Fortunately, The Auto Industry Still Sucks

I have seen Shawn Bradley and Clarence Weatherspoon play in the ugliest uniforms known to man. I have seen the 76ers play so poorly in such an empty arena a fan yelled out for everyone to hear, “Let ‘Nute bring it up!” (He was referring to the 7′7″ Manute Bol, who one year led a frontcourt along with the 7′6″ Bradley. I believe they wore the numbers 77 and 76, respectively — but don’t let the sideshow act fool you, the Sixers were more Washington Generals than Harlem Globetrotters.)

I have seen the post-Barkley years, the early post-Iverson games and everything in-between. There have been some amazing moments, some incredible comebacks and many losing seasons. Last night might have been the worst game I have ever seen the 76ers play. The Detroit Pistons not only eliminated the 76ers from the playoffs last night, they destroyed them.

A lot of fans didn’t show up for last night’s game; there were only just over 14,000-plus in the Wachovia Center. The 76ers gave away a boatload of free tickets, including my pair, which I won during an email contest during Game 5. (The 76ers hilariously sent out an email saying they had “released more tickets” yesterday afternoon, and it some people even fell for it.)

While the fans didn’t show up, it’s not like the Sixers did either. Yes, the 76ers were not even expected to win a game in this series, and they led twice. Pistons coach Flip Saunders must have told his team something magical at halftime of Game 4, with the 76ers up 10 points looking like they could grab a 3-1 series lead against the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Sixers were simply outclassed in the final 10 quarters of the first round series, but a little effort would have been nice. Last night could have been an Irish wake — when the 76ers rolled off eight consecutive points in the second quarter, the crowd was loud, and excited, even though the 76ers still trailed by double digits — but the Pistons scored the first 10 points en route to a 30-12 lead at the end of 12 minutes.

Thats’ not to say the 76ers season wasn’t fun, unexpected and that the players tossing their shoes to fans in the stands after the game wasn’t a tremendously classy, fitting end to the season. Things are looking up for the Sixers next year; after starting the season 18-30, the 76ers went on a 22-8 stretch before dropping their final four regular season games.

Yes, I am finally excited about the 76ers again for the first time since the team traded for Chris Webber. That didn’t end up turning out so well; let’s hope this year’s second-half finish can carry over into next year.

Sixer Stunner: Philly Over Pistons By 20

Unbelievable. There was no Mo Cheeks Face last night as the 76ers absolutely demolished the Detroit Pistons, 95-75.

The seventh-seeded Sixers — who were 40-42 during the regular season — are now up 2-1 in the Best-of-7 series, and now people are thinking they might be able to actually win this thing. The 76ers’ star, Andre Iguodala, hasn’t done anything offensively in the three games so far, but maybe it won’t matter. The teams play again Sunday. Let’s go Sixers!

Sixers Predictably Pummeled In Game 2

Above: The Mo Cheeks face. We saw a lot of it last night.

Uh, well that was kind of what everyone expected. The 76ers got smoked by the Pistons in Game 2, falling behind by as many as 28 points before losing 105-88.

“This is tire country,” the Daily News‘ Phil Jasner writes. “And the Sixers had a blowout.” Rimshot!

The 76ers get a day off before playing the Pistons Friday night in Philadelphia; the big disappointment in the series so far is Andre Iguodala, who didn’t score in the first half last night and finished with 4 points. He is shooting just 5-for-24 in the series.

But, hey, Reggie Evans is upbeat. Just see what he has to say: “We’re going home, going to one of the greatest arenas in the NBA. We have to show them how we do it at home, come with our heads high. Our fans are waitin’ on us, and we’re waitin’ on them.”

Sixers loss to Pistons in Game 2 was inevitable [Daily News]

Sixers Get Gov. To Rename Highway

Fresh off a stunning win in the first game of their first round series against the Detroit Pistons, the 76ers play Game 2 tonight at 7:30.

And, to celebrate, the 76ers got Gov. Rendell to rename the Schuylkill Expressway “I-76ers”:

the team is requesting that travelers in the Greater Philadelphia Region refer to the Schuylkill Expressway by its proper name (I-76) and add “ers” to the end. The team hopes this will spread and people will immediately begin calling the popularly traveled highway “I-76ers.”

“It’s playoff time and we want to get our fans revved up for the postseason,” said Sixers Senior Vice President Lara Price. “As patrons utilize I-76ers every day to get to work, they’ll think of us and support our run in the playoffs.”

I-76ers is 25.2 miles of highway that extends from the Pennsylvania Turnpike at Valley Forge through Downtown Philadelphia to the Walt Whitman Bridge.

A friend of mine pointed out the proclamation from Ed Rendell noted the team “faces the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.” This is only the first round of the quarterfinals? Man, the 76ers have been out of the playoffs for so long I forgot over 300 teams qualified for the playoffs.

SIXERS ASK FANS TO PROPERLY CALL “SCHUYLKILL” BY IT’S REAL NAME (“I-76”) AND ADD “ERS” TO THE END FOR FIRST WEEK OF PLAYOFFS [Sixers.com]

76ers Shock The Universe And Such

Well, well, well! The 76ers rallied from 15 down to upset the Pistons in Game 1, and now everybody’s pretty excited for Game 2 Wednesday.

But no one — no one! — was more excited than 76ers announcer Mark Zumoff. With the game close, Zumoff said he wondered if the 76ers could shock the Pistons. When the 76ers held the lead late, he asked if they could stun the NBA. And, yes, after the 76ers upset the Pistons, he said it (oh no): The 76ers had shocked the world!

Redlasso video of the final moments and post-game after the jump.

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