76ers-Bucks Preview

By MATT BEARDMORE
Posted Apr 25 2012 10:25AM

This could have been a crucial game in determining which team would earn the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Instead, the Philadelphia 76ers are preparing for their second consecutive postseason while the visiting Milwaukee Bucks are getting ready for another long summer going into their matchup Wednesday night.

Philadelphia (34-30) had a three-game lead over the Bucks (31-33) with three games left for both teams, but would have been eliminated from contention had they finished 0-3 and the Bucks won out.

The 76ers prevented that unlikely scenario from playing out by winning 105-87 at New Jersey on Monday.

Once atop the Atlantic Division, the 76ers are just happy to be in the playoff mix following a 13-23 stretch that preceded their current three-game winning streak.

"Adversity can send you south or make you forge together and be stronger," coach Doug Collins said. "... I am so proud of my guys. I really, really am. They answered the bell and when I looked up there with one minute to go and I knew we were going to be in the playoffs, it was a very satisfying feeling."

Bucks coach Scott Skiles felt very differently about how Monday's games played out. Although Milwaukee defeated Toronto 92-86 that night, a 1-5 stretch that came just before its back-to-back wins proved too much to overcome.

"I'm disappointed - very disappointed," Skiles said. "We didn't get done what we were expected to get done, so if everybody in there is not very, very disappointed, then we've got big problems."

While the Bucks could be motivated to take their final two games and avoid a seventh losing season in eight years, the 76ers are no longer under pressure to win.

"Now we can breathe a little easier," forward Elton Brand said. "We could have beaten Milwaukee at Milwaukee, but why when you don't have to."

The 76ers will open the playoffs at Chicago or Miami. Philadelphia, tied with New York, would finish with the seventh seed if it wins Wednesday and Thursday at Detroit and the Knicks lose one of their final two games.

New York hosts the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday and visits Charlotte on Thursday.

If the 76ers lose once and the Knicks win one more game, Philadelphia will be locked in at No. 8 after losing the season series to New York.

The Sixers could be without Andre Iguodala on Wednesday after he strained an Achilles' tendon late in Monday's contest. The Bucks could also be missing a key player, as guard Monta Ellis injured his shooting hand against the Raptors and is uncertain to play.

Bucks point guard Brandon Jennings, who has scored 25 or more points in a career-best four consecutive games, had 33 to help the Bucks win 97-93 the last time the 76ers were in town March 5. Jennings, though, finished with seven points and was outplayed by Jrue Holiday, who scored 24, in a 94-82 loss in Philadelphia on Jan. 16.

The 76ers will go for their first four-game winning streak on the road since a five-game run March 1-14, 2008.

Turner scores 29, 76ers beat Bucks 90-85

By CHRIS JENKINS
Posted Apr 25 2012 11:46PM

MILWAUKEE (AP) Facing a potentially short and hectic transition from the regular season to the playoffs, the Philadelphia 76ers managed to get a win while Doug Collins rested a few of his key players.

Evan Turner scored a career-high 29 points and the 76ers beat the Milwaukee Bucks 90-85 in a playoff tune-up Wednesday night.

Jodie Meeks added 27 points for the 76ers.

"That's a good win for us," Collins said. "I'm proud of them. We have a competitiveness about us. Regardless of who plays, guys play to win."

The 76ers rested key players such as Elton Brand, Andre Iguodala, Lou Williams and Thaddeus Young.

Turner, who had 13 rebounds and six assists, said playing 40-plus minutes was something of a shock to his system.

"It feels good but when you haven't done it in a while, you're killing your stomach a little bit, you're tired," Turner said. "I was just happy we could come out here and get a win."

Brandon Jennings scored 19 points for the Bucks, who were playing short-handed in their home finale. Philadelphia eliminated Milwaukee from playoff contention with a victory over New Jersey on Monday.

Jennings' right eye was pink after he got poked during Monday's game, but he still wanted to play.

"I just wanted to play because I just love the game, at the end of the day," Jennings said. "It doesn't matter to me. I get up to play basketball. It's my job. I have to still be a professional and finish the season."

The Bucks played only nine players Wednesday - and Jennings was the only regular starter on the court. Monta Ellis, Drew Gooden, Ersan Ilyasova, Carlos Delfino and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute all sat out.

Then Milwaukee lost forward Ekpe Udoh to knee soreness during the game.

Bucks coach Scott Skiles wasn't sure who the team might have ready for Thursday's season finale in Boston.

"Do you know, math-wise, what I could get for a 10-day (contract) if I played tomorrow night?," Skiles asked, jokingly.

Leading by four points in the fourth quarter, the 76ers went on an 8-2 run.

But the Bucks rallied, cutting the lead to three on a 3-pointer by Jennings. Turner responded with a jumper as the shot clock expired on the 76ers' next possession, and Philadelphia led 86-81 with 3:09 remaining.

The Bucks had one last rally, cutting the lead to three on a jumper by Beno Udrih with 38.1 seconds left. After a miss by the 76ers, the Bucks couldn't find an open 3-point shot and Shaun Livingston missed a layup.

"The ball wasn't moving as freely as normally we would move the ball," Skiles said. "Obviously, we've got different lineups out there. We've got guys that haven't played very much. You can't be too harsh on the guys about that."

Although the playoff schedule has not been finalized, Collins said before Wednesday's game that he figures the 76ers will face the Chicago Bulls, the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, in the first round - and he thinks they'll likely open in Chicago on Saturday.

If that's the case, Collins says the 76ers will fly straight to Chicago after their regular-season finale at Detroit on Thursday and hold a practice Friday; he told players to pack their bags for four days when they left Philadelphia.

Although there still was a slight chance going into Wednesday's game that the 76ers could face Miami in the first round instead of Chicago, Collins said he and his assistants are spending any extra time they have scouting Chicago.

"The one thing I've learned is don't start jockeying," Collins said. "Just win and play who you're supposed to play. Sometimes you can fool yourself and try to be too slick. We're going to try to win the games and then play whoever is in front of us."

Notes: Xavier Silas, who signed with the 76ers on Tuesday after playing for their D-League affiliate, had five points. "This is something I've been dreaming about a long time," he said. "Once you wrap it around your head enough times, it feels real." ... Philadelphia's Sam Young left the game after injuring his eye. ... Jennings gave a brief speech thanking fans before the game. Milwaukee finishes the regular season at Boston on Thursday.

Notebook: Sixers 90, Bucks 85

Posted Thursday April 26, 2012 12:26AM

By Rick Braun, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: Evan Turner scored 29 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and Jodie Meeks scored 27 points to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 90-85 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks Wednesday night at the Bradley Center.

Brandon Jennings led the Bucks (31-34) with 19 points, but Milwaukee played without four starters and a key reserve and closed its home season with a disappointing 17-16 mark.

QUOTABLE: "They're terribly hard (to coach) and they're terribly hard to play. They're just hard to play. From our standpoint, we got in the playoffs. But what I like about it is we're finishing up our schedule with nine of our last 11 on the road, and we've won four straight road games."
-- Philadelphia coach Doug Collins on games that have almost no meaning at the end of a season

THE STAT: The two teams combined for just 23 fouls -- just nine by the Sixers -- in a game that was lacking in intensity.

TURNING POINT: Milwaukee made just 6-for-18 in the third quarter and was outscored 26-13 as the 76ers overcame a 50-45 halftime deficit and led the rest of the way.

QUOTABLE II: "It feels good, but when you haven't done it in a while you're killing your stomach a little bit and you're tired."
-- Evan Turner on getting 40 1/2 minutes of playing time

HOT: Milwaukee rookie Tobias Harris made 7-for-12 shots to be the only player in the game to shoot over 50 percent. Harris finished with 15 points and 13 rebounds for his first career double-double.

NOT: The Sixers shot just 35.6 percent (36-for-101) and every one of the 10 players that played shot under 50 percent.

INSIDE THE ARENA: NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers was in courtside seats.

ROOKIE WATCH: Xavier Silas, signed out of the NBA D-League on Tuesday, made his NBA debut for the Sixers and had five points, one rebound and one assist. He is the son of former NBA player James Silas.

NOTABLE: Starters Elton Brand and Andrew Iguodala and key reserve Thaddeus Young were not with the team, and sixth-man candidate Lou Williams did not play as the Sixers were resting key players for the playoffs. ... The Bucks were without starters Drew Gooden (ankle), Ersan Ilyasova (thigh bruise), Carlos Delfino (groin) and Monta Ellis (hand) and key reserve Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (knee tendinitis) because of injuries. ... Ekpe Udoh started at center for Milwaukee but left with a sore knee with 10:53 left in the third quarter and did not return.

UP NEXT: For the 76ers, Thursday @ Detroit. For the Bucks, Thursday @ Boston.

• 76ers: Brand
• Bucks: Brown, Mbah a Moute

• 76ers: --
• Bucks: --

• Lead Changes: 3
• Times Tied: 5

• Arena: Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI
• Officials: #41 Ken Mauer, #16 David Guthrie, #52 Scott Twardoski
• Attendance: 13489
• Duration: 1:56