This was what Michael Jordan expected from his teammates.
A night after saying his team "stinks," Jordan scored 30
points and Richard Hamilton added 28, leading the Washington
Wizards to a 94-87 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday
night.
Allen Iverson scored 40 points and Derrick Coleman added 15 for
the Sixers. The defending Eastern Conference champions have lost
two straight after winning seven in a row.
Washington won for just the second time in its last 10 games.
"I think they felt the need to come out and play hard," Jordan
said. "We found a way to play solid basketball and guys made
shots.
"It's important to come out this way every night. It doesn't
matter if it's Cleveland or Philadelphia. The effort should be
there every night. That's what was disappointing about Cleveland is
we didn't have this type of effort. This is something we have to
continue to build on."
Following Tuesday night's 94-75 loss at Cleveland, Jordan ripped
his teammates for their lack of urgency and lackluster play on
defense.
"I don't see anyone covering my back as everyone probably
expected me to cover theirs," Jordan said.
The Wizards couldn't stop Iverson, especially in the first half
when he scored 27 points. But they shut down the rest of the
Sixers, and Jordan scored Washington's last 14 points in the second
quarter as the Wizards trailed 50-47 at halftime.
A 9-0 run early in the third gave Washington its first lead
since the opening minutes. Hamilton had six points during the
spurt, including a 12-footer that made it 60-58.
"With him, you just try to absorb as much information as
possible," Hamilton said of Jordan.
The Sixers went more than four minutes without a point in the
fourth and the Wizards opened an 87-76 lead with 4:13 left, capped
by consecutive jumpers from Jordan and Hamilton. A free throw by
Jordan made it 88-76 with 2:58 left.
Philadelphia didn't get closer than five points the rest of the
game.
"We are playing like a bunch of strangers on both ends,"
Sixers coach Larry Brown said. "When we got behind, we acted like
we panicked."
Jordan came in shooting just 40.2 percent -- a career low. He
went 11-for-27 from the floor, 8-for-10 on free throws and had seven
assists and six rebounds.
"Some of those moves are unguardable," Harpring said of
Jordan. "I played him as hard as I could. I hope he's over there
tired. I sure am."
Iverson scored 17 points in the first quarter, including 12
straight at one point. All of the points except two free throws
came on jumpers, including three 3-pointers.
Iverson entered the game shooting just 32.1 percent and had
missed 30 of 35 3-pointers. He finished 15-for-31, including 3-for-9
from beyond the arc.
"It's disappointing," Iverson said. "This is one of the teams
we are supposed to beat. We had them where we wanted and just let
it go."
「nba free throw champions」的推薦目錄:
- 關於nba free throw champions 在 pennyccw Youtube 的精選貼文
- 關於nba free throw champions 在 pennyccw Youtube 的精選貼文
- 關於nba free throw champions 在 pennyccw Youtube 的精選貼文
- 關於nba free throw champions 在 The Only NBA Finals Game Decided by Free Throws at the ... 的評價
- 關於nba free throw champions 在 Pin on DUBS DID THAT!! 3x NBA CHAMPIONS - Pinterest 的評價
nba free throw champions 在 pennyccw Youtube 的精選貼文
The league-leading Philadelphia 76ers
did not need their All-Star center or his backup to show the
defending NBA champions they are capable of usurping their
title.
With Theo Ratliff on the injured list and Matt Geiger suspended,
Allen Iverson outplayed Kobe Bryant and the 76ers used a platoon
of reserve centers to deal with Shaquille O'Neal en route to an
impressive 112-97 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
"We knew we were outmatched. We didn't have two of our big men,
but we just knew we had to come out and play some ball," Iverson
said after scoring 40 points and handing out nine assists in 40
minutes.
Iverson hit 14-of-29 shots and 10-of-11 free throws to reach 40
points for the seventh time in his last 11 games and the 11th
time this season. Bryant managed just 18 points while committing
six turnovers in 41 minutes.
"I don't approach the game like it's Kobe, and I want to have a
big game against him," Iverson said. "I want to play a good
game against everybody. When you play well against another great
player, it's only natural for you to feel good about the win.
But that's not the most important thing for me."
Ratliff likely is out until April with a broken wrist, but the
Sixers appeared to get some help in the paint when Geiger
returned from a 1 1/2-month layoff in Tuesday's 107-104 win at
Milwaukee. But Geiger received a two-game suspension for
violating the league's steroids policy earlier Wednesday,
leaving rookie Nazr Mohammed and second-year centers Todd
MacCulloch and Jumaine Jones to deal with O'Neal in the middle.
The trio combined for 26 points and 14 rebounds, helping offset
O'Neal's 29 points and 11 boards.
"I was thrilled, considering the news I got on the way to the
game that Matt wasn't playing against the Lakers with Shaq,"
Brown said of his center by committee rotation. "I had to put
two young kids (Mohammed and MacCullough) in a tough situation.
You look at Jumaine, Nazr and Todd's contribution, it was
amazing."
Tyrone Hill scored 12 points and Mohammed established a
season-high with 12 on 6-of-10 shooting and registered the
Sixers' lone block of the night. Ratliff leads the NBA with 187
blocks.
George Lynch scored 11 points for Philadelphia, which made half
of its 86 shots, held a 43-36 rebounding advantage and forced 17
turnovers while committing 11.
Brian Shaw scored 13 points and Isaiah Rider and Tyronn Lue
added 10 apiece for the Lakers, who shot 48 percent (39-of-81)
and were outscored, 22-13, at the line.
"It was a big game for them," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "I
haven't seen Larry Brown that animated on the court in a long
time. They were keyed for our ballclub."
A season-high 21,005 fans packed the First Union Center to see
the Sixers avenge a 96-85 loss to the defending champions on
December 5. The game featured six lead changes and three ties
and turned in Philadelphia's favor late in the first half.
"This was a gift to those people," Iverson said. "The defending
champions come in here and we knock them off. Hopefully, they
enjoyed it and had a good time. Hopefully, it's something they
can cherish."
Mohammed scored off a feed from Iverson, Lynch hit a free throw
and Jones followed with a basket, giving the Sixers a 55-48
halftime advantage.
The Lakers closed within four points three times in the third
quarter but the Sixers pulled away late in the period when
Iverson made a 14-footer, Snow drilled a 3-pointer and
McCullough scored to make it 82-70 entering the final period.
Iverson's two layups, sandwiched around a basket by Toni Kukoc,
gave Philadelphia an 89-72 cushion with 10:10 to play.
"They got all the loose balls, grabbed most of the rebounds and
they made their shots," O'Neal said. "Even though Iverson got
his points, the other guys contributed as well. We made a lot of
mistakes, we didn't take care of the ball and we didn't go after
loose balls like we should have. They just beat us."
Shaw's 3-pointer and a free throw by O'Neal shaved the deficit
to 10 midway through the period but Lynch made two free throws
and Iverson reeled off six straight points to make it 102-84
with 4:15 remaining.
"It's all about being a team," Iverson said. "We fight so hard
for each other. We pat each other on the back if someone messes
up. We are a team. We win together and lose together and that is
the most special thing about this team. There's no egos. We are
trying to win a championship."
nba free throw champions 在 pennyccw Youtube 的精選貼文
Allen Iverson had the finish Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker were looking for.
Iverson scored eight of his 28 points in the final 73 seconds to salvage his team's season and lead the Philadelphia 76ers to an 83-81 victory over the Boston Celtics that evened their Eastern Conference first-round series at two games each.
"Win. It's the only thing we can think about," Iverson said. "We fought hard to get back in the series. We're really not thinking about anything more. The only thing I care about is finishing out."
After shooting poorly all game, Iverson made his last three shots and two clinching free throws that sent the series between the long-time rivals back to Boston for Game Five on Friday.
Iverson upstaged Pierce and Walker, who are playing in their first postseason. They have carried the Celtics all season but again came up just a bit short in their quest to eliminate the defending Eastern Conference champions.
Pierce had to work hard for his 20 points as he struggled for most of the game before coming alive briefly in the fourth quarter. Walker scored 25 points but was scoreless in the final period.
"This is what playoff basketball is all about," Pierce said. "Nobody said it was going to be easy when we got here. It's obviously not."
"It's hard to get the clinching game," said Iverson, who has gotten five of them in his career. "Those shots at the beginning of the game are a lot easier than the ones at end of the game, when you're looking to close a team out."
The 76ers found themselves trailing 77-75 with 1:17 remaining and watched as Aaron McKie missed the potential tying free throws. But the second miss was back-tapped to Iverson, who quickly drove for a tough floating layup.
"Even though he was struggling shooting, we were still in the game," 76ers coach Larry Brown said. "He was 5-for-21 and we still were in it. He kept his head, and obviously he made a huge shot on the missed free throws. "
"(Derrick Coleman) tapped it and it just went right into my hands," Iverson said. "I saw that there wasn't anyone on the right side of the floor, so I took it right and tried to put it off the glass. It hit the side of the rim, but I guess I shot it soft enough that it was able to go in."
At the other end, McKie poked the ball away from Pierce. Eric Snow picked it up and fed a streaking Iverson for a layup and a 79-77 lead with 54 seconds to go.
Pierce missed a layup, but the rebound was tipped to Rodney Rogers, whose banker tied it with 38 seconds left. Iverson responded with a fadeaway jumper over Kenny Anderson for an 81-79 edge with 22 seconds to go.
Walker left a 3-pointer short, and it bounced out of bounds with 2.3 seconds to play. Iverson was fouled and made both free throws to seal it.
"I know that the play did run correctly," Walker said. "I was feeling it all night. It felt good leaving my hands. I thought I was going to make it."
Coleman had 14 points and nine rebounds and Dikembe Mutombo added 10 and 14 for the Sixers, who are trying to defy history. They have never won a series after losing the first two games, and only six teams have erased an 0-2 deficit to win a best-of-five series.
"They had the momentum the first two game at home," McKie said. "They played well, they made shots and made plays. We came here in Philly and we scratched and clawed and got two wins. Now I think the pressure pretty much is on those guys. We have come out and be aggressive and attack those guys early."
"A series played this hard maybe should go down to five games," Celtics coach Jim O'Brien said. "May the best team win."
Pierce made 7-of-16 shots but battled foul trouble and sloppiness. He committed seven turnovers and was hounded by McKie in the final period.
"I was pretty much trying to do the same things I had been doing all series long, just push him out a little and make him work for his shots," McKie said. "You have to understand, when you're playing the games, there are players who are going to touch the ball 50-60 percent of the time. They are going to get their baskets and they are going to go to the free throw line. You want to make them work for it and make it tough."
Walker made 9-of-21 shots and again was launching from deep, hitting 5-of-11 3-pointers. He has attempted 26 3-pointers in the last two games after taking just seven in the first two.
Boston was 9-of-29 from the arc and under 40 percent (31-of-78) overall. It shot just 14 free throws while Philadelphia attacked the basket more often and attempted 30.
"They took 29 threes again," Brown said. "Even though they make some that break your back, we have to find a way to keep them out on the perimeter."
"I just worry about shot selection," O'Brien said. "I don't worry about missing sometimes."
In a game that was tight throughout, the Sixers led 38-36 at halftime. Walker scored 11 points in the third quarter, including five in a 7-0 spurt that gave the Celtics a 61-55 lead late in the period.
nba free throw champions 在 Pin on DUBS DID THAT!! 3x NBA CHAMPIONS - Pinterest 的推薦與評價
Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors shoots free throw against the Houston Rockets on March 13, 2019 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. More like ... ... <看更多>
nba free throw champions 在 The Only NBA Finals Game Decided by Free Throws at the ... 的推薦與評價
May 20, 1979 - Washington Bullets reserve guard Larry Wright capped the game of his life with two game-clinching free throws with 00.0 left ... ... <看更多>