| 24 January 2012
Wizards fired coach Flip Saunders following his third loss to the Sixers (12-5, .704), this time 103-83. Yes, Saunders insists on keeping his horrible mullet at 57 y/o, but other than that, he didn't deserve this end...
Hey, the final score may mislead you: Sixers win was waaaaaaaay easier than it shows.
Talking about a +30 halftime lead, and a game that basically lasted 20 minutes, as Sixers built a seven-sixteen-nineteen cushion in the first quarter (closed at 31-12), that was stretched to twentyfive and eventually thirty at the end of the second: 62-32.
Half time stats were self explaining: Sixers shot 65% (4/9 from three), had 20 assists to 26 fgs (on 40 shots), hold a 22-13 rebounding edge, turned the ball over only four times.
The Wizards, on the other side, shot 42% but mainly were 0/5 from behind the arc and shot only two free throws, both (badly) missed by McGee, adding seven turnovers.
End of the story, and of the game.
All Sixers played well, making up for the absence of both Hawes and Vucevic. Rookie Lavoy Allen was the nicest surprise of the night, connecting on all of his five shots, including the one that got free Big Macs for the crowd, as Sixers surpassed 100 points. Perhaps the biggest shot of his career (lol).
Iguodala and Brand (in the pic) set the tone from the very beginning: the first play of the night was a steal by Andre that dished out to Elton for an easy fastbreak dunk. More nice passes and baskets by the two followed, as Iguodala closed the quarter with seven dimes, while Brand had eleven points on 5/7. (more after the break)
Young owned the paint and the baseline in the second quarter, Jrue Holiday's outside shot was falling, Turner had a nice burst as well. More than enough to bury the uninterested, honestly embarassing Wizards.
Good way to get ready for the next games, hoping to have the big guys back. It won't be this easy.
