NBA Obsessed takes you into the hit and run game of NBA Basketball.

Elton Brand dunking

Philadelphia was down 38 - 13.

Past 76er teams would have quit. We are going to lose, so let’s go home.

But they did not quit and came back to win the game 94 - 92 over the Indiana Pacers. Elton Brand had 15 rebounds and Thaddeus Young had 25 points.

“It was a great comeback by Philadelphia,” Indiana coach Jim O’Brien said. “Sometimes you get too big a lead early in the game — and the NBA is a game of momentum shifts.”
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There is no quit with Mo Cheeks as coach. You noticed last year in the playoffs as this Philly team eventually lost to the Detroit Pistons that they just keep coming at you. There is no quit in these 76ers.

Now the Philadelphia team added prize 20 -10 guy, Elton Brand. Now the 76ers have some power on the blocks and who knows how far this team can go.
Photo source Newscom

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NBA Obsessed takes you into the hit and run game of NBA Basketball.

Elton Brand will give the 76ers a player down on the blocks

Last year the Philadelphia 76ers went to the playoffs to take on the Detroit Pistons. A tall order for a team that had not been to the playoffs in quite a while and for a team that was not loaded with established stars.

The Pistons had a simple strategy for victory. There was no inside game for the 76ers. No dominant player on the box to force a double team. The strategy was to stop Andre Iguodala and make someone else beat them.

Andre Miller tried and at times succeeded, but eventually there were too many Pistons and too few 76ers.

The 76ers decided to find that person down low first and did they ever. Elton Brand, a sure double double guy, signed with the 76ers in the off season. It was a blockbuster deal for a team that was already a young improving playoff team.

Everyone was excited.

Coach Mo Cheeks wanted more. What good was drawing a double team down low if there were no outside shooters to take advantage of that?

Andre Miller liked to drive. Andre Iquodala is more of a slasher. Mo wanted some shooters.

Hello, Kareem Rush. Hello, Donyell Marshall. We haven’t seen them unload through the first three preseason games, but the intimation is that we eventually will. Marshall, who grew up in Reading, has said he came, in large part, to play for his hometown team. Rush said he came because the Sixers needed what he could bring.

Rush drained a career-high 102 threes with the Indiana Pacers last season, profiting from coach Jim O’Brien’s green-light offense. Despite that, he saw a brighter opportunity with the Sixers.

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Now if Philly faces a strong team in the playoffs they will have the full assortment of weapons to throw at them.

Photo source Newscom

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NBA Obsessed takes you into the hit and run game of NBA Basketball.

Mo Cheeks is on 6′ 1″ tall, in spite of what Sir Charles thinks of his ears

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Charles is a classic. Somehow he can say anything and get away with it.

First he gets all over the poor shooting of the Philadelphia 76ers against the Detroit Pistons.

Wade on the poor shooting of the Sixers: “I agree with what Charles said, (the Sixers) can’t make any shots tonight and if you can’t make any shots you’re in for a long night.”

Barkley: “I didn’t say they weren’t making shots, I say they can’t shoot.”

Wade: “I didn’t want to say that.”
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Later, he discussed how Andre Iguodala needs to shoot 500 to 1,000 jumpers this summer each day to improve his jump shot, then in a truly Barkley classic he comments on Mo Cheeks, the 76ers coach.

Barkley: “How tall is Maurice Cheeks?”

Smith: “6-foot-1, I think.”

Barkley: “He has the ears of a seven footer.”

The Pistons, led by a red hot shooting Rip Hamilton and Chauncey Billups, destroyed Philadelphia in game 6 to take the series.

NBA Basketball special comment The Orlando Magic will be the next opponent for the Detroit Pistons and will prove to be a much tougher team to beat with Dwight Howard.

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NBA Obsessed takes you into the hit and run game of NBA Basketball.

The Pistons were playing the Philadelphia 76ers in game 4 of the NBA Playoffs. All of the momentum was with the 76ers. They are a young team that does not know enough to fear the Pistons. Their coach, Mo Cheeks, has them believing in themselves. Their slogan is “Come Run With Us”.

And run they did, picking up every missed shot or loose ball by the Pistons and taking it the length of the court for the early lead in the game. At one point in the second quarter they led by 13. Things began to look bright for Philly and dismal for the Pistons.

This Piston team had been to the Conference Finals 5 years in a row. They are expected to play the Boston Celtics and Kevin Garnett for the Eastern Conference crown. They are not expected to lose to the 76ers.

Then halftime came. Coach Flip Saunders of the Pistons made an inspiring speech.

“I said, ‘Are we having fun yet?’ “Pistons coach Flip Saunders said.”Because we weren’t. I said, ‘Guys, right now, we’re playing really tight. We’re playing like we’re afraid to take a shot, we’re afraid to make a move.’

“When you’re playing like that and thinking too much, you’re going to make mistakes. I said, ‘Relax, settle down, we’re a good basketball team. Let’s get into some flow and go out there and have some fun.’ ”

They listened.
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The Pistons, led by Rasheed Wallace, came out and blew the 76ers away in the third quarter. There were very few loose balls, very few missed shots, and very few Philly offensive rebounds. Without all the turnovers and missed shots the game was reduced to a half court battle, the type of game that favors the Pistons. Suddenly the Pistons were chasing the loose balls and offensive rebounds.

Detroit woke up.

Billups, the Pistons’ starting point guard: “We were playing hard, but we weren’t playing that smart (in the first half). I think we were a little too excited. We wanted it a little too bad. At halftime, we just said, ‘Listen, settle down. Settle down. We’re going to get what we want. Slow down on offense and speed up on defense,’ and we did that.
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The series is tied 2 - 2, but the momentum has swung back to the Pistons and 2 out of the next 3 games are in Detroit.

During halftime, Chris Weber, former Piston, made the comment that Joe Dumars, the GM, will come down into the locker room at halftime and say something like, “Don’t know how ya’ll think you are doing, but you can be traded before this game is over”. It was funny, but Joe has shown himself to be no nonsense guy in running the franchise.

NBA Basketball special comment Detroit has started to play and when they do, they can impose their will on most teams.

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