| 2008/2009 NBA Regular Season | ||
|---|---|---|
 | @ |  |
| 10-4 | 7-7 | |
| November 26th, 2008 | ||
| Wachovia Center | ||
| 7:30 PM | ||
| ESPN / FSN | ||
| Probable starters: | ||
| Anthony Johnson | PG | Andre Miller |
| Mickael Pietrus | SG | Andre Iguodala |
| Hedo Turkoglu | SF | Thaddeus Young |
| Rashard Lewis | PF | Elton Brand |
| Dwight Howard | C | Samuel Dalembert |
| Previous Meetings: | ||
| November 6th: Magic 98, 76ers 88 | ||
The Philadelphia 76ers have disappointed so far this season. Sure, they're at .500, and thus would be in the playoffs--as the eighth and final seed--if they started today. But for a team that clawed its way to .488 last year--the 7th seed--then added Elton Brand, this summer's biggest free-agent prize... they're underachieving. Badly. Kelly Dwyer believes he knows what's wrong with Philly which dropped a 93-84 decision to the Charlotte Bobcats on Monday night:
but Adam Morrison and Jared Dudley leaking out for open corner three-pointers ... that can't happen. And those missteps, especially when you're a middle of the road team trying to take the next step into a tier just below the Celtics, add up after a while. They add up to, oh, about a nine-point loss.
Maurice Cheeks will find a way to get the most from this team. Right?
Although the Magic defeated the 76ers in their first meeting this season, another nationally televised affair, the circumstances were much different because the team had a clean bill of health. Keith Bogans and Jameer Nelson, two of the eight players Orlando used in that game, won't be available this time around. This game will not be won easily.
Tip's at 7:30 on ESPN nationally and FSN locally; Mark Jones and Hubie Brown (!) have the call for the Worldwide Leader. For what it's worth, the 76ers are 2-0 this season when they wear throwback uniforms, which they may do tonight. After all, it is a nationally televised home game the day before a holiday. Hm.
Also--and seeing the logos juxtaposed in the lineup chart at the top of this post just struck me--this game features teams with structurally similar logos. A streaking basketball underlines the team name, which has a built-in star motif. Let's hear it for the 1990s.
Go Magic.