Washington Wizards at Philadelphia 76ers 1/13/12 Afterthoughts

Wow… it might have only been the Wizards, but the Sixers played pretty close to flawless basketball tonight. Seven players in double figures, two quarters with 30+ points and Jodie Meeks going 10-of-11 from the field? 6-of-7 from 3? I’ll take it.

Coming off a tough loss against the Knicks, I expected a blowout victory tonight. I didn’t think this team could surprise me tonight unless they got upset, in which case I’d be pretty livid, but they did. I didn’t expect to have a 38-point quarter. I didn’t expect to be up 34 with a quarter to go. I didn’t expect them to go on a 15-0 run in the middle of the fourth quarter when their foot was basically off the gas. The Wizards are bad, but couple that with the fact that the Sixers was clicking in every aspect tonight and they had no chance. Now they have to do it all over again tomorrow at the Wizards’ house.

Spencer Hawes returning to a double-double was a good sign. Seven players over double figures was a great sign. No one knows who will be the star any given night, and the rare unselfishness of this NBA team makes it so exciting to watch and see who will step up. Tonight it was Meeks, tomorrow it could be Jrue Holiday. It could be Lou Williams or Andre Iguodala.

It could be Evan Turner, who clearly outplayed John Wall tonight. Remember the end of last season? People were calling Turner a bust after a down year. People were praising Wall’s play. That’s not to say that Wall won’t be a top NBA Player, but it’s interesting to see. Patience is a virtue, and Turner’s shown that he has improved during this long offseason and he will hopefully continue to improve down the road.

Tonight might not have been a tough game, but I’m sure tomorrow won’t be a repeat. The Wizards will definitely be more competitive, but I still don’t see the Sixers losing… mainly because of this team’s chemistry. They may not individually match up with the likes of the Clippers, Lakers or Heat, but as a team they can match up with anybody and that is because of Coach Doug Collins. The team has completely bought in to his style of coaching and they are playing their best basketball in a long time. As great as these blowouts have been, however, I’m just ready and waiting for our first big test. January 21^st is circled on my calendar… if the Sixers can squeeze out a victory at Miami, I will be fully convinced that this isn’t a fluke and that this 76ers team is for real.