Playoff Posturing: Sixers Host Hot Knicks

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In addition to Joe Blanton and the Phillies taking on the New York Mets
across the street, the Sixers also take on a team from up that city up
the turnpike. After a loss on Tuesday night against a Celtics team that
played solid defense, Doug Collins' squad will face a team that's not
exactly known for its defense in the New York Knicks, winners of their
last four contests.

The Sixers will once again be without Lou Williams, who could be
sidelined until the playoffs, but Evan Turner stepped up in a big way on
Tuesday night, taking advantage of those available minutes. He also
didn't have to worry about Collins giving him a quick yank back to the
bench, so Turner had the time to feel comfortable and do some things
with the ball in his hands.

From CSNPhilly.com:

I don’t know a lot,” Doug Collins said after the [Celtics] game. “But
I do knowwhat players’ strengths and weaknesses are. Evan is really,
really goodwhen he has the ball in his hands.”

“It definitely
helps,” Turnerconcurred. “I was able to get a rhythm. Tonight I was
able to come offball screens and be able to run in transition and
stuff like that.”

It was perhaps the best Evan has played all season, "just
[expletive]-ing getting after it, all night too. And against a really
good defense. Usually his good nights come against the Warriors, Suns,
etc," as one of my Sixers aficionados put it.

Perhaps facing the Knicks' defense tonight could allow ET to put a
pair of real nice games together. It would be especially nice if he
could do it against a team only .5 game back from them in the standings.

Carmelo Anthony didn't want to put too much stock into this one game
with the playoff-bound Sixers, "We don't' want too much pressure saying
if we don't win it's the end-all, but at the same time it would be a
good game to get on the road and a big test."

Does the battle for the sixth seed really matter all that much to the Sixers?

"It's pick your poison, you want Boston? or you want Miami? If we
could finish 6th, that'd be great, because 6th is better than 7th, but
it's not because you get an easier opponent," Coach Collins said before
the game today.

"The seeding to me would be great for our guys from the standpoint of
saying, 'Hey guys, you know what, when it's all said and done at the
end of the year, we had the sixth best record in the East.' That would
be nice."

It's Philly vs. New York tonight. Hopefully the results are better than Tuesday's awful showing from our local squads.

Tip of scheduled for 7:00. We'll be in the Wells Fargo Center if you'd like to chat along in the comments.

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