Sixers vs. Hawks: You May or May Not Like Jrue Holiday When He's Angry

Jrue Holiday had easily the worst game of his professional career--since
we expected anything of him, anyway--against the Bobcats on Wednesday,
going 2-24 in a shooting night that left the Damaja with a batting
average that would make even early-season Ryan Howard embarrassed. A
couple weeks ago, we might have celebrated Jrue for his pro-tanking
efforts, but the Sixers have won too many games to tank much
further--only the Timberwolves, at two games behind, and the Wizards and
Raptors at two-and-a-half games behind even have a chance of catching
the Sixers, and with only eight games left it's not too likely--so at
this point, we encourage him to get mad and get even, preferably tonight
against the Atlanta Hawks.

Unlike the Sixers, who are officially
eliminated from post-season contention the next time they lose and the
Bucks win, the Hawks are in a legitimate playoff hunt at the moment, one
which got a lot more interesting last night when the Bulls, missing
half their regular team, stole a win from the Nets at the Barclays
Center, supplanting the Hawks as the #5 seed in the Eastern Conference,
where they'd get to play the Nets instead of the Pacers in the first
round. Undoubtedly the Hawks would like to reclaim that spot, which they
could with a win here, but the Sixers, and their All-Star point guard
in particular, have nothing left to either win or lose tonight, so they
may as well just play some basketball. Screw the Hawks anyway.

7:30 tip from Phillips Center. Evan Turner hasn't tweeted in three days, so you know he's gonna come out focused, or grumpy over the lousy Wi-Fi on the plane ride over.