It wasn't quite the ideal situation for the 76ers. Leading the top-seeded Chicago Bulls by four points with 26.6 seconds left in a pivotal Game 4, the last person the Sixers wanted to see walking to the foul line was Andre Iguodala
Sometimes that's just the way it goes.
Given that Iguodala had shot so poorly from the line during fourth quarters in the regular season, that four-point lead felt much tighter than it actually was.
Iguodala shot 23 for 51 from the line during the final quarter this season, which is not good at any level of basketball. Take the game into the final three minutes and Iguodala was just a 33 percent (6 for 18) shooter from the line. Needless to say, in clutch situations at the end of a tight game, anyone else in a uniform might have been a better option.
But Iguodala stepped up to the line, went through his routine and buried two straight shots to take a tight, four-point game and turn it to a insurmountable six-point lead. There was no way the Bulls were going to come back now. Iguodala had iced the game and maybe even the series as the Sixers took a commanding, 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven quarterfinals round (see story).
"I was so happy for 'Dre," coach Doug Collins said. "He had 12 rebounds, but to step up to the line up four and make those two free throws was great for him--in front of our crowd and our fans. It was a great way for us to finish the game."
They say that the playoffs sometimes pushes players to unforeseen deeds. Some players disappear during the playoffs while others thrive in the spotlight. Yet in a situation that could have been a nightmare, Iguodala steeled his resolve and nailed the shots.
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It must have been a big moment for him considering how poorly things had gone at the line during the fourth quarter, right?
"It was good for our team and good for our guys," Iguodala explained. "I've done a lot of good things individually, but I feel like this series has been good for our team. I've been trying to sacrifice myself so other guys can excel and be in position so someone else can do their job like one of the links on the chain. It's good for our guys to be in this position."
Eight years into his NBA career, Iguodala has not been out of the first round of the playoffs. Actually, he's never been on a team that has won three playoff games before, either. So Iguodala may cede the spotlight to the young players on the team like Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner and Thad Young, but in a sense it's very much new ground for him, too.
Because of that, Iguodala might sound like a coach when talking about his teammates and what they have to do in Game 5 in Chicago on Tuesday night.
"We have a young team so we have to keep in business mode," he said.
If Iguodala hadn't already had put his stamp on the series, he certainly did with the two free throws. That, however, is not the case. The fact is Iguodala had already been instrumental in every game thus far and he wouldn't even need to score a basket to do it. Earlier in the fourth quarter of Game 4, Iguodala heard Carlos Boozer tell Taj Gibson to drive the lane and, "dunk it," with the Sixers leading by three points and just 9:37 left in the game. Instead of throwing it down for the basket, Iguodala stepped over at the last moment and stripped the ball away from Gibson.
That play led to a basket by Young that pushed the lead back up to five points.
Of course there also has been the injuries, to which Iguodala has gritted his teeth and played through. The chronic knee pain is probably something he will have to deal with for the remainder of his playing career. Meanwhile, the case of Achilles tendonitis that has made his shots from the perimeter look like scud missiles is something Iguodala will have to contend with for the remainder of the postseason. Headed into Game 4, Iguodala was 3 for 23 on shots from outside of the paint in the series. Though he made a few shots on Sunday, the Achilles isn't going to make his shooting prospects look any brighter.
But maybe Iguodala and uncomfortable moments are meant for each other? Judging by the way he's guarded Bulls' All-Star Luol Deng during the series, Iguodala is at one with tough tasks.
Deng scored 11 points on Sunday, but is shooting just 18 for 44 in the series. Because of the heightened exposure during the playoffs, Iguodala may finally be talked about as one of the top perimeter defenders in the NBA.
Who knows, maybe it will help him get a spot on the U.S. Olympic team this summer.
"'Dre is a great player -- he's a great player," Collins said. "He's not a great scorer, but he's a great player and sometimes we equate the dollar signs in a guy's contract with the points he's giving you. I equate it on the man's impact on the game and 'Dre has had an impact on every one of these games."
Perhaps his biggest impact came during the fourth quarter on Sunday when he stole the ball from Gibson when he was licking his chops for the dunk? Or maybe it was with the career playoff-best 12 rebounds he got in Game 4?
Actually, it was probably those two free throws he swished to nail down the victory and maybe even help punch the Sixers' ticket into the second round.
E-mail John R. Finger at jfinger@comcastsportsnet.com