Sixers Lose In OT

Doug Collins is a great coach and what he has been able to do with the Sixers this season is a truly remarkable feat. But in today's loss to the lowly Sacramento Kings, Collins made a big mistake by giving the ball to Andre Iguodala on 3 separate occasions to win the game and each time Iguodala came up short. I don't mind Iguodala having the ball in the pressure situations, but when you have a guy like Jrue Holiday who was 7-7 from the field in the second half, I think you have to give the ball to the guy with the hot hand. Too many times I have seen Iguodala come up short when the game is on the line. He tries to do way too much and instead of playing smart basketball, he usually ends up forcing up a lousy shot. With under 2 minutes left in today's game, Iduodala forced a jump shot, missed a high percentage lay up, and on the third occasion missed a free throw that would have tied the game. I like Iguodala and I feel that he is under appreciated in a city that expects him to be a super star. He does a lot of the little things well and plays an extremely balanced game, stuffing the stat sheet night after night. But when Jrue Holiday and Jodie Meeks are both knocking down shots, you have to go with who ever gives you the best chance to win the game and not just the guy who everyone expects to have the ball. Luckily Lou Williams was able to bail Iguodala out by knocking down a 3 at the buzzer that sent the game into over time. It was a back and forth game in the extra session but eventually DeMarcus Cousins and the Kings' outstanding 3 point shooting were too much for the Sixers. The Kings won by a final of 114-111.

The bench did not come through for the Sixers today which is extremely rare. Thad Young, Evan Turner and Lou Williams combined for just 14 points and were a dismal 4-25 from the field. All 5 starters reached double figures including Jrue Holiday and Jodie Meeks who combined for 50 points and were 19-30 from the field and were 4-7 from 3 point range.

Looking ahead, the Sixers have little time to rest as they travel to Chicago to take on the Bulls tomorrow night. The Bulls are in first place in the Eastern conference and it will be interesting to see how the Sixers rebound from this ugly loss.