Category: Philadelphia 76ers Blog

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Granger’s double-double leads Pacers past 76ers

The AP reports: Danny Granger had 20 points—five under his season average—but five other Pacers finished in double figures to pick up the slack in Indiana’s 100-91 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night… Troy Murphy scored 17 points, eight in the fourth quarter, Roy Hibbert and T.J. Ford each had 14, Jarrett Jack chipped in with 12 and Marquis Daniels had 11 for the Pacers, who led by as many as 20 points in the first half… Andre Iguodala had 20 points and nine assists, Louis Williams scored 17 and Thaddeus Young added 16 points and nine rebounds for Philadelphia, which had its four-game winning streak snapped.

NBA to borrow $175 million

The Sports Business Journal (Daniel Kaplan and John Lombardo) reports: The NBA is set to borrow $175 million Feb. 26, marking one of the first league financings since the implosion of the credit markets last fall. The money, which will be available to 15 teams, supplements an existing $1.7 billion leaguewide credit facility that uses the NBA’s media contracts as collateral to secure loans for the clubs. The NBA surveyed its teams, and 15 responded they would like to tap into the new borrowing. While the league said it is pleased to borrow in an extremely illiquid credit market, the deal came at a cost, with interest rates up to 8.27 percent, hammering home the notion that the era of cheap money in sports is over. The 15 teams can use the money for any purpose, but covering operating losses may be high on the list.

InsideHoops.com editor says: Loan me three fiddy. I want some ribs.

Allen Iverson slowing down

The Detroit Free Press (Vince Ellis) reports: Allen Iverson is showing signs of wear (if you’re a fan) or age (if you’re a critic). One NBA scout, who requested anonymity because it’s against the code to criticize players publicly, said of Iverson: “His first step is not quite as explosive.” Also, if you watch many Pistons games — and the scout agreed — you know Iverson misses lay-ups. These aren’t the lay-ups when you’re out in the driveway messing around. In the NBA, more often than not, there is contact in the lane when you try to make a shot. Iverson used to finish through the contact or explode to the basket so fast the only thing a defender could do was foul him. These days, defenders also can keep him out of the paint a little easier than before. That’s a tell-tale sign that his legs, the base for finishing around the basket, aren’t what they were.

Julius Erving dislikes props in dunk contests

The Indianapolis Star (Jeff Rabjohns) reports on what Julius “Dr. J” Erving said: “The more the slam dunk resembles the actions of the mascots, it seems the more the crowd loves it,” Erving said during All-Star weekend. “It seems about playing to the crowd. I guess if I was 26 and I were in it, I would do something that would play to the crowd. “I think that’s unfair that the slam dunkers, as talented as they are, have to resort to that to get favor from the judges or the crowd. “I’d rather see no props allowed; maybe a teammate because I think playing against opposition brings out the best dunks. I think my best dunks were when somebody was trying to block my shot. If you want props as far as resistance, OK. But chairs and ladders and trampolines? That’s turning it too much into a sideshow.”

Andre miller huge, 76ers beat Grizzlies 91-87

The AP reports: Andre Iguodala scored 18 points and made the winning basket with 26 seconds left, lifting the Philadelphia 76ers to their fourth straight win, 91-87 over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night… Hakim Warrick, who tied a career high with 31 points for the Grizzlies, missed a dunk and Iguodala and Samuel Dalembert sealed the win from the free throw line… Andre Miller had 24 points and Young scored 12 for the Sixers. O.J. Mayo finished with 16 points and Mike Conley had 13 for the Grizzlies. Mayo helped rally the Grizzlies from a 12-point hole and nailed a 3-pointer with 48 seconds left that tied the score at 87.

76ers rout Suns 108-91 for third straight win

The AP reports: Marreese Speights had a career-high 24 points and Thaddeus Young scored 25 points to lift the Philadelphia 76ers to their third straight win, 108-91 over the Phoenix Suns on Monday night… Andre Iguodala scored 22 points and Samuel Dalembert grabbed 11 rebounds to help the Sixers (26-24) move two games above .500 for the first time this season. They’ve won 13 of 17 and are seven games over .500 since DiLeo took over in December. Amare Stoudemire shrugged off persistent trade rumors and scored 19 points for the Suns. Jason Richardson had 16 and Shaquille O’Neal grabbed 10 rebounds.

Bench steps up, Sixers beat Heat 94-84

The AP reports: If the Philadelphia 76ers get bench play like this, they’ll hardly miss Elton Brand. Andre Miller and Marreese Speights scored 15 points, Royal Ivey ignited a second-half comeback with 11 off the bench and the 76ers beat the Miami Heat 94-84 on Saturday night. Dwyane Wade had 21 points and Mario Chalmers added 18 for Miami… The Sixers are 12-8 without Brand, who signed a five-year, $80 million deal last summer.

Dalembert rocks, Sixers beat Pacers 99-94

The AP reports: Samuel Dalembert had 18 points and 20 rebounds, and Miller and Iguodala also had double-doubles to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 99-94 win over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night… “We have to rally around each other and go out there and pick up our play on both ends of the floor,” said guard Willie Green, who had 23 points… Miller had 13 points and 12 assists, while Iguodala had 20 points and 11 assists to help the Sixers snap a two-game losing streak… Dunleavy led the Pacers with 21 points, and Danny Granger and Jarret Jack each scored 18 as Indiana dropped its third straight. Murphy had 15 points and 14 assists.

Elton Brand to have season-ending shoulder surgery

Philadelphia 76ers President and General Manager Ed Stefanski announced today that forward Elton Brand will undergo surgery on his right shoulder, which he dislocated on December 17, 2008 against the Milwaukee Bucks.  As a result of the surgery, Brand will miss the remainder of the 2008-09 season.

The surgery is scheduled for Monday afternoon at the Wilmington Surgery Center.

Brand’s MRI results were reviewed by team orthopedist and medical director Dr. Jack McPhilemy of Main Line Health System and Dr. Craig Morgan of the Morgan-Kalman Clinic in Wilmington, DE, who concluded that the initial tear of the labrum in Brand’s right shoulder is responsible for a considerable decrease in the range of motion and instability, both of which would not allow him to be effective on the court.

Following six weeks of non-operative and conservative treatment, including two weeks of testing it on a daily basis in live action, a determination was made that in order to reduce the risk of any further damage to the shoulder, surgery would be required.

“Elton wanted to do whatever he could to get back on the court and initially elected to forgo surgery in order to help his teammates,” Stefanski said.  “He worked as hard as he could over the past six weeks to return, however the scope the injury would not allow it.”