The Philadelphia 76ers were in first place for much of the season. Then Sixers fans like myself saw the Boston Celtics climbing closer to first until they overtook us, making the Celtics our top concern. Yet we still watched the New York Knicks closely, on the off chance that they finally got stable enough to overtake the Sixers.

Now that day seems to have finally come, as the Sixers are not only further away from first place than ever – but are now stuck in third place. Both Philadelphia and New York are 29-27 as of April 9, with the Knicks winning the tiebreaker. And the Knicks are far more proud to be two games over .500 after the events of April 8, considering New York’s thrilling overtime win over the Chicago Bulls in the afternoon and the Sixers’ blowout loss to the Celtics at night.

The Knicks looked like they would have a much easier time with the Bulls than they ultimately did, jumping out to a 20 point lead in the first several minutes. But with Derrick Rose finally back, Chicago quickly cut into the lead and wound up forcing New York to come from behind late.

Yet after a season of turmoil, controversy and debate over his future in New York, Carmelo Anthony finally looked like the superstar that the Knicks almost gave up everything for. First he drained a three-pointer to send the game to overtime – then he hit another one to give the Knicks the lead for good with seconds to spare in overtime. This capped off a 43 point afternoon for Anthony, as he got the points he craves and gave the Knicks a big win to boot.

The victory got even sweeter later in the day, as the Sixers could not make any rallies to speak of against the Celtics. The 103-79 loss dropped the Sixers three games back of first place, with the former division leaders looking incapable of closing the gap. In fact, Philadelphia now has to battle just to make the playoffs, much like New York.

Yet the Knicks’ playoff quest got a boost as they slid into second place in the Atlantic, as well as the No. 7 seed in the East. Of course, all this does is put New York in line for a first round matchup with the Miami Heat instead of the Bulls – which may be more of a shame for the Knicks after this game. However, if they actually close the gap with the Celtics and win the division, they can avoid the Heat or Bulls altogether – at least in round one.

The Sixers really needed to win the division to avoid the Heat and Bulls, yet now they seem ready to settle for any kind of playoff berth. The Knicks certainly look more capable of catching the Celtics at the moment, especially after what they did to the Bulls.

However, New York can seize great momentum and then implode again at a moment’s notice – and in lue of actually winning, this seems to be the best way for Philadelphia to climb higher again.

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

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March 19, 2012

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Philadelphia 76ers were determined not to get caught up in a trap game.

With important games against divisional foes New York and Boston looming later this week, it would have been easy for the first-place 76ers to overlook the NBA-worst Charlotte Bobcats.

But that didn’t happen.

Jrue Holiday had 20 points and six assists as the 76ers defeated the Bobcats 105-80 on Monday night to sweep the three-game season series between the teams.

Holiday, coming off a career-high 30 points in Saturday’s night loss at Chicago, was 8-of-13 shooting from the field and made all four shots from the free-throw line.

The 76ers broke open a tight game at halftime behind a stingy third-quarter defense, outscoring the Bobcats 31-19 to pull away.

The Bobcats shot just 29 percent from the field in the second half against a 76ers team that came in with the NBA’s best defense, holding opponents to an average of 87.8 points per game and 41.8 percent shooting from the field.

“They put a little pressure on us defensively and we just couldn’t score in the second half,” Bobcats coach Paul Silas said.

Philadelphia coach Doug Collins said before the game the key to snapping the losing skid was to get a more balanced scoring attack from his players.

And he got it.

Thaddeus Young had 20 points and Lou Williams chipped in with 19 for the 76ers. Philadelphia also got a solid effort from Elton Brand, who scored eight of his 16 points in a pivotal third quarter to break open a two-point game at halftime.

“It was imperative, we had to have this game,” Brand said. “That is what coach’s message was at halftime. He said this doesn’t look like a game that’s very important to us. Let’s hustle and get on the boards and get on the loose balls and play the way we can play.”

Said Holiday: “That’s the way we win games is when the scoring is even across the board. We have to have that.”

The Bobcats shot an impressive 49 percent in the first half to stay close despite the absence of Corey Maggette, who sat out with a back injury.

However, things fell apart in the third quarter for the Bobcats — just as they’ve done so often this season — and they were held to 6-of-22 shooting, allowing the 76ers to seize momentum of the game.

The 76ers maintained a 1½-game lead over Boston, which beat Atlanta 79-76, and stretched their margin to 4½ games over New York in the Atlantic.

“You don’t want to look ahead on your schedule but when you lose three in a row, you start doing a lot of things out of character,” Williams said. “We’re serious about trying to win this division and now we have to play the number two and three teams this week so we felt like it was important to get this one tonight.”

The 76ers held a 51-31 edge on the boards, behind 11 rebounds from Spencer Hawes.

Hawes, whose playing time has been limited due to a strained Achilles tendon, said after the game this was the best he’s felt in a while.

He played 24 minutes in all and had his first double-double since Jan. 16.

“The first half, I was waiting a little bit and pressing,” said Hawes, who had 13 points. “I have to just get used to play under those [playing time] limitations.”

Said Collins: “I talked to Spencer about how he needed to get back to being on the boards. I thought he was drifting out and wasn’t playing with the toughness I needed him to play with.”

Gerald Henderson had 14 points for the Bobcats, who failed to win back-to-back games for the first time this season. The Bobcats (7-37) remain the only team in the league that hasn’t won 10 games.

“We are a young club and we have to learn,” Silas said. “Playing young guys as much as we have to play them they’re going to make mistakes and it’s very difficult when you’re playing a team like that, who has experienced players. It’s not easy. It usually takes two to three years to learn how to play this game. We just need that experience.”

Notes

• Henderson is averaging 15 points per game over the last five games for the Bobcats.
• Young has scored 20-plus points six times this season.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jrue Holiday had 20 points and six assists as the first-place Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Charlotte Bobcats, 105-80, on Monday night to snap a three-game losing streak and sweep the three-game season series between the teams.

Holiday, coming off a career-high 30 points in Saturday’s night loss at Chicago, was 8-of-13 shooting from the field and made all four shots from the free-throw line.

Doug Collins said before the game the key to snapping the losing skid was to get a more balanced scoring attack from his players and he got just that.

Thaddeus Young also had 20 points and Louis Williams chipped in with 19 for the 76ers.

Philadelphia also got a solid effort from Elton Brand, who scored eight of his 16 points in a pivotal third quarter as the 76ers outscored the Bobcats 30-19 to break open a two-point game.

The 76ers outrebounded the Bobcats 51-31 behind 11 boards from Spencer Hawes.

Gerald Henderson had 14 points for the Bobcats, who failed to win back-to-back games for the first time this season.

The Bobcats shot 49 percent in the first half to stay close despite the absence of Corey Maggette, who sat out with a back injury.

However, things fell apart in the third quarter for the Bobcats — just as they’ve done so often this season — and they were held to 6-of-22 shooting, allowing the 76ers to seize momentum of the game.

The Bobcats seemed disinterested at times in the third quarter and the 76ers pushed the lead to 24 down the stretch and the outcome of the game was never in question in the second half.

The 76ers came in with the NBA’s best defense, holding opponents to an average of 87.8 points per game and 41.8 percent shooting from the field. The Bobcats finished the game shooting 39 percent from the field.

After an evenly played first half, the 76ers took a 46-44 lead into the locker room after Thaddeus Young tipped in a shot with 1 second left. Holiday and Young were big in the first half for the 76ers, combining for 24 points on 9-of-10 shooting.

The Bobcats (7-37) remain the only team in the league that hasn’t won 10 games this season.

Playing without Derrick Rose hasn’t held back the Chicago Bulls.

C.J. Watson, starting for the injured MVP, scored 20 points and Joakim Noah added 13 points and 11 rebounds to lead the resilient Bulls to an 89-80 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night.

The Bulls overcame an early 14-point deficit without Rose, who missed his third straight game with a strained groin. Rose has missed 13 games this season and the Bulls still have the best record in the NBA at 37-10. They are 9-4 without Rose.

“That was a tough team we just beat so it gives us a lot of confidence, we just need to keep it going. We are playing without our MVP so we just need to keep getting better, keep improving. It was a good bounce back game from yesterday,” Noah said.

The Bulls lost Friday night to Portland after beating the Heat without Rose on Wednesday.

Chicago has not dropped consecutive regular season games since Feb. 5-7, 2011, and back-to-back contests at the United Center since a five-game skid March 1-19, 2010.

“That’s our motto, not to lose two in a row. We’ve been sticking by that and we just need to keep it up,” Watson said.

Jrue Holiday led the 76ers with 30 points. Philadelphia dropped its third straight and has lost seven of nine on the road. Holiday got little help as Andre Iguodala was held to seven points and Elton Brand to seven.

Holiday attempted 27 shots, but he was the only offense the 76ers had going.

“I didn’t even know I took that many shots. I guess it felt like I had to. It was just the fight in me trying to keep us in it,” Holiday said.

Carlos Boozer made a pair of free throws to tie the game then Watson made a 3-pointer to give Chicago its first lead, 52-49, in the third quarter. Omer Asik had a tip-in as time expired at the end of the quarter to increase Chicago’s lead to 64-59.

“One of the things we struggle with is our halfcourt offense. They’re a very, very good defensive team. They got us ground down to a halfcourt game. And then I thought in the second half their size and rebounding became such a factor,” 76ers coach Doug Collins said.

Different players have been picking up the scoring slack with Rose out. On Saturday night, Watson kept the Bulls in the game. Watson just returned to the lineup after missing five games with a sprained left ankle.

“C.J. is a warrior. He is somebody who is still playing injured but we need him to play. For him to come back like that shows the sacrifice he is making for the team,” Noah said.

Kyle Korver made a jumper, and after Asik’s free throw, Korver made a 3 to increase the lead to 71-63. Things started to unravel for the 76ers as Spencer Hawes was called for a technical after an offensive foul and Evan Turner was also called for technical after he argued what he thought should’ve been a goaltending call.

Holiday’s basket got the Bulls to 79-75 with 3:30, but the Bulls answered with a 10-2 run led by Noah, who had eight points in the span.

The Bulls outrebounded the 76ers 53-39.

“It just shows the character of the team. We take losses personal. A lot of people have things to say at the end of the day, we take losing real bad and that shows great character,” Noah said.

The 76ers jumped out to an 11-0 lead. Holiday scored nine of Philadelphia’s first 13 points. The Bulls didn’t score in the first quarter until Boozer hit a jumper with 6:49 left. The Bulls couldn’t convert on its first seven shot attempts. Lou Williams’ layup gave the 76ers a 24-11 lead at the end of the first quarter.

“We’ve played some of our worst games when it’s come easy early,” Brand said.

Ronnie Brewer’s layup as time expired at the end of the second quarter got the Bulls to 44-38. Holiday scored 15 points in the first half for the 76ers. Watson and Gibson led the Bulls with eight apiece.

CHICAGO (AP) — Playing without Derrick Rose hasn’t held back the Chicago Bulls.

C.J. Watson, starting for the injured MVP, scored 20 points and Joakim Noah added 13 points and 11 rebounds to lead the resilient Bulls to an 89-80 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night.

The Bulls overcame an early 14-point deficit without Rose, who missed his third straight game with a strained groin. Rose has missed 13 games this season and the Bulls still have the best record in the NBA at 37-10. They are 9-4 without Rose.

“That was a tough team we just beat so it gives us a lot of confidence, we just need to keep it going. We are playing without our MVP so we just need to keep getting better, keep improving. It was a good bounce back game from yesterday,” Noah said.

The Bulls lost Friday night to Portland after beating the Heat without Rose on Wednesday.

Chicago has not dropped consecutive regular season games since Feb. 5-7, 2011, and back-to-back contests at the United Center since a five-game skid March 1-19, 2010.

“That’s our motto, not to lose two in a row. We’ve been sticking by that and we just need to keep it up,” Watson said.

Jrue Holiday led the 76ers with 30 points. Philadelphia dropped its third straight and has lost seven of nine on the road. Holiday got little help as Andre Iguodala was held to seven points and Elton Brand to seven.

Holiday attempted 27 shots, but he was the only offense the 76ers had going.

“I didn’t even know I took that many shots. I guess it felt like I had to. It was just the fight in me trying to keep us in it,” Holiday said.

Carlos Boozer made a pair of free throws to tie the game then Watson made a 3-pointer to give Chicago its first lead, 52-49, in the third quarter. Omer Asik had a tip-in as time expired at the end of the quarter to increase Chicago’s lead to 64-59.

“One of the things we struggle with is our halfcourt offense. They’re a very, very good defensive team. They got us ground down to a halfcourt game. And then I thought in the second half their size and rebounding became such a factor,” 76ers coach Doug Collins said.

Different players have been picking up the scoring slack with Rose out. On Saturday night, Watson kept the Bulls in the game. Watson just returned to the lineup after missing five games with a sprained left ankle.

“C.J. is a warrior. He is somebody who is still playing injured but we need him to play. For him to come back like that shows the sacrifice he is making for the team,” Noah said.

Kyle Korver made a jumper, and after Asik’s free throw, Korver made a 3 to increase the lead to 71-63. Things started to unravel for the 76ers as Spencer Hawes was called for a technical after an offensive foul and Evan Turner was also called for technical after he argued what he thought should’ve been a goaltending call.

Holiday’s basket got the Bulls to 79-75 with 3:30, but the Bulls answered with a 10-2 run led by Noah, who had eight points in the span.

The Bulls outrebounded the 76ers 53-39.

“It just shows the character of the team. We take losses personal. A lot of people have things to say at the end of the day, we take losing real bad and that shows great character,” Noah said.

The 76ers jumped out to an 11-0 lead. Holiday scored nine of Philadelphia’s first 13 points. The Bulls didn’t score in the first quarter until Boozer hit a jumper with 6:49 left. The Bulls couldn’t convert on its first seven shot attempts. Lou Williams’ layup gave the 76ers a 24-11 lead at the end of the first quarter.

“We’ve played some of our worst games when it’s come easy early,” Brand said.

Ronnie Brewer’s layup as time expired at the end of the second quarter got the Bulls to 44-38. Holiday scored 15 points in the first half for the 76ers. Watson and Gibson led the Bulls with eight apiece.

NOTES: The Bulls wore green uniforms in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. … Andres Nocioni did not make the trip with the 76ers. Nocioni was with the 76ers in last night’s 84-78 loss to Miami, but did not play. According to a 76ers spokesman, Nocioni is still on the active roster, but the team is allowing him to explore other options. “His official status is that I don’t know if the paperwork is done, but we’ve worked out a deal with him to allow him to either go on with another team maybe, or if not, I talked to him last night, go to Argentina and get ready for the Olympics,” Collins said.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

With their Atlantic Division lead on the verge of slipping away, the Philadelphia 76ers are probably looking forward to a matchup with the worst team in the league.

Trips to Charlotte haven’t often brought out the best in the 76ers, though, and the Bobcats will bring a healthier team into Monday night’s game at Time Warner Cable Arena than during the season’s first two meetings.

Philadelphia’s lead in the division has been cut from three games to 1 1/2 during a three-game losing streak, and it suffered its latest defeat when it failed to take advantage of an early 14-point lead in Chicago on Saturday. The 76ers held the Eastern Conference leaders to 11 points in the first quarter but gave up 25 or more in each of the last three periods of an 89-80 defeat.

They gave away the lead for good while scoring 15 points in the third quarter, and a declining offense has plagued the team during its current 7-13 stretch. Philadelphia (25-20) has been one of the lowest-scoring teams in the league over that span, averaging 91.0 points – 5.7 fewer than during its 18-7 start.

The 76ers are averaging 84.0 points during their three-game skid after scoring at least 103 in three consecutive victories.

“We are a young team that has to learn how to play together and through those types of challenges. We are trying to find ourselves as a team,” forward Elton Brand said. “Defensively we can play with anybody. Now we have to learn how to do that offensively.”

Jrue Holiday was the only player to score more than 10 points Saturday with a career-high and 76ers season-high 30. He attempted 27 shots, seven more than in any other game during his career, while starters Brand, Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner were held to a combined 15 points.

Holiday had 19 in a 98-89 win in Charlotte on Feb. 13. Louis Williams had a team-best 23 points off the bench and Thaddeus Young chipped in 20.

That victory snapped a six-game road losing streak to the Bobcats and was the 76ers’ third in 13 all-time trips to Charlotte.

Philadelphia has won four of five overall in the series but Bobcats point guard D.J. Augustin missed both matchups this season because of inflammation in his toe.

A strained right hamstring kept Gerald Henderson out during last month’s visit from Philadelphia, and leading scorer Corey Maggette was dealing with a strained left hamstring during an 89-72 loss in Philadelphia on Jan. 27.

With all three players back, Charlotte (7-36) has won two of its last four games and has a chance to earn back-to-back victories for the first time this season.

Henderson, Augustin and Maggette all topped 20 points while helping the Bobcats overcome an early 15-point deficit in a 107-103 victory over Toronto on Saturday.

“We played a good game as a team,” said Augustin, who scored a career-high 31 in a 100-97 home win over Philadelphia on Jan. 20, 2011 – the last time he faced the Sixers. “We’ve got to do that more often.”

Charlotte is trying to avoid getting swept in a season series with Philadelphia for the first time since 2004-05, its inaugural campaign.

On Saturday, March 17, the Chicago Bulls defeated the Philadelphia 76ers, 89-80.

After a disappointing loss on the previous night, the team pulled it together for the win. They have not had two consecutive losses since early February and I’d have to think a change in this stat would be unacceptable to the Bulls’ skipper Tom Thibodeau.

The Bulls again had to figure out a way to win without Derrick Rose, who continues struggling with a groin injury. The team was able to beat the Miami Heat on Wednesday, March 14 but played poorly and lost without the MVP on Friday, March 16 against Portland.

Fortunately the team has been able to rely on its bench when it’s been short of starters. For Saturday’s game the difference maker was C.J. Watson. He is filling in for Rose as he recovers from his own injury, a sprained ankle. Watson is taking one for the team and dealing with pain on a daily basis.

On Saturday, he led the team in scoring with 20 points. He came out with a lot of energy and became the offensive weapon the team sorely needs. Against Portland on Friday, Watson only added 10 points but if he can play through the pain, it will be less painful without Rose.

Adding to Saturday’s win was Joakim Noah. He had a lot of energy in the second half of the game and had been a much-needed defensive weapon-something that the team struggles with on an almost game by game basis lately.

Noah had 13 points with 11 rebounds on Saturday.

Luol Deng was clutch against the 76ers in the last few minutes of play but only came away with six points for the night. He has also been struggling with an injury and his opportunity to heal has been a concern. While not wanting to miss games now, it’s also important to have a healthy Deng for the playoffs.

Is Thibodeau or Deng to blame for the constant play versus resting? I’d say a little bit of both.

The Bulls will face another tough team on Monday, March 19 against the Orlando Magic. They have been able to move forward without Rose’s 22.8 average points per game but it can’t last forever as the players who are stepping up take an additional toll on their bodies. I am skeptical that more injuries are on the way with the team’s gritty play.

As for Rose, he is a day by day status and as of Saturday night, Thibodeau was uncertain if he’d play on Monday.

I think we’ll see him on the court against Orlando.

As a lifelong Bulls fan and Chicago resident, the Derrick Rose era has been a good one.

C.J. Watson scored 20 points and Joakim Noah added 13 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Chicago Bulls to an 89-80 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night.

The Bulls overcame an early 14-point deficit without Derrick Rose, who missed his third straight game with a strained groin. Even with the reigning MVP missing 13 games this season, the Bulls still have the best record in the NBA at 37-10. The Bulls are 9-4 without Rose.

Jrue Holiday led the 76ers with 30 points, who dropped its third straight overall and have lost seven of nine on the road. Holiday got little help as Andre Iguodala was held to seven points and Elton Brand to seven.

Chicago went on a 14-3 run in the third quarter to take the lead. Carlos Boozer made a pair of free throws to tie the game then Watson made a 3-pointer to give Chicago its first lead, 52-49. Omer Asik had a tip-in as time expired at the end of the quarter to increase Chicago’s lead to 64-59.

Kyle Korver made a jumper and after Asik’s free throw, Korver made a 3 to increase the lead to 71-63. Things started to unravel for the the 76ers as Spencer Hawes was called for a techincal after an offensive foul and Evan Turner was also called for technical after he argued what he thought should’ve been a goaltending call.

Holiday’s basket got the Bulls to 79-75 with 3:30, but the Bulls answered with a 10-2 run led by Noah, who had eight points in the span.

The Bulls outrebounded the 76ers 53-39.

The 76ers came out with more urgency than they did in a loss to the Heat on Friday night. The 76ers jumped out to a 11-0 lead. Holiday scored nine of Philadelphia’s first 13 points. The Bulls didn’t score in the first quarter until Boozer hit a jumper with 6:49 left. The Bulls couldn’t convert on its first seven shot attempts. Lou Williams’ layup gave the 76ers a 24-11 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Ronnie Brewer’s layup as time expired at the end of the second quarter got the Bulls to 44-38. Holiday scored 15 points in the first half for the 76ers. Watson and Gibson led the Bulls with eight apiece. Iguodala was held to two points in the first half on 1-of-4 shooting.

NOTES: The Bulls wore green uniforms in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. … Andres Nocioni did not make the trip with the 76ers for Saturday’s game at Chicago. Nocioni was with the 76ers in last night’s 84-78 loss to Miami, but did not play. According to a 76ers spokesman, Nocioni is still on the active roster, but the team is allowing him to explore other options. “His official status is that I don’t know if the paperwork is done, but we’ve worked out a deal with him to allow him to either go on with another team maybe, or if not, I talked to him last night, go to Argentina and get ready for the Olympics,” 76ers head coach Doug Collins said.

The Miami Heat will conclude their current road trip, when they face the Philadelphia 76ers on March 16.

The Heat held the top spot in the NBA’s Eastern Conference standings going into the All-Star break, but they’ve not been the same ever since. They’ve gone 4-4 since the All-Star break, sliding down to the second spot in the Eastern Conference standings.

“We had to break like everybody else and that’s how fragile things are in this league,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters about their recent struggles. “But the character and the makeup of our group, we’ll work together to find a way to get back to where we were. We were playing excellent basketball three weeks ago, but that’s in the past.”

The Heat’s defense has been simply amazing this season, but that hasn’t been the case in their last few outings. They haven’t been able to hold their opponents under a 100 points in their last two games, and that’s something Spoelstra will need to address.

Interestingly enough, the Heat’s “big three” have actually played well in their last two losses, putting up a combined 83 points in their last game against the Chicago Bulls. Unfortunately for them, their role players haven’t been able to get anything going in their last couple of games, and they’re starting to look like last season’s supporting cast.

The Heat have struggled on the boards as well, getting outrebounded by at least 10 rebounds in their last two games.

The Heat might not look like the best team in the NBA right now, but they still have plenty of time to get their act right.

“We’ve been playing some big teams to start the second half of the season,” James told reporters. “We’re undersized, but we just gotta figure it out. We gotta put more bodies on guys.”

Luckily for the Heat, they’ve won their last nine games against the 76ers, and the numbers are on their side heading into the Wells Fargo Center.

David is a Miami Heat fan that has followed the team for 16 years. Follow him on twitter @davidkingwriter and check out his blog.

Sources:

Stats LLC, “Heat-76ers Preview”

Player and game information from ESPN.com

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The Philadelphia 76ers got to feel much more confident in themselves after a recent three-game winning streak. Sixers fans like myself were relieved that it came at the right time, as it helped Philadelphia retake control of the Atlantic. But every time we dream that we can do more, the Miami Heat seem to show up and wake us up.

The Heat have given the Sixers two of their most crushing defeats of the season, proving where they really stand in the grand order of things. Now the trilogy could be complete on Mar. 16, as Philadelphia takes one more shot at closing the gap on Miami.

The Heat are the Sixers great white whale, as the greatest symbol for why Philadelphia isn’t a real contender yet. First Miami beat it in the playoffs last year in five games, then it blew the Sixers out in the second half twice this year for good measure.

When the Heat did it at home on Jan. 21, it was the first reality check of the season and the first speed bump in Philadelphia‘s hot start. When it happened again at the Wells Fargo Center on Feb. 3, right as the Sixers were at their peak after beating up the Chicago Bulls, it opened the floodgates to a very bad month of February. As such, it makes sense that the Sixers are playing the Bulls 24 hours after facing the Heat this time.

Miami actually has to be relieved to face Philadelphia, given its hard times on the road lately. The Heat have lost four straight road games and just went down to the Bulls on Mar. 14 although they didn’t have Derrick Rose. But since the Heat are now visiting a Sixers team they have had their way with everywhere lately, they have to feel confident that their luck will change.

Philadelphia could have had even more confidence with a four-game winning streak, yet it was torched by the Indiana Pacers on Mar. 14. If the Pacers shot over 56 percent against the Sixers, the sky would seem to be the limit for the Heat and Bulls. While the Sixers defense has been strong against nearly everyone else, the Heat have already been one of the rare exceptions.

If Philadelphia really was on the level of Miami, it would have proved it on at least one of their last two meetings. As such, even finally beating the Heat this time wouldn’t prove much – especially since they’d just be catching Miami in the middle of a road slump. However, if they do meet again much later in the season, the Sixers need at least one example of how they can beat the Heat when it really counts.

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

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PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The 76ers on Thursday acquired Sam Young from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for the rights to Ricky Sanchez.

The 6-foot-6, 220-pound Young, who plays guard and forward, was the 36th overall pick by Memphis in 2009 out of Pitt. He averaged 6.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 17.5 minutes per game with the Grizzlies.

The Sixers acquired Sanchez’s rights from Denver, along with Reggie Evans, in exchange for Steven Hunter and Bobby Jones on Sept. 10, 2007.

“We feel Sam’s overall skill set can be a valuable asset to our team,” Philadelphia president Rod Thorn said. “He adds to our depth at two positions.”

The 76ers today acquired Sam Young from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for the rights to Ricky Sanchez.

The 6-foot-6, 220-pound Young, who plays guard and forward, was the 36th overall pick by Memphis in 2009 out of Pitt. He averaged 6.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 17.5 minutes per game with the Grizzlies.

The Sixers acquired Sanchez’s rights from Denver, along with Reggie Evans, in exchange for Steven Hunter and Bobby Jones on Sept. 10, 2007.

“We feel Sam’s overall skill set can be a valuable asset to our team,” Philadelphia president Rod Thorn said. “He adds to our depth at two positions.”