go, Iguodala explained.
Wednesday night will be the second elimination game for the Sixers against the Heat. That it took the Sixers seven tries this season to finally beat Miami doesnt seem to faze them -- ignorance is indeed bliss.
From here on out, we were down 3-0 so it is win or go home, Thaddeus Young said. Go to Miami, get a victory, come back to Philly and just try to keep winning.
We have a lot of young guys that dont know being down 3-0, you are supposed to be dead, Elton Brand said with admiration. They dont know that. They know were in the playoffs, were having fun, were on TV; people know me. They say its exciting, EB. And I say keep it exciting, keep playing hard. They havent been in battles like this. I mean, come on, our starting point guard is 20-years-old.
That 20-year-old point guard is Jrue Holiday, who has grown leaps and bounds this year. He has a lot of fans in his corner beginning, with his head coach and No. 9.
The beauty of Jrue is that he is so much a kid, Collins emphasized. But he has the knowledge and wealth of a young man that has been around a long time. He has been raised in the game by his parents and his brother plays. He absorbs things quickly. He doesnt get rattled.
He has always been talented to me, Iguodala said. He has always been one of my favorite players. I stress to him a lot that the things that I get on him a lot I wouldnt get on anyone else just because I think he is that good.
Other guys I know cant defend. So if they get beat I wont say anything. But with him, I am like, Jrue get up in him and dont get beat, because I know he is capable of being a high-caliber player in this league.
Collins said the one real obvious area of growth for his young floor leader is that, when he gets in a rut, Holiday can now get himself out. Earlier in the season that just was not feasible for the second-year star; bad plays would linger with him.
Of course, it doesnt hurt that the 20-year-old has charisma, which you just cant teach.
I just love his boyish charm, Collins said. He has the whole package. I am looking at a quarterback there for a long time and that makes me feel good.
A couple positive statistics in their favor will make the Sixers feel good Wednesday night. They would love to duplicate their work on the glass in Game 4, where they grabbed eight more rebounds than the Heat.
And for the first time in this series the differential at the foul line was manageable -- Miami had only three more makes compared to the plus-13 made free throws the Heat had been averaging.
What looked like David versus Goliath when the series began still seems an uphill climb, but with the exception of Game 2, no individual game has been a Miami slam dunk.
The Heat will have to earn their entrance into the second round.
They definitely wish they could have finished us off, Brand said. But they didnt. The Celtics are home resting, getting prepared for the next opponent and we are trying to hopefully make that us. It is a long shot, but we are going to keep fighting.
E-mail Dei Lynam at dlynam@comcastsportsnet.com
Related: Sixers' stout defense slowing down explosive HeatCollins' trust in young Sixers gives team confidence