Pass the Buck

The 65 degree weather made it feel like a playoff game. The atmosphere inside was far from that of a playoff game. Two basement dwellers playing a game in front of an announced crowd of just over 10,000. From the looks of it, only about half those people were actually in the red seats at the Wachovia Center.

The Sixers lost another game. This time to the visiting Bucks, 87-83. Milwaukee was without leading scorer Michael Redd but its failure to reach 90 points didn't matter. The loss is the fourth straight for Philly, and fifth in its last six games.

The blame ought to be shared. As a team, the Sixers were 0-13 from beyond the arc and were never truly "in the game" even though they had a lead a couple times and kept it close. This team just looks confused, plain and simple. Sammy Dalembert had 16 points and 16 rebounds, but the ball also slipped right out of his hands about 16 times. Another thing that drove me crazy was this: the Sixers outrebounded the Bucks but couldn't get the two that really mattered as the clock ticked away at the end of the fourth quarter.

This is why I love watching basketball live. There were so many little things that I noticed as a spectator tonight that you can't get from watching on TV. The Sixers play looked a lot sloppier than it really was. 17 turnovers isn't too high, and the team also came up with 12 steals and 5 blocks. This was a game they easily could have won. And these are the games they need to start winning. The whole time I sat there thinking to myself-- this team shouldn't be losing right now. The mistakes they make are the big ones, and they happen when it counts the most. That is the problem, and that is part of the reason why this team is spiraling in the wrong direction.

At least the Flyers are winning!

~emz