Chicago Bulls at Philadelphia 76ers Afterthoughts 2/1/12

Image courtesy of AP

Both the Sixers and Bulls were shorthanded tonight--the Sixers without center Spencer Hawes and the Bulls without Rip Hamilton and Luol Deng--but that didn't faze either team in the first half. After all, Chicago still had reigning MVP Derrick Rose in their lineup and the Sixers just beat a team with the best Center in the league in the Magic whilst shorthanded. A five point deficit at halftime was nothing the Bulls couldn't overcome...

But this battle between two of the top teams in the East became a massacre in the second half, as the Sixers, who led by as much as 20, won the game 98-82.

Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young led all scorers with 19 points. Iggy also added 9 rebounds and 4 assists and Thad grabbed 8 boards as well. The Sixers had five players score in double figures, while the Bulls had just two.

Derrick Rose sat out much of the fourth quarter after the Bulls went down 20 points. So for those who want to bring up the fact that he was out for the last 12 minutes, let me reiterate that they were already down by 20.

Rookie Lavoy Allen was a pleasant surprise tonight. He scored 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting, the best game of his young career. He grabbed six rebounds and had three assists as well. Credit to Kevin Negandhi (@KNegandhiESPN) for the following: "I don't care for the +/- stat but at one pt in the 4th quarter of the Sixers-Bulls game: Derrick Rose -17, Kyle Korver -21, Lavoy Allen +17." I agree with his thoughts about the stat itself, but tonight, that stat made it pretty apparent that the Sixers just outplayed the Bulls moreso than it did that Allen outplayed Rose. But now that I said it, Rose did have four turnovers tonight with six assists and 18 points, both under his season average. Maybe that Sixers defense really is as good as they've been playing.

The absence of Deng and Hamilton proved to be significant for the Bulls in the end, but they have no excuses for coming up short against Philadelphia; they were just outplayed. The Sixers defense forced 17 turnovers and if it weren't for C.J. Watson's sniping from beyond the arc, they would have won by much more than they have.

I was a bit upset at the Sixers fans booing during the final 18 seconds when they got the final possession of the game, two points away from 100. For those who don't know, every time the Sixers score 100 points at home, the fans get a free Big Mac from McDonalds. They were up 98-82, and it seems like Jrue Holiday was being egged on by the crowd at Wells Fargo Center to jack up a final shot. He almost did, but he hesitated and decided against it. It was a good move for the youngster... it would have been a disrespectful move if anything and that's not something you want the Bulls to have over your head, seeing as how it's a team they very well may meet in the playoffs.

All in all, this victory was huge for the Sixers. It seems like the fans are starting to pack the seats too. They had a crowd of 18,325 on hand tonight. This stretch has started well for the team, but it won't get easier any time soon. They have the Heat on Friday night. I've said this before, but I think tonight's the best time to put it out there. It's about time for the doubters to stop making excuses about this team and start realizing we're seeing a legitimately good basketball team in the Sixers. Coach Doug Collins realized it from day one of this season. He said he wants to end his coaching career in Philadelphia and end it with a championship. Now that's something many people doubt, and I won't try to argue that they're a championship caliber team just yet. But if anyone can prove the doubters wrong, it's him. He's been doing it all season... why stop there?