Last night, the Sixers had their first opportunity to beat a "quality" opponent going up against the New York Knicks, and they failed miserably. They turned the ball over, they were short on their shots, and overall they didn't look like the 7-2 exciting team that we know and love.
But if you are going to base your judgement on the Sixers off of last night's performance, you will be making a big big mistake. Here is why.
First off, the Sixers were coming into last night's game having played on both Monday and Tuesday. Their legs were clearly tired as seen by a lot of poor shots that barely made it over the rim, and they just lacked energy at crucial moments in the game.
The Knicks on the other hand, came into the game having played their most recent game on Monday night at home against the lowly Bobcats. In short the Knicks were well rested and the Sixers weren't.
Also, this was a tailor made trap game for the Sixers. The Sixers were riding a 6 game winning streak, while the Knicks were surging having won their last three. This would have been a tough game for the Sixers to win even if they were well rested. Going into a tough environment like Madison Square Garden to face a surging division rival is no simple task. Add on the fact that the Sixers were clearly tired and you have a recipe for disaster.
I'm not making excuses for the Sixers in anyway. They played and they lost to a team that played better than them, plain and simple. I just don't want the skeptical Sixers fans to base their judgments about this team on a game where they were clearly tired and didn't have enough energy at key moments.
The Sixers are a very good team, and their 7-3 start isn't a fluke by any stretch. The Sixers will have their chances against quality opponents down the line. Hopefully the circumstances will favor the Sixers in those games, and the Sixers skeptics will turn into Sixers believers.
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