You get your kid a bicycle, but to exercise caution, you put training wheels on it to keep him from falling over too many times. As the kid continues to ride the bike, you realize the training wheels are rarely touching the ground. The kid rides the bike so fast, and is so comfortable with the new toy, he uses it like a pro.

So, one week you take them off. While he still does very well, it’s not as well as when the training wheels were attached; he’s a bit more cautious and over-thinking as he rides. He rides for a good while, then his bike gets a bit wobbly and he falls.

What’s the difference?

There’s more to riding a bike than just having the ability to do it. There’s a phase where kids have to learn how to physically, as well as mentally, get the feel of riding a two-wheeled bike. Once the training wheels come off, however, the kid usually gets the hang of it in no time.

No doubt, being that 1949 was the year the Huffy company invented training wheels, that was the way most BMX cyclists began their greatness.

This is similar to the phase your Philadelphia 76ers are going through.

Last week, the training wheels came off. They were up against teams that are considered dangerous teams. They wobbled at times, they soared at times, and they fell at the end of the week.

But what have we learned?

Anyone who knows basketball knows this: the Philadelphia 76ers are a very good team. There are things they will need to get used to physically, as well as mentally.

The team being an average age of 25 automatically tells you there are things about the elite pro game a young team has to learn before they can be catapulted into that next phase of top-tier teams. One of those things are what they experienced last week.

They’ll need to be able to sustain top-level play in concentrated stretches of season; after all, that’s what the postseason is, right?

The best thing that has happened tot he Sixers, in my opinion, is the apparent respect they’ve received from the best teams in the league.

That’s step one.

Sunday night, the Miami Heat fell to the mediocre Milwaukee Bucks after looking A-plus against a three game stretch of top teams—including the Sixers.

“We can’t make no excuses for ourselves,” James said. “But no one had energy from the start of the game to the end.”

Stop it.

They played great all week, and they beat the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Philadelphia 76ers—all with resting days in between. What really happened was: the Heat took Milwaukee too lightly after playing high-level basketball the last two weeks.

This says something good about the Sixers—folks are no longer going to be caught off guard by the them. The Sixers have made some waves early in the season, and everyone is coming into the game planning accordingly. The wins from here on out will be quality.

For a young team, that’s great.

You don’t want to become a team that becomes accustomed to playing against below average teams, you want to learn how to beat the best so that you’re ready for the next level.

February is that time.

Ten of Philadelphia’s 15 games in February are against unmistakable top contenders. And just like they’ve proven they can beat the bad teams, February will be their time to become accustomed to riding without their training wheels.

With that being said, here are three things you shouldn’t do when watching the Sixers this February:

1. Don’t get too upset if they begin to struggle.

I said in my last Sixers’ article, (before the week began) this February would be like the metal tempering process. We’ll see them meltdown a little bit; but as we have seen—particularly against the Miami Heat—the Sixers never say die. That sort of team is a team that learns. So when they heal from the Heat they’ve been through, they will heal a lot stronger.

2. Don’t get too happy should they go over your expectations.

There’s another level of play after the regular season called the Playoffs where veteran teams like the Heat take their game to another level. The Sixers struggle to play with the Heat when they’re on top of their game. So, try to keep any success they have in February in perspective. We already know they’re good.

3. Trade talk

Let’s try to keep the Andre Iguodala trade talk out of the picture due to everything I’ve said above. There will, no doubt, be times where he will need to take control during this process; end of story. Coach Collins does that, presumably, to allow Iguodala’s veteran experience and athleticism to calm the young team down.

He’s not a last second shooter—we all know that—but he’s not a youngster; he won’t spaz under duress.

View February as your team’s growth month. They have a great coach. Know that he has prepared them way ahead of time for this. When February begins, they will be ready; when it ends, they will be better.

But, before all of that happens, the Sixers get to take what they’ve learned last week, and learn how to adjust back to playing below average teams—piling up some more wins before going into February.

I’m sticking to my prediction of coming out of January 15-6.

Monday night they face the 2-14 Washington Wizards; a team they’ve beat an average of 22 ppg.

Vincent Heck is a life-long resident of the Philadelphia area, and a featured ‘Fan View’ blogger on Yahoo! Sports. Follow him on Twitter: @HeckPhilly

You can email Vincent: vheckphilly@yahoo.com

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The Philadelphia 76ers are still trying to measure themselves against the NBA elite. Sixers fans like myself have a particular eye towards the Miami Heat, since they knocked off Philadelphia in the first round of the playoffs last season. As such, a Sixers win over the Heat on Jan. 21 would have been the best proof yet that they are marching up into the Eastern Conference elite after all.

Instead, Philadelphia came up short against Miami again – and actually looked worse than it did in its playoff losses a year ago. The Sixers had a real shot to beat the Heat in most of the playoff games last year, yet they were blown out of the water more decisively in a 113-92 loss in the rematch.

The score was a little misleading, as the Sixers were within range up until about the last few minutes of the third quarter. Yet the Heat were in control for much of the way and ultimately pulled away in the final stretch, just like Philadelphia usually does against weaker teams. Even though Miami was playing without Dwayne Wade, it has not stopped it from beating up the competition so far.

The Heat improved to 6-0 without Wade this year on the strength of 30 points from Chris Bosh and 28 more from LeBron James. Mario Chalmers was the only other Heat player to score more than 10 points, as he only had 11. The Sixers have won on the strength of having multiple players get to double digits, even though their balanced attack has no superstar at the center. Yet two superstars combining for 58 points was enough to knock off a team that had five players combine for 73 points.

While only three Heat scored in double digits, several players chipped in seven, eight and nine points. As it turned out, Miami’s depth was a little deeper than Philadelphia’s, especially since Andre Iguodala had just four points, Thaddeus Young was held to six and Jodie Meeks got only seven. In this case, the Sixers couldn’t survive an off night by a few of their aspiring stars, whereas the Heat could survive having one of their Big Three on the bench.

Philadelphia will eventually have more chances to face the East and the NBA’s elite and prove it can join them someday. But if the Sixers are ever going to truly break through, it will need to happen against the Heat, as they represent their ceiling. Miami showed how far Philadelphia still has to go in last year’s playoffs, then it reminded the Sixers again in the rematch and may eventually have an opportunity to do it again in this year’s playoffs.

Many great teams had a barrier that they needed to break through to get over the hump – the Bad Boys on the Detroit Pistons had the Boston Celtics, then Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls had those same Pistons, and Patrick Ewing’s New York Knicks then tried and failed to get past those same Bulls. Now these Sixers have the Heat, although that still makes them no different from most every other team in the Eastern Conference.

Robert Dougherty is a life-long Philadelphia resident and 76ers fan.

Other stories from this contributor

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76ers have big second half awakening over Hawks

76ers start most important two-game stretch this season

Celtics can’t even celebrate ending losing streak

76ers fall just short in first real test against Nuggets

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Jan 20, 2012 – The Miami Heat will play a back-to-back set of home games Saturday and Sunday, hosting the Philadelphia 76ers on the front end and the Milwaukee Bucks on the back.

Saturday’s game pits the Heat against the Sixers for the first time in the 2011/12 season. The Heat eliminated the Sixers, 4-1, from the playoffs a season ago. Since that defeat, Philadelphia has gotten stronger, ranking No. 2 in the NBA in scoring defense (87.4 points per game) and No. 1 in three-point defense (26.4 percent). The Sixers have posted a 10-3 record prior to Friday’s matchup against the Atlanta Hawks. Indeed, Miami will have had an extra day of rest heading into Saturday’s game, which tips off at 7:30 Eastern on Sun Sports.

The Bucks then visit Miami for the first of three meetings between the teams in the 2011/12 campaign. The Heat went 3-1 against the Bucks in the 2010/11 season. Despite shaking up its roster before the season began by acquiring Stephen Jackson, Shaun Livingston, Beno Udrih, and Mike Dunleavy, Milwaukee stands at just 4-9, the No. 4 team in the Central Division. Tipoff between the Heat and Bucks is set for 6 Eastern on Sun Sports./p>

For more on the Heat, please visit Peninsula is Mightier, SB Nation’s Heat blog. For Sixers coverage, please visit SB Nation Philly and Liberty Ballers, SB Nation’s 76ers blog. For the Milwaukee perspective, please visit Brew Hoop, SB Nation’s blog about the Bucks.

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The Magic’s regular season was scheduled to continue tonight in Orlando against the Philadelphia 76ers, but the lockout interrupted the party.

We realize fans are longing for the work stoppage to end. Until then we will try to give you a dose of Magic basketball, looking back at previous seasons.

Today, you can relive a Nov. 6 game from Magic history…..

Nov. 6, 1992: Magic 110, Miami Heat 100 in Orlando:

Only three short years as an expansion team, this Magic game on opening night crowned a new, prosperous beginning:

Welcome to the Shaq era.

O’Neal, the Magic’s No. 1 draft pick, made his rookie debut against the Heat. He would go on to change the course of the franchise, but on this night it was Nick Anderson – the team’s first-ever draft pick — who stole the spotlight.

Here’s the game story as it appeared in the Sentinel:

NICK STEALS THE SHOW

ANDERSON SCORES 42 AS MAGIC WIN, 110-100

By Tim Povtak | Sentinel Staff Writer

It was celebrated rookie Shaquille O’Neal who made Orlando Arena the place to be on opening night, but it was Nick Anderson and Dennis Scott who made the night for the Orlando Magic.

Anderson scored a career-high 42 points, and Scott added 27, leading the Magic to an impressive, 110-100 victory over the Miami Heat on Friday in the NBA opener for both teams.

O’Neal, with all the national hype surrounding him, was provided a perfect stage, and he quickly showed what all the fuss was about. But it was Anderson who stole the show.

Anderson, as only the best players can do, dominated when it mattered most, scoring 16 points in the fourth quarter, gliding on a confidence high, allowing the Magic to coast home to victory. He hit 17 of 26 shots – 3-of-6 3-pointers – grabbed eight rebounds and made five steals.

”I was just in a zone, like I couldn’t be stopped,” he said. ”I didn’t want to be stopped. Shaquille has brought us a lot of notoriety, and I just wanted to show people that we’ve got some real players here like the good teams have.”

O’Neal, a 7-foot center drafted No. 1 out of LSU, had 12 points, 18 rebounds and 3 blocked shots, providing dominating force in the middle that the Magic have lacked in their first three seasons. He struggled at times, but he also provided excitement.

Twice O’Neal grabbed a defensive rebound and drove the length of the floor against the Heat, once dunking and the other time dishing off for an easy basket.

But there was little else easy for the Magic. This seemed almost as if it were two separate games. The Magic were sluggish in the first two periods – perhaps lucky to be trailing by only nine at halftime – then returned in the second half to crush the Heat.

It didn’t hurt Orlando’s cause that Miami deflated in the second half like a punctured basketball, coming apart in all phases of the game.

Anderson, Scott and O’Neal had something to do with that.

Scott ignited the Magic in the final few minutes of the third period, after Orlando had trailed the entire game. He scored seven points in a stretch of 1:06, pulling the Magic to a 79-77 lead. It was 81-81 after three quarters.

Then it became Anderson’s show.

He opened with a three-point play. He followed with a 3-point basket. Orlando led, 87-81, and the Heat seemed to have lost all their fight and never again seriously challenged.

The Heat tried slowing Anderson with Glen Rice, Keith Askins, Kevin Edwards and finally John Salley defending. Nothing worked.

”For a while, I didn’t think anyone was guarding him tonight,” said Salley, the 6-foot-10 power forward acquired from Detroit. ”Nick usually is not a spot shooter. He usually has to get into his rhythm. I guess he changed my mind on this one.”

The Heat scored only 16 points in the third period and 19 points in the fourth, a complete turnaround from their 65-point first half.

Their demise was accelerated, perhaps, when with 7:43 to play in the third, they lost starting point guard Brian Shaw to a sprained ankle. He already was subbing for Steve Smith, their starting point guard last year, who is out with a knee injury. Shaw’s replacement, Bimbo Coles, who had scored nine points in the second half to help the Heat take control, failed to put their offense back together this time.

”We missed foul shots. We missed layups. We missed easy shots,” Miami coach Kevin Loughery said. ”When you break down like that, you give them easy shots at the other end.”

Rice, who had 13 points in the first period, scored only six more the rest of the game. Salley played 39 minutes, and he had only two points. The Heat were led by Willie Burton with 23.

After leading, 65-56, at halftime, the Heat went 7:47 in the third period without a field goal as the Magic battled back.

”More than anything, it was the defense that did it for us,” Anderson said. ”We turned it up. We shut them down.”

Published On 8:59am, Jun 07, 2011

MIAMI –

Staff Writer Ira Winderman looks back at the road to the NBA Finals for the Heat and Mavericks:

MIAMI HEAT

First round: Def. Philadelphia 76ers 4-1: Only a pair of late-game 3-pointers from 76ers guards Jrue Holiday and Lou Williams in Game 4 kept the Heat from their first playoff sweep since taking out the Washington Wizards in the second round in 2005. Dominance at the foul line allowed the Heat to dominate the series despite shooting just .426 from the field over the five games.

Game 1: W, 97-89 — Heat outscore 76ers 31-12 from foul line.
Game 2: W, 94-73 — 76ers starters combine for 29 points.
Game 3: W, 100-94 — James, Wade, Bosh combine for 75 points.
Game 4: L, 86-82 — The 76ers close the game on a 10-0 run.
Game 5: W, 97-91 — James, Wade, Bosh all closed with double-doubles.

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Eastern Conference semifinals: Def. Boston Celtics 4-1: Expecting a challenge similar to the first round in 2010, when the Celtics’ veteran experience proved overwhelming in a five-game ouster, the Heat instead find Boston lacking at center and unable to compensate after Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo sustains an elbow injury late in Game 3, Boston’s only victory of the series.

Game 1: W, 99-94 — Dwyane Wade scores 38 points on 14-of-21 shooting.
Game 2: W, 102-91 — LeBron James takes charge, with 35 points to 13 for Pierce.
Game 3: L, 97-81 — Rajon Rondo returns from an elbow injury to provide a lift.
Game 4: W, 98-90 — James solid in OT, after Pierce misses at regulation buzzer.
Game 5: W, 97-87 — Wade scores 34, James adds 33, as celebration ensues.

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Eastern Conference finals: Def. Chicago Bulls 4-1: Pounded on the boards in a series-opening blowout loss, the Heat eventually get needed bench boosts from Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller and contain Derrick Rose during the latter stages of games, taking control with a Game 3 overtime victory at AmericanAirlines Arena and closing it out with a Game 5 closing rally.

Game 1: L, 103-82 — The Bulls outscore the Heat 31-8 in second-chance points.
Game 2: W, 85-75 — Defense rules late, with Heat outscoring Bulls 14-10 in 4th.
Game 3: W, 96-85 — Chris Bosh steps forward with 34 points in duel with Boozer.
Game 4: W, 101-93 — Derrick Rose missed at the regulation buzz, as Heat survived.
Game 5: W, 83-80 — The Heat recovered from a 77-65 deficit with 3:14 to play.

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DALLAS MAVERICKS

First round: Def. Portland Trail Blazers 4-2: In perhaps their only significant misstep of the postseason, the Mavericks blew a 67-49 lead at the start of the fourth quarter of Game 3, leaving them down series tied 2-2. Dallas then went on to win the final two games convincingly, in a series that many saw the Trail Blazers having a chance to pull off the upset.

Game 1: W, 89-81 — Dirk Nowitzki scored 18 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter.
Game 2: W, 101-89 — The Mavericks’ bench outscored the Blazers’ bench 39-11.
Game 3: L, 97-92 — Portland pulled away with a 12-2 run at the start of the fourth.
Game 4: L, 84-82 — Brandon Roy scored 18 of his 24 in the 4th to spark the rally.
Game 5: W, 93-82 — Chandler set a franchise record with 13 offensive rebounds.
Game 6: W, 103-96 — The Mavericks made 31 of its final 48 field-goal attempts.

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Western Conference semifinals: Def. Los Angeles Lakers 4-0: The Mavericks issued a harsh rebuke to the two-time defending champions, with the quickness of backup point guard J.J. Barea too much for the veteran Lakers to contain. It advanced the Mavericks to the conference finals for the first time since they went on to the 2006 NBA Finals against the Heat.

Game 1: W, 96-94 — Nowitzki helped the Mavs rally from 16 down in second half.
Game 2: W, 93-81 — Nine unanswered points from J.J. Barea put it away for Dallas.
Game 3: W, 98-92 — The Mavericks closed the game on a 20-7 run.
Game 4: W, 122-86 — Jason Terry tied an NBA playoff record with nine 3-pointers.

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Western Conference finals: Def. Oklahoma City Thunder 4-1: The series was defined by the Mavericks’ rally from a 99-84 deficit with a 17-2 closing run in the final 4:49 of regulation in Game 4, eventually winning 112-105 in overtime on the Thunder’s home court. Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki largely proved unstoppable during the series, creating constant foul trouble for the Thunder.

Game 1: W, 121-112 — Dirk Nowitzki scored 48 points, shooting 24 of 24 on FTs.
Game 2: L, 106-100 — Nowitzki scored 16 of his 29 in the fourth but it wasn’t enough.
Game 3: W, 93-87 — Dallas moved to a 35-12 lead and barely held on from there.
Game 4: W, 112-105 — Dallas rallied from 15 down in fourth to win in overtime.
Game 5: W, 100-96 — Dallas closes on 17-6 run, with a key late Nowitzki 3-pointer.