2008-09 Game Recaps

2009 NBA Playoffs

Recent Results:

Upcoming Games:

Tonight at Orlando at 7:30 p.m. (Comcast SportsNet, NBA TV, 610 WIP)

Thursday vs. Orlando [Time TBD] (Comcast SportsNet, National TV TBD, 610 WIP)

Saturday at Orlando (If Necessary)

PLAYOFF NOTES:

NOT AGAIN!: In Game 4, Hedo Turkoglu hit the game-winning 3-pointer for Orlando with 1.1 second remaining. During the regular season, the Sixers lost eight games by one or two points, including three buzzer beaters (Tony Parker at SA on 1/3, Dirk Nowitzki vs. DAL on 1/19, Devin Harris at NJ on 2/23) and four other game-winning shots in the final seconds (Rashard Lewis with 4.8 seconds left vs. ORL on 11/26, T.J. Ford with 3.7 seconds left vs. IND on 12/20, Brook Lopez with 16.8 second left vs. NJ on 1/31 and Ray Allen with 0.5 seconds left vs. BOS on 2/5). In the season finale at Cleveland on 4/15, Daniel Gibson hit a 3-pointer to send the game into overtime with 0.6 seconds left, but Philly prevailed in the extra session securing its place as the sixth seed for the right to face Orlando in the first round. Prior to Game 4, Philly enjoyed some of its own late game heroics in this series. In Game 1, Andre Iguodala hit the game-winning shot with 2.2 seconds left. In Game 3, Thaddeus Young scored the game-winning points with, you guessed it, 2.2 seconds remaining.

TWO-TWO TOO: For the second straight year, the Sixers enter Game 5 of the playoffs with their series tied 2-2, having won and lost the same order of games (wins in Games 1 and 3 and losses in Games 2 and 4). Here are some observations from the series so far:

• The Sixers won Game 3 after the series was tied 1-1… according to the Elias Sports Bureau, entering the 2009 playoffs, in best-of-seven series tied 1-1, the winner of Game 3 went on to win the series 75.8% of the time.
• Philly won Game 1 despite trailing by as many as 18 points in the third quarter and by 14 entering the fourth… the Sixers trailed by as many as 18 points in the third quarter of Game 2 but came as close as five points in the fourth… Orlando led by as many as 11 points in the third quarter during its victory in Game 4 and was up 10 with four minutes left in the fourth before Philly tied the game.
• A total of eight points in Orlando’s favor separates the teams over the four games this series… in the three regular season meetings, the Magic outscored the Sixers by 6.0 points per game (18 total).
• Orlando has held Philly below 90 points in both of its wins this series (Games 2 and 4)… the Magic was 25-3 when its opposition scored below 90 during the regular season.
• In Game 4, the Sixers were outshot 47.1% to 38.8% from the floor after outshooting the Magic in each of the three games prior (50.0% to 44.7%)… Philly shot 50.0% or better in both of its wins this series (Games 1 and 3)… the Sixers were 20-4 when shooting 50.0% or better in the regular season while Orlando was 4-7 when its opposition shot 50.0% or better.
• Orlando ranked 10th in the league in scoring during the regular season with 101.0 ppg, but has topped the century mark in just one of its seven meetings vs. Philly (regular season and playoffs)… the Magic were 17-19 when scoring below 100 points in the regular season... dating back to the regular season, Orlando has now scored below 100 points in 11 straight games after not having a streak longer than two games prior in 2008-09.
• Philly has hit just one fewer 3-pointer than Orlando this series after the Magic had 20 more 3FGM than the Sixers in the three regular season matchups… Philly was second-to-last in the NBA in 3FGM during the regular season while Orlando had the second most.
• The Sixers have shot 40.0% or better in three of the four games this series and 42.1% overall… Philly shot a league-worst 31.8% from behind-the-arc during the regular season… the Sixers were 18-5 when shooting 40.0% or better from behind-the-arc during the regular season.
• Philly hit eight 3-pointers in Game 4 and is averaging 6.0 3FGM this series (4.2 3FGM per game in the regular season)… the Sixers had 8+ 3FGM twice over the final 41 games of the regular season.
• The Sixers had a series-low 15 free throw attempts in Game 4 and are averaging just 19.8 FTA this season compared to 26.0 for the Magic… in the regular season, Philly had the highest FTA differential of any team (+5.1 per game) while Orlando was second (+4.5 per game)… over the final 41 games of the regular season, the Sixers MADE more free throws (903) than opponents ATTEMPTED (870) but in this series, the Magic have 77 FTM to 79 FTA for Philly… regular season and playoffs combined (seven games), Orlando has 132 FTM (26.0 FTA per game) while Philly has just 140 FTA (20.0 FTA per game).
• The Sixers had 19 assists to 11 turnovers in Game 4 after having just 34 assists to 34 turnovers the two games prior... over the past three games, Orlando has just 45 assists to 39 turnovers… the Magic is averaging just 15.8 apg this series… Orlando ranked next to last in the NBA with 19.4 apg during the regular season.
• Orlando had just 3 offensive rebounds in Game 4, all coming in the fourth quarter, tying its franchise playoff-low (at Charlotte on 4/20/02)… over the past two games, the Magic is averaging just 6.0 second chance points after averaging 18.0 the first two games of the series.
• The Sixers had 21 fastbreak points in Game 4 after averaging just 11.0 FB ppg the first three games (13.5 FB ppg overall)… Philly was third in the NBA in FB ppg this season (17.6) and had the highest percentage of its season point total come by way of fastbreak points of any team… over the past two games, the Sixers have outscored the Magic 33-13 in fastbreak points after having a margin of just 21-17 the first two games.
• In the Magic’s two wins, Dwight Howard is averaging 14.5 points… in Orlando’s two losses, Howard is averaging 33.5 points… in the three regular season matchups (Magic 3-0 mark), he averaged 15.7 ppg.
• In Game 4, Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu combined for 34 points on 53.8% shooting from the floor after the duo combined for 26.0 ppg on 30.9% shooting the first three games of the series… in three regular season matchups vs. the Sixers, Lewis and Turkoglu averaged a combined 39.0 ppg.

ANDRE IGUODALA SERIES NOTES:

• Was held to 13 points in Game 4 after scoring 20+ points in each of the first three games of the series (23.3 ppg)… still averaging 20.8 ppg on 46.2% shooting from the floor this series… in his previous 11 playoff games, he averaged 11.6 ppg on 38.4% shooting.
• Averaging 20.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists this postseason… joins Rajon Rondo and LeBron James as the only players averaging 20+ points, 7+ rebounds and 7+ assists… during the regular season, was one of three players among qualifiers to average at least 18 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.
• Has played 177 of a possible 192 minutes this series (44.3 mpg)… led the NBA in minutes played during the regular season.
• Recorded his first career playoff double-double with 13 points and 11 assists in Game 4’s loss… during the regular season, Philly was 4-1 when he tallied 10+ assists.

ANDRE MILLER SERIES NOTES:

• Averaging a team-high 21.5 points on 47.9% shooting this series… in three regular season matchups vs. Orlando, he averaged 15.3 ppg on 39.2% shooting… he scored 30 points in Game 2, just shy of tying his playoff career-high of 31 points (DEN at SA 4/24/05)… the last Sixer to score 30+ points in the playoff was Allen Iverson with 34 in Game 5 at Detroit (4/25/05).
• Has hit 2 3-pointers this series after having 2 3FGM his previous 21 playoff games… had 15 3FGM during the regular season after not having more than six 3FGM in any season from 2004-05 through 2007-08.
• Has attempted a team-high 29 free throws this series (7.3 FTA per game), 12 more than the next closest Sixer (Andre Iguodala w/17).

THADDEUS YOUNG SERIES NOTES:

• Scored the game-winning points in Game 3 but is averaging just 10.5 ppg on 37.5% shooting over the past two games after averaging 17.0 ppg on 56.0% shooting the first two games of the series… over his final 19 games played during the regular season, averaged 20.3 ppg on 54.3% shooting… Sixers were 13-7 when he scored 20+ points in the regular season.
• Has committed just 3 turnovers in 148 minutes of play this series and leads the team in offensive rebounds with 7.

SAMUEL DALEMBERT SERIES NOTES:

• Over the past two games, averaging 7.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.00 blocks in 28.5 minutes per game… did not pick up his second foul until 5:57 remaining in the second quarter of Game 3 and 10:26 remaining in the second quarter of Game 4… in the first two games of the series, averaged 4.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.00 blocks in 13.0 mpg… picked up his second foul in Game 2 with 6:19 remaining in the first quarter after picking up his second foul with 5:31 remaining in the first quarter of Game 1.

WILLIE GREEN SERIES NOTES:

• Over the past two games, averaging 11.5 points on 58.8% shooting from the floor after having a total of 4 points on 2-of-11 shooting the first two games of the series… the Sixers were 15-11 when he scored 10+ points during the regular season.
• Shot 3-of-3 from 3-point range in Game 4 after shooting 0-of-4 the first three games combined… over the final 16 games of the regular season, shot 44.4% from behind-the-arc.

LOU WILLIAMS SERIES NOTES:

• Has nearly outscored the entire Magic bench this series (41 points to 45)… in the two wins this series, has 4 assists to one turnover compared to 5 assists to 5 turnovers in the two losses.