On to the second round: the Sixers??!?

It may need an asterisk but a number 8 seed knocking off a number 1 seed is always a tremendous accomplishment.  The Sixers pulled off that task after beating the Bulls on Thursday and winning their first round series, 4-2.

Fittingly, the hero for the Sixers was Andre Iguodala, who has taken a ton of heat over the years for not stepping up in the clutch and hitting the big shots.  After the Bulls foolishly tried to add to their 1 point lead in the final seconds of the game, Iguodala grabbed a rebound and took the ball coast-to-coast and got fouled with 2 seconds left.  Iguodala had ice in his veins, hitting both free throws to give the Sixers a series win.

The Sixers now await the winner of the Celtics/Hawks series, which will likely be Boston.  Don't expect a Celtics/Sixers series to be pretty but also don't expect the Celtics to simply walk all over the Sixers.  It's been a long, long time since the Sixers got to the second round of the playoffs and they deserve a ton of credit for getting there.  While their path was easier due to injuries, the Sixers still deserve a ton of credit for knocking off one of the elite teams in the league.
(Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)

Derrick Rose out for the playoffs

The Sixers may suddenly have a chance: it is being reported that point guard Derrick Rose tore his ACL and will be lost for the remainder of the playoffs.  Rose suffered the injury in Game 1 against the Sixers and that will certainly put a damper on any championship run the Bulls thought they were making.

Why Rose was in a blowout game with just over a minute to play is beyond me but you can bet the Bulls regret not taking him out.  Expect the Bulls to take care of the Sixers, though it may take an extra game or two than it should have.
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Sixers eliminated by Heat but show plenty of heart

The Heat did what everyone expected on Wednesday night and knocked the Sixers out of the first round. Of course, if you had told me before their series that the Heat would eliminate the Sixers in 5 games, I would have said that was about right. In fact, I even picked that exact outcome before the playoffs started. So, while the result of their series with the Heat isn't all that surprising, the way that the Sixers played certainly was.

On paper, the Sixers clearly had much less talent than the Miami Heat. On paper, they didn't have anyone who could guard LeBron James or Dwyane Wade, let alone anyone that could score on them. Nevertheless, the Sixers played the Heat close in nearly every game, only getting blown out in Game 2 of the series. The Sixers showed a ton of heart in every time they took the floor, forcing the Heat to have to earn every victory as they pushed them from beginning to end in every game.

While the Sixers season has ended, they have plenty to look forward to in the future. It all starts with Doug Collins, who immediately brought credibility to the team and deserves a ton of credit for how he has molded all of the young talent of the Sixers. Jrue Holiday and Thad Young are two pieces who blossomed under Collins this year and they are stars in the making. Elton Brand also had a bit of a renaissance, having his best season yet with the Sixers. Even Evan Turner, who had an up and down year to say the least, showed flashes in the playoffs of someone who can be a bigger contributor for the Sixers in a few years.

The Sixers deserve a standing ovation from all of us in Philadelphia. This team has been overlooked for the past few seasons but the light appears to be at the end of the tunnel. In a few more years if the Sixers can add a few more pieces, they have the makings of a team that can make a deep run into the playoffs.
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Late rally helps Sixers stave off elimination

With their season on the line, the Sixers stepped up just in time. With the team trailing by 6 with just over a minute and a half remaining in Game 4, the Sixers got key 3's by Jrue Holiday and Lou Williams as they scored the final 10 points of the game to win, 86-82. The win pushes the series back to Miami for Game 5 on Wednesday.

The game started just as most in the series have, with the Sixers jumping out to an early lead before the Heat take over in the second quarter. Just like they did in Game 3, the Sixers hung tough into the 4th quarter, never letting the Heat stretch out their lead, but this time they had one last run in them. Evan Turner, getting some rare late game action, hit a tough shot before Holiday made his three to pull the Sixers within one. After Dwyane Wade missed a shot, the Sixers found themselves with a chance to win with 25 seconds left and Williams stepped up, hitting a huge three with just 8 seconds left.

LeBron and Wade were the stars for Miami once again, combining for 53 points, 10 assists and 15 boards. Both had their chances to put the Sixers away late in the game and both failed, as each missed big shots in the final moments of the game.

While the Sixers feel good about knocking off the Heat in Game 4, they have to know it's only a matter of time before the Heat eliminate them. Not only has no team ever won a series in the NBA after trailing 3-0, the Heat stars have proven they can do whatever they want and no one on the Sixers can stop them. You can expect the Heat to come out and try to put the Sixers away early in Game 5, though you can expect the Sixers to not go down without a fight.
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Sixers best not enough as Heat take Game 3

Sometimes your best just isn't good enough. Such is the case for the Sixers, who can't seem to beat the Heat no matter how well they play. It happened once again in Game 3, as the Sixers played their best basketball of the series yet still managed to find themselves losing another game to the Heat, 100-94, and are now one loss away from being swept out of the playoffs.

Game 3 started exactly like Game 1 of the series as the Sixers seemed to catch the Heat napping early on and built a 9-0 lead. From there it was all about holding off the Heat, who slowly but surely had their way with the Sixers, eventually riding Dwyane Wade and LeBron James in the 4th quarter for the win.

The Sixers got good performances from several players, including Elton Brand, who led the team with 21 points and 11 boards and seemed determined to keep the team from losing the game. Jrue Holiday also had a nice touch on his shot, hitting 4 of 5 from three and finishing with 20 points. Unfortunately, nothing they did could match Wade (32 points, 10 boards, 8 assists) and LeBron (24 points, 15 boards, 6 assists) as they pretty much did whatever they wanted to down the stretch.

While the series isn't officially over, the Heat have basically proven that the Sixers can't beat them. The Sixers deserve a ton of credit for playing hard and giving Miami a challenge within each game but they simply don't have the weapons to score with the Heat nor the defenders to stop them. The Heat were the worst possible matchup for the Sixers, who have the talent and athleticism to make even the best teams in the league have to sweat out every victory. While it sounds like a bunch of excuses, the team has nothing to be ashamed about; their best simply isn't good enough to beat an elite team like Miami.
(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

Heat spank Sixers in Game 2

To beat the Heat, the Sixers need to play a nearly flawless game. They need to contain LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, they can't turn the ball over and they need to hit their shots. None of the above happened for the Sixers in Game 2 against the Heat as they lost 94-73.

It was over fairly early on for the Sixers as they started cold from the field, shooting 25.6% in the first half, and never recovered despite shooting slightly better in the second half. The Sixers simply don't have anyone besides Jodie Meeks that you can trust to hit a shot outside of 15 feet, and with Meeks not getting many open looks, the Heat defense was able to collapse and contest everything near the basket. Andre Iguodala once again came up small for the Sixers offensively, shooting 2 for 8 with just 5 points on the night.

On top of the poor shooting, the Sixers also struggled to guard anyone on the Heat, allowing Wade, James and Chris Bosh to score a combined 64 points while playing fewer minutes than they did in Game 1. While Evan Turner came off the bench and gave the Sixers a spark offensively, he repeatedly looked foolish as Wade and LeBron schooled Turner for easy baskets. Much was made before the series about how bad of a matchup the Heat are for the Sixers and that has so far been the case.

With the series now shifting to Philadelphia, the Sixers face quite an uphill battle to get back into the series. Normally, a series doesn't really start until someone wins a game on the road, but with how badly the Heat outclassed the Sixers in Game 2, it doesn't look promising for the Sixers to even win a single game. It's looking more and more like the only thing the Sixers are going to get out of the playoffs this year is experience.
(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Heat overcome, outlast Sixers in Game 1

The Sixers came out firing on all cylinders against the Heat in Game 1, making nearly every shot as they jumped out to an early double digit lead. The Heat unfortunately took over from there, using a big second quarter to build a lead that the Sixers couldn't quite overcome despite a late rally. In the end, while the Sixers can take away several positives from their performance, they still lost, 97-89.

Several Sixers had good individual games, including Thaddeus Young, who had 12 4th quarter points and 20 overall, and Jrue Holiday, who had 19 points, 5 assists and 5 boards. Young was his usual park off the bench while Holiday came up big late in the game, hitting a pair of 3's that pulled the Sixers within 3 in the late stages. Supposed team leader Andre Iguodala did not play well offensively, scoring just 4 points on 2 of 7 shooting while turning the ball over 4 times. Iggy did have 8 board and 9 assists but the Sixers need more from him if they want to pull out close games.

The Big Three for the Heat did exactly what they are expected to do, scoring a combined 63 points and 33 rebounds as they took over the game after the Sixers cooled off after a hot first quarter. The Heat also did a tremendous job getting to the line, earning 39 free throw attempts, dwarfing the Sixers 15 attempts.

While they fell short on the scoreboard, the Sixers can take a lot of positives out of Game 1. The Sixers did a good job in transition, shot the ball pretty well and didn't have a large number of turnovers. The Sixers also guarded LeBron and Dwyane Wade about as well as you can, although I would like to see less of Jodie Meeks trying to guard Wade. With their early lead and their late run, the Sixers showed that they won't just lay down because the Heat are the more talented team. If they can just hit a few more shots and not hack the Heat quite as often, the Sixers could make this into a very interesting series.
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2011 NBA Playoff Predictions: Round One

While the NBA Playoffs don't have the same excitement level as the NHL Playoffs, we are still in store for some intriguing series in the coming weeks. Especially interesting will be seeing just who gets out of the Eastern Conference, whether it be the upstart Bulls, the ancient Celtics, or the hated Heat. Here are my first round predictions with a quick thought on each series:

Western Conference
Spurs (1) vs. Grizzlies (8)
Spurs in 5
The Grizzlies did everything in their power to face the Spurs in the first round. They must be seeing something I don't because the Spurs not only play their usual great defense but they are also hitting three pointers at a ridiculous rate, making them a difficult team to knock off.

Lakers (2) vs. Hornets (7)
Lakers in 5
I'm being generous and giving the Hornets one game simply because of Chris Paul. This one could very easily be a sweep as the Lakers big men dominate inside.

Mavericks (3) vs. Blazers (6)
Blazers in 7
Wait, who is the favorite in this one? Maybe we are all too used to seeing the Mavs bow out early in the playoffs but this one has upset written all over it. No matter what, this one goes at least 6 games between two evenly matched opponents.

Thunder (4) vs. Nuggets (5)
Thunder in 6
This is potentially the best series of the first round with two highly entertaining teams. The Nuggets have been shockingly good since shipping Carmelo Anthony out of town, but I think they will be exposed in the playoffs when they have no go-to guy to feed the ball to down the stretch. The Thunder need to take the next step and get out of the first round.

Eastern Conference
Bulls (1) vs. Pacers (8)
Bulls in 5
The Bulls have made quite a jump, going from the 8th seed in the East last year to the 1st seed this year. Their reward is getting to spank the mediocre Pacers.

Heat (2) vs. Sixers (7)
Heat in 5
I went into greater depth on this series in my breakdown, but the Sixers just don't match up with the Heat. Best case scenario for the Sixers will be to stretch this out into a 7th game, but their lack of a clutch shooter at the end of the game will kill them in the end.

Celtics (3) vs. Knicks (6)
Celtics in 7
This one should be a fun, an old-fashioned Atlantic Division battle. The Celtics should get past the Knicks, but the longer the series goes, the more worn out they will be for their inevitable showdown with the Heat.

Orlando (4) vs. Hawks (5)
Magic in 6
With the way the Hawks stumbled into the playoffs, losing their final 6 games, there is almost no chance they pull off the upset over the Magic. It's funny how the Magic are suddenly an afterthought in the East this season, although they don't have much depth this time around.

Those are my picks for the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Let me know if you agree or disagree!

Sixers vs. Heat: First Round Breakdown

After one season away, the Sixers have climbed out of the abyss of the NBA and have gotten themselves back into the playoffs. Unfortunately, they are up against a Heat team that will likely be too much for them to handle. While I don't expect the Sixers to get blown out in any one game in the series, it will nevertheless likely be over quick. Here is my breakdown of the series.

Backcourt: While some argue that LeBron James is basically a point guard, the best backcourt player on either team, by a wide margin, is Dwayne Wade. Wade's numbers barely dipped this year even with the arrival of James, and he is still the number one option for the Heat when they really need a basket. Starting opposite Wade in the Heat backcourt is Mike Bibby, who is only useful to hit an occasional three and is a point guard in name only. The Sixers starting backcourt is solid, with Jrue Holiday continuing to come into his own and Jodie Meeks hitting nearly 40% of his three pointers. No matter how you arrange the pieces, though, the Heat have the clear advantage. EDGE: HEAT

Frontcourt: The advantage in the frontcourt is even bigger for the Heat, with James and Chris Bosh trumping anything the Sixers can throw at them. Despite all the negative press he receives, James is still a basketball freak of nature who can't be guarded by anyone. Andre Iguodala is a great defender, and he may even slow James down at times, but even Iggy at the top of his game has no shot at slowing down LeBron. As for Bosh, he is also takes his share of criticism for not being the superstar player he was labeled to be, but he is still putting up nearly 19 points and 8 boards a game, great numbers for the third best player on any team. The Heat start Zydrunas Ilgauskas at center, but he's just a big body and doesn't play a lot of minutes, much like Sixers starter Spencer Hawes. The Sixers frontcourt rounds out with Elton Brand, who has put up better numbers this year while dealing with nagging injuries. EDGE: HEAT

Bench: Finally, a spot where the Sixers have a clear advantage. With Thaddeus Young and Lou Williams coming off the bench, the Sixers have players that make a big impact when they enter the game. The Heat do not, with their best bench guys being one-dimensional, with shooters Mike Miller and James Jones and shot-blocker Joel Anthony being their biggest contributors. The Sixers bench will clearly do some damage when the Heat go to the bench, as Young has begun to develop into a star and even an injured Williams should be able to contribute. EDGE: SIXERS

Prediction: Against any other top Eastern Conference team, I would have believed that the Sixers could have done some damage and made their heavily favored opponent sweat out every win. While things won't be simple for the Heat, the Sixers just don't have the talent to matchup with James and Wade, and they don't have the offensive weapons to pull out close games in the end. For the Sixers, simply getting to the playoffs this season was probably enough, so there is no shame in bowing out quickly. They are still a team building for the future, so any experience they get in the playoffs now will only help them grow as a team down the round. HEAT IN FIVE

Sixers vs. Heat: Series begins Saturday

They may not be there for long, but the Sixers indeed are back in the NBA Playoffs this year. While they would have liked to play the Celtics in the first round, the Sixers are stuck having to play a Heat team they simply have no shot at matching up with. Here is the schedule of games for the first round series:

Game 1: Saturday, April 16, Philadelphia at Miami, 3:30 pm
Game 2: Monday, April 18, Philadelphia at Miami, 7:00 pm
Game 3: Thursday, April 21, Miami at Philadelphia, TBD
Game 4: Sunday, April 24, Miami at Philadelphia, 1:00 pm
Game 5: Wednesday, April 27, Philadelphia at Miami, TBD
Game 6: Friday, April 29, Miami at Philadelphia, TBD
Game 7: Sunday, May 1, Philadelphia at Miami, TBD

I'll have more on the series later in the week, including a series breakdown. It's going to be quite a challenge for the Sixers to win more than 1 game in this series.

Sixers to face Heat in first round

The Sixers clinched the playoffs over a week ago, but, after their loss to the Magic on Monday, we have just now learned who their opponent will be: the Miami Heat. While the Sixers looked like a strong contender to earn the 6th seed in the East, losing 4 of their last 5 games dropped them below the Knicks and into the 7th seed, forcing them to take on LeBron and the number 2 seeded Heat.

Given how the Sixers fared against the Heat this season, losing all three times they faced them by at least 9 points, it should be a quick playoff showing for Philly. While any of the top teams in the East were going to be difficult for the Sixers, it was no secret that they hoped to get a shot at the Celtics, a team they have shown they can hang with this season. The Heat just aren't a good matchup for the Sixers.

According to John Finger of CSN on Twitter, the Sixers/Heat series will start on Sunday. Check back later for more on this series.
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