I was at Wachovia last night for the Bucks-Sixer game. Here’s what went down during the game…
1st Quarter:
Reggie Evans blows a wide open layup to start the game. We’re five seconds into the game and the Philly crowd is giving it to him already.
Royal Ivey throws one down on the break after Mo Williams ripped Willie Green to make it 8-2 Bucks.
Mo is killin’ the Sixers early in every aspect of the game…dishing, stealing, driving, scoring and even rebounding. Bucks get out 12-2 on a flat Sixer squad.
Maurice Cheeks is pacing already on the sideline. He looks hot and calls a T.O.
The Sixers, stuck on two, respond to Cheeks and score their second bucket on an Andre Miller lay up with 7:57 left in the first.
Sixers begin to heat up as Iguodala makes a pretty left handed lay up on the break and a dunk sandwiched around an Andre Miller 9 footer.
If the Sixers are gonna win, it’s up to these two. No one else is making jack for Philly. Dalembert is throwing up jumpers?
Oh oh. He finally hits one after missing what seemed like 50. Sixers climb to within two, 14-12 with 5:05 in the first.
Bucks call time out and Charlie Villanueva checks in for an ineffective Yi. I wanted to see what dude has, but he seems out of it tonight.
Damn! Dalembert goes to the fade away and hits another jumper after a Bogut hook. 16-14 Bucks.
Mo Williams smacks a Willie Green jump shot which gets the crowd ooohin and aaahin.
Jason Smith gets the Sixers all the way back with a 16 footer, conveniently tying the score at 16.
Bucks run out behind a Villanueva lay up on the break, two long jumpers (one a three at the buzzer) by Charlie Bell and three points by Mo Williams to lead 26-17 after 1.
Williams leads the Bucks with 9 and Iguodala 7 for the Sixers.
2nd quarter:
This cat sitting behind the scorer’s box is getting on my nerves. He’s lucky I don’t bounce anymore. Dude is yelling “Sixer’s suck!” Every two minutes! No wonder, the brotha is drinkin’ a Bud? He ain’t from ’round here. His girl is a Sixers fan, and I don’t know how she puts up with it. He looks like the cat Tommie (DMX) made get butt nekked at gun point in Belly. Yeah, that cat…
Anyway dude is doing a lot of cheering for Milwaukee as Mo Williams is working the pick and roll sickly. He’s finding Bell for jumpers and delivering little deft passes to Villanueva and Bogut in the lane for scores.
Charlie Villianueva provides the highlight of the night with a nasty dunk over Jason Smith to make it 28-22. Watch and enjoy.
Funny moment after the jam as Smith went over to one of the refs on the sideline to inexplicably look at the ball. I think Charlie bangin’ it on him actually gave him a concussion. I’ve never seen anything like that. If he could have bounced, trust that he would have.
The Sixers meanwhile are still getting nothing from anyone outside of Iguodala, Miller and Dalembert—who is playing well despite his Tyrone Hill-like hands. Miller looks frustrated as hell with Sammy, but keeps it movin’ and is now going down low where he has a strength advantage over Milwaukee guards.
Thaddeus Young has an ugly turnover after trying to go behind his back on a fast break for no reason. One of the refs feels sorry for him and helps him off the floor. I hope he’s just going through NBA immaturity. I thought for sure after interviewing he and Kevin Durant (both MVP’s) at the Jordan Classic that he was going to be a monster. It obviously hasn’t happened yet, but the kid has time.
Both teams are playing stellar defense while also maximizing offensive possessions. The Sixers score 19 in the quarter, but Milwaukee hits for 20 and take a 10-point lead into the half.
The halftime features a talented local youth band. One of the kids actually has a high top fade like Kid from Kid and Play. Keith Russell (former ESPN News anchor now doing the same locally in Philly) and I crack up when he comes out of the tunnel. We both agree he had to get this from his pop.
3rd quarter:
Opening the half, the Sixers came out ready behind who else? Miller and Iguodala and cut Milwuakee’s ten point lead to five. 49-46
Miller is doing it all. I honestly think he’s one of the better point guards in the league. His demeanor dictates that he doesn’t get a lot of attention even if he deserves a lot more nationally. He’s crashing the boards tonight and has two key rebounds in the quarter that lead to baskets along with 3 assists. He scores off a pass from Iguodala to give the Sixers their first lead of the game 52-51 with 5:38 left in the third.
The Bucks start Yi for the second half and even though he’s playing hard, it’s just not his day and is replaced by Villanueva again. Charlie immediately hits two big baskets late in the shot clock that drain the Sixers. Philly is also missing the front end of trips to the line that ultimately came back to haunt them. Coming out of a 20 second timeout after a Villanueva dunk, Iguodala misses a 25 footer with the Bucks leading 57-55 with 2:40 left in the third. The Sixers won’t get any closer until late in the fourth.
Charlie Bell then hits a three on a nice pass from Williams, Jason Smith misses a dunk and all of the sudden it’s 62-56.
Louis Williams scores on a nice drive inside the lane and Mo Williams hits two free throws ending the quarter. Bucks lead 64-58.
Meanwhile the Sixer heckler gets louder and louder and people from all over are starting to notice. Finally—before the start of the fourth—the Sixer mascot, Hip Hop, and his boys break out the silly string and cover dude so you can barely see him. Most of the fans in the crowd cheer.
4th quarter:
Back to back monster dunks by Dalembert and Villanueva excite the crowd to start the quarter.
The game is heating up. The teams match each other scoring baskets for most of the fourth—mainly on jumpers. It seems like every Villanueva basket is at the tail end of the shot clock. Jason Smith is getting schooled. The Sixers move Iguodala over on Smith to provide more defensive athleticism
A Louis Williams lay up gives the Sixers their first fast break points since the first quarter an get it to four with 2:46 left.
Iguodala hits a little jumper in the lane to get it down to two with 50 seconds left. The crowd stays around to see the outcome. Not something normal in Philly.
Mo Williams hits two free throws pushing it back to four.
Igodala misses again from beyond the arc. The Sixers are now 0-13 from 3 point land.
Andrew Bogut provides the back breaker by somehow getting an offensive put back with nothing but Sixers under the basket to make it 85-79 with 21 seconds left .
Dalembert hits a shot in the lane, Lou Williams hits two free throws, but Mo Williams hit two from the line to finish out the scorin. 87-83, Bucks take the victory.
