Sixers Blow Away Orlando 95-75
The Philadelphia 76ers would like to trim a few more games off this shortened NBA schedule -- like the remaining 48.
It's February, and the Sixers are 2-0 and in first place. Stop the league!
Matt Geiger had 20 points and Allen Iverson had 16 points and 10 assists as the 76ers defeated the Orlando Magic 95-75 Saturday night for their first 2-0 start since 1990.
"In the past, we were always just trying to dig ourselves out of a hole early," Iverson said. "I don't want to have a letdown here just because we won the first two games. We've got four more home games left, and we've got to get ahead at home."
This is unfamiliar territory for the Sixers, who haven't started 2-0 since the last time they made the playoffs in 1990-91. They've had a winning record after five games just once this decade and started 0-5 last season.
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They're off to a pretty good start, considering Iverson is 9-for-35 in the first two games.
"It's only two games into it, but we're starting to build some idea of what this team has to do to be successful," said Geiger, who finished 7-for-12 after missing his first four shots. "That's a good sign. Defense is how you want to win games."
The Magic scored only 11 points in the third quarter and 28 in the second half. The Sixers held Charlotte to 26 points in the second half in a season-opening 78-66 victory on Friday night.
"We didn't do very well against the NBA-type teams last season, like Orlando and the Knicks, teams that execute," Sixers coach Larry Brown said. "This is a big step, because I didn't think we'd be able to handle the kind of matchups we were going to see."
Penny Hardaway had 24 points on 9-for-14 shooting and nine rebounds for Orlando, which swept the Sixers 4-0 last season and had won three straight and eight of 10 in Philadelphia.
Magic coach Chuck Daly said. "Larry Brown has done an unbelievable job with this club."
Theo Ratliff had 17 points and 13 rebounds for Philadelphia, and Tim Thomas climbed out of coach Larry Brown's doghouse to score 13 points.
Geiger, who signed a $52 million, six-year contract as a free agent, heard plenty of boos after starting 0-for-4. But his workmanlike jumpers, coupled with Iverson's usual sensational drives, gave Philadelphia its first home-opening victory since 1995.
Although Iverson had his second straight poor shooting night (5-for-18), he electrified the crowd with a brilliant coast-to-coast drive that made it 76-64 with 9:34 left.
When the Sixers pulled away to a 90-69 lead late in the fourth, the 7-foot-1 Geiger got an ovation from the near-sellout crowd of 20,143 - and returned the favor with some towel waving and cheerleading of his own.
"Hopefully, we can build a characteristic that our fans really cling to," Geiger said. "I guess in the past, the past they haven't always liked what they've seen. Win or lose, we're always going to play hard."
That's exactly what Iverson said during pregame introductions, grabbing the microphone and thanking the fans for coming back after the lockout.
"We may not win every game, but I promise you, we'll play every game as if it was our last," Iverson said.
Notes
New York Yankees outfielder Darryl Strawberry, brother-in-law of Orlando guard Miles Simon, attended the game. Simon didn't play. ... Orlando's Dominique Wilkins had three points, his first in the NBA since the 1996-97 season with San Antonio. But he was only 1-for-7 from the foul line, missing six straight. ... The Wilkins brothers are the sixth brother tandem to play on the same team. The most recent was Mark and Brent Price (Washington, 1995-96). The list also includes Caldwell and Charles Jones of the Chicago Bulls in 1984-85, Caldwell and Major Jones (Houston, 1982-83); Al and Dick McGuire (New York Knicks, 1951-54); and Tom and Dick Van Arsdale (Phoenix, 1976-77). ... Horace and Harvey Grant opposed each other for the 35th time. Horace is now 24-11. ... It was the second-largest crowd for a home opener in Sixers history, second to the 20,444 sellout against Milwaukee in 1997 for the first game in the First Union Center. ... It was the Sixers' largest margin of victory in a home opener since a 129-110 win over the Clippers on Nov. 4, 1988.
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