Daily Roundup: 5/8/10

Braves Beat Phils: The Phillies managed only one run against Braves' starter Kris Melden. That run came in the 2nd inning, when Shane Victorino's RBI single scored Brian Schneider. The Phillies had trouble with runners in scoring position. For instance, in the bottom of the 4th, with 2 men on and none out, the Phillies failed to get either run home. The Phils got 9 hits against Melden but did not register a hit against the Braves bullpen.

Joe Blanton looked good right up until the 6th inning. The Braves got their first hit in the 5th and Blanton looked to be in control. One big inning did him in. In the 6th, he allowed 3 runs on 4 hits, and no home runs. Still not a bad outing for Blanton. You're not going to win with one run.

Union Crushed: Real Salt Lake, defending MLS champions, showed the Union exactly why they are champions. They dominated the Union, beating them 3-0. The Union had defense lapses. On one of the goals, a union defender watched as a Salt Lake player went past him and scored. It is tough on the Union (1-6) because they have played 6 of 7 games on the road. They did win their only home game.

Sixers Coaching Update: According to Philly.com, the Sixers will meet with both Bill Laimbeer and Dan Majerle in the coming days. Laimbeer, a former Pistons star, has been very successful coaching in the WNBA. Will he be able to make the jump to the NBA? Majerle is a Phoenix Suns assistant coach. Shouldn't he be worrying about the San Antonio Spurs?

Daily Roundup: 5/5/10

Flyers Lose Again: It doesn't look good for our Philadelphia Flyers. The Bruins put a whippin' on the Flyers, as the 4-1 score indicates. The Flyers out shot the Bruins 35-20, but they only managed one goal against Bruins' goalie Tukka Rask. Rask really stole this game for the Bruins. He was outstanding in net tonight.

The Flyers took their only lead of the series early in the first period. Arron Asham scored that early goal for the Flyers. Less than 4 minutes later, the Bruins had themselves a 2-1 lead after goals from Blake Wheeler and Miroslav Satan. The second period went by scoreless. In the third, former Flyer Mark Recchi scored on the power play. Maybe Brian Boucher could have stopped a one of those goals, but it's too late now.

The Flyers put much more pressure on the Bruins offensively this game, but unfortunately their was a rock in the net. It will be very hard for the Flyers to come back in this series down 3-0. It would be historic if they did, but even I believe they're done.

Phils Shut Down Cards: Kyle Kendrick pitched 7 shutout innings for the Phillies in their 4-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Kendrick gave up 6 innings and struck out 3. Maybe this is a sign that Kendrick is coming around, and that he can become a valuable pitcher in the rotation.

The Phillies didn't get a hit until the 4th inning, when Shane Victorino singled off Brad Penny. Placido Polanco followed that up with a home run to break the scoreless tie. Shane Victorino then homered to lead off the 6th inning. Greg Dobbs hit an RBI double in the 7th to cap the Phillies scoring.

Sixers Update: Mark Jackson's agent has informed the Sixers that his client has declined an interview for Sixers head coaching job. Jacksons agent had this to say: "It’s just not the right situation for him at this time." Well, no kidding! Why would Jackson want his first head coaching job to be with a team that stinks, draws small crowds, and has their money tied up.

According to philly.com, the Sixers are trying to schedule a meeting with former Sixer Monty Williams. Williams is an assistant coach with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Coming Tomorrow: Phillies wrap up series against Cards with a Halladay

Daily Roundup: 5/3/10

Phillies Lose 6-3: In Joe Blanton's first start of the season, the Phillies let down the sold out crowd at the Bank. Big Joe pitched 6 2/3 innings, gave up 10 hits, 4 runs, and struck out 4. Not bad for a guy who hasn't started a game for the Phils since the spring. He pitched six strong innings, giving up only 1 run. He fell apart in the 7th. He gave up a homer and two hits before getting pulled in favor of Nelson Figueroa.

Nelson did not help out Big Joe. He threw a wild pitch then intentionally walked Matt Holliday to load the bases. David Freese cleared the bases with a 3-run double. Two of the runs were charged to Blanton. Figueroa gave up another run for good measure.

The Phils did hit two homers, but they were both solo shots.

Sixers Coaching Search: The Sixers are continuing to talk to potential coaching candidates. Today they met with Avery Johnson. Johnson was also in the mix last year when the job was open. The Sixers have also contacted Mark Jackson, a TV analyst who has never been a head coach in the NBA. The Sixers met with Doug Collins, who has coached in the NBA and played with the Sixers.

Sixers GM Ed Stefanski: "We had an informative meeting and open dialogue with Avery today regarding our head coaching position. His reputation as a motivator and accomplishments as a head coach in the NBA are well-known and I certainly want to thank him for taking the time to meet with us."

Coming up tomorrow: Eagles training camp update, Phillies continue series against Cardinals, and Sixers continue to search for coach.

Magic-Lakers Final Preview

The so-called dream matchup of Lebron and Kobe was not to be. Dwight Howard and his Orlando Magic will face off against Kobe and the Lakers. The Magic proved in the Eastern Conference Finals that they are a very good team. They are by far the best team in the East (maybe next year Sixers).

This is a very interesting matchup because both teams have a player that cannot be defended. Dwight Howard is the hardest player to defend in the NBA. His height and strength combined with his explosiveness make him unstoppable.

Kobe Bryant cannot be stopped most of the time (Hint: key word is most). Kobe is a shooter who can drive to the basket. Shooters are not always consistent. Maybe the Magic will be able to stop Bryant by putting two of their best defenders on the Laker star. Bryant's driving ability will be neutralized by Howard. When Kobe drives, one sound will signal the end of a Laker possession. That sound will not be swish, it will be Swat!

Of course, everyone one knows the supporting casts will ultimately decide which team wins. Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant will both come to play like stars, but which role player will step up for each team. The Magic have a bunch of three point shooters who can put away a game when they are hot. Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis are both top notch three point men.

Will Trevor Ariza step up for the Lakers in the Finals like he did against Denver? I think he will but the Magic have to avoid the stupid mistakes Denver made. They cannot be lazy with the ball late in games because Ariza is an intense defender who is always looking for the steal. Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum are good big men but they may be stopped by the defensive proness of Dwight Howard and backup Marcin Gortat.

Overall, I think the Magic will win the series in seven games. The refs will hold the destiny of Howard in this series. They can't call the cheap fouls on Howard every time Kobe gets within one foot of him. Then again Howard has to be smart and not commit anymore technicals.

The Magic will win the championship because Dwight Howard is unstoppable and the Magic shooters can put a game away before you know it. Bye, Bye Kobe.

Sixers Stun the Magic

The Philadelphia 76ers have just finished a great thriller of a game in Orlando against the Orlando Magic. It was Game 1 of the series and the Sixers won the game, 100-98. Andre Igoudala hit the game winning shot with 2.2 seconds left in the game. The Magic are the big favorites in the series.

I missed the first half of the game, but I saw the whole second half. The Sixers were came back from 18 points in the second half to win the game. The Sixers played great defense in the fourth quarter and executed great on the offensive side of the ball.

Andre Igoudala hit a fade-away jumper from the foul line to win the game for the Sixers. Hopefully, this fantastic win will fuel the Sixers throughout the series.

Sixers Win in Last Game at Spectrum

I just got back from the Spectrum to watch the Sixers play their last game there before it is knocked down. It is an historic moment in Philadelphia sports because the Spectrum hosted the Sixers and Flyers for many years. Although, they no longer play their, both team's championships have come there. Many former Sixers were there including Julius "Dr. J" Erving and Moses Malone.

The Sixers ended up winning the game 104-101 over the Chicago Bulls. It was a hard fought game for the Sixers and they deserved to win. Thaddeus Young played a terrific game, scoring 31 points. He is really progressing for a player only in his sophomore season in the NBA. Another good, young player, Marreese Speights, added 10 off the bench for the Sixers. I think these two players will soon be the face of the Sixers.

Before the game, Dr. J made a nice speech, basically thanking all of the Sixer fans. It was a nice token from a guy who has become an icon in this city. When they announcing the former players there, the Doc's cheers were probably twice as loud. It was a special moment for all Sixers fans.

I am very happy I attended the game. I (along with many other Philly fans) have made many memories at the Spectrum. No, it's not as big or convenient as the Center, but it sure does get a heck of a lot louder in there. The floor is sticky and the hallways are cramped (forget about leg room), but the Spectrum will always be "America's Showplace."

The reason they are blowing up the Spectrum? It's to build a hotel combined with a mall. I don't know where they are going to get the money for that but that's the plan. And, quite frankly, it's a waste of a stadium. Who needs more hotels or malls? I would much rather have the Spectrum.

No Sixers in the All Star Game

The 2009 NBA All Star rosters have been announced. There were no Sixers elected to the squad. Elton Brand certainly did not earn the spot (although he may win the "Biggest Waste of Money" award). Andre Iguodala isn't consistent enough to win a spot among the stars. But I think I could make a case for point man Andre Miller. Miller is the best player on the Sixers. Well, he seems to be playing the best at least.

Miller averages 16.2 points per game, to go along with 6.3 assists. That means he usually contributes 22 points per game (add the points and assists). Even though Miller is shooting style a little bit unorthodox (I wouldn't exactly call it a rainbow), he comes up clutch game after game for the Sixers.

Shaquille O'Neal also was elected to his 15th All Star contest. Most people will argue against this decision. They will say that Shaq is too old, and they only voted him in because of his popularity. Basically, they are calling him a has-been. I support Shaq going to the All Star game. He still has great numbers for a center (18.2 ppg, 9.1 rpg). The fans vote, so you know it is a popularity contest. Shaq is liked by the fans because of his personality. Maybe if Andre Miller showed some of Shaq's personality, it would be him going to the All Star game.

A Look Ahead

The NBA is entering the second half of its season with the conclusion of last night's All-Star Game in New Orleans. Their have been many suprises through the first part of the season and their should be some good stories in the second portion as well.

One of the biggest suprises this season has happened in New Orleans itself. The Hornets are in first place in the superior Western Conference. Chris Paul is the young point guard and leader for this team. He is averaging a double-double with 20 points and 10 assists a night. David West and Peja Stojakovic have also been playing well for the surging Hornets. Tyson Chandler is finally showing his talents, especially in the rebounding department. He is averaging 12.5 rebounds along with 12.1 points per game. I don't think the Hornets will be on top of the West at season's end, but they will make the playoffs

Boston has dominated the East so far, and I expect them to continue at that pace. They are three games ahead of second place Detroit. The trio of Kevin Garnett (top), Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen are just unbeatable. Not sure if this team will win the championship, but I can tell you this: they definitely have a good shot at it. I am suprised at how well they meshed together. They will win the relatively weak East.

The Lakers and the Suns both made big moves before the All-Star break. The Lakers aquired Pau Gasol, which definitely made Kobe Bryant happy. Put Gasol and Bryant with Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum and you have one of the best teams in the league. The Lakers showed the NBA that they want to win and NOW. Gasol and Bryant seemed to play well together in their few games together before the break. While L.A. was upgrading the Suns were working out a deal with the Heat for Shaquille O'Neal. Shaq is a shell of his former self but I think he still has something left in the tank. He is still one of the strongest players in the NBA and can overpower anyone in the low post. The Suns gave up a talented player in Shawn Marion for Shaq, but he was unhappy in Phoenix anyway. The Suns and Lakers have showed their commitment to success and a championship.

Going into the break, the 76ers were holding on to the final playoff spot. The Sixers are lucky they are in the East because they wouldn't even be in contention in the West. They may have enough talent to hold onto that final spot, especially if they put winning streaks together like they are now. They have won five straight games.

The first half of the season was good, but I looking for the second half of the season should be even more enticing as the playoff race heats up.