I was at both the Flyers and Sixers games on Saturday. Both were losses, tight affairs, games both Philly teams could've and should've won.
Let's start with the Flyers:
Flyers vs Calgary Flames-
A 1:00 game, the Flyers generally do well in matinee home games. My nephew and I got to the Wells Fargo Center early to exchange our tickets for accessible seating. The Center was bustling with activity as the doors opened at 11:30 a.m..
We checked out the Fan Zone shop first before exchanging our tickets. As always, the Wells Fargo staff were friendly and accommodating.
We ended up sitting in section 114, which is in the lower level and right off the right blue line. Excellent seats.
The Flyers had lost 3 consecutive games,coming off a shoot-out defeat at Winnipeg, so a home win was needed.
The Orange and Black started off great, taking an early 3-1 lead in the first period. The Flames slowly caught up, sloppy ply on the Flyers' part, taking stupid penalties. At least they scored- the Flyers lead the league in shut-outs with 5 so far in this early season.
The score was tied 4-4 going into the third period. It was an action-packed, fun game, a little chippy at times. But you really couldn't blame the refs for the Flyers downfall, despite what the fans thought-and booed.
The final 20 minutes were tight but scoreless. The Flyers had a chance to win it in regulation time. They were on a power play with exactly 2:01 left in the game. They had some great chances to get the tie-breaker, but the Flames could not be extinguished.
The 5- minute overtime is always fun, 3-on-3 hockey, wide open ice. For the first minute of overtime the Flyers controlled the puck and the action, but didn't get many shots on Calgary goalie Mike Smith.
And just that quick, the Flyers turned the puck over to the Flames, who didn't need much time to score and win the game, 5-4.
The Flyers gained a point, but it was a home game and two points should be expected, especially after blowing a two-goal lead. No excuses.The defense has a lot of young, inexperienced players. The goalies are average and biding time for the younger goaltenders in the minors to emerge. Right now, Philadelphia seems to be treading water, with little momentum.
I'm wondering if coach Dave Hakstol isn't in trouble? Yes, the Flyers have a very young team that needs to grow together and mature. But this team needs a spark.
So, the sell-out left in the cold afternoon, disappointed and knowing a much-needed two points was squandered.
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In between games we walked down to the Phillies Majestic Clubhouse store. it wasn't raining yet, and wasn't freezing cold. Since we were staying for both events at the Center, we only had to park once, $20, which was cool.
The Phillies store was pretty empty. We went over to see if the 2018 calendars had arrived, and sure enough they did, just in time for Black Friday.
Paging thru the calendar, it was expected to see the younger Phils- Hoskins, Williams, Crawford, Alfaro, Altherr, Nola, all had monthly features. No Hernandez or Galvis, which was interesting. No Joseph or Rupp was expected. Usually you get a pretty good gauge on who will be featured for the upcoming season. Interestingly, Franco was included, but I thought he would be with the team in 2018, with free agent Manny Machado looming after next season to take over third base.
The clerk informed us that the Phillies had already replaced the sod on their field, and under construction was going on. We noticed a crane near the scoreboard, so changes ar eon the way. I knew new lighting was going to be installed, and the audio system was supposed to be upgraded but
other modifications are being kept mum for now.
Thoughts of the warm summer and the return of baseball were nice to think about on a brisk Autumn afternoon as we walked back to the Center. The Phillies huge Christmas tree is up but not lighted yet.
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Going back into the Wells Fargo Center ( after killing time in the car, getting warm), we found the atmosphere to be far different. Rap music was blaring from the house band instead of rock oldies during the Flyers' pre-game festivities. Plenty of Golden State jerseys were to be seen, especially Steph Curry shirts.
We ended up getting the exact same great seating location- section 114- as we did earlier.This was our first 76'ers game in years, and the atmosphere was electric. The Sixers were returning home from a 5-game road trip, beginning a 6-game home stand with the world champion Warriors.
Golden State was coming off a bad loss on Thursday in Boston, blowing a 17-point lead and allowing the Celtics to capture their 14th win in a row. So you had to figure the Warriors would come into Philly pretty pissed off.
Watching warm-ups, fans of both basketball squads lined the court, watching Simmons, Embiid, Curry and Durant practice. I'm not a big fan of the Sixers' organization, but I give them credit for making the pre-game and in-game festivities fun ( although their so-called mascot, Franklin the blue dog, is stupid).
The Sixers went nuts in the first period,s coring an arena record 47 points in the first quarter, the most points in any single quarter in the 21 years of the Wells Fargo Center. The crowd was loud and partying, as at one point, the Sixers were beating the world champs by as much as 24 points.
But Golden State ain't champs for nothing,. I expected them not to roll over, and to make a run in the third quarter, maybe try to get the deficit under ten points going into the final stanza. I never expected to see what we witnessed.
The Sixers' played too fast, their shot selection poor. They take too many 3-pointers. Threes helped them build their lead in the first half. You want to keep doing what got you there, but you also want to play smart.
Basically, the Sixers lost their composure in the second half. Coach Brett Brown didn't help matters, despite calling time-outs to try and slow the Warrior's momentum.Funny, it took 21 years for 47 points to be scored in a single quarter at the Center. Golden State scored exactly 47 points in the third quarter. Instead of merely chopping the Sixers' huge lead under a manageable ten points, the Warriors ended up leading Philly by ten going into the 4th quarter- a 32 point swing.
You can say the Sixers are young, inexperienced, up against a seasoned, veteran group that knows how to win and close games. The Warriors suckered the Sixers into playing their game in the second half. Instead of slowing down the clock and getting good, quality shots, and getting to the free throw line, the Sixers took wild shots and crumbled under the intense pressure of the Warrior on-onslaught.
Young or not, when you have a 22 point halftime lead, you don't lose that game. No excuses. Sure, the Warriors are clearly the better team, and no one really expected the Sixers to win a championship this year anyway. But last night's game showed just how far the Sixers have yet to go.
In the end, the Warriors won 124-116, an entertaining but ultimately disappointing contest. hopefully the Sixers learn a lesson and learn how to close games. Maybe they were too full of themselves after an amazing first half? Maybe they forgot to play defense? or maybe Golden State, led by Curry's 35 points, were just too good once they kicked it into high-gear.
So, the Warriors go to 13-4, on their way to repeating as NBA champions. Who is going to beat them 4 games out of 7 in a series? They are talented and know what it takes to win. Most of all, they don't give up, play excellent defense and have the firepower to overcome big deficits as they did last night.
The Sixers fall to 8-8. It will be interesting to see how they respond to such a devastating loss, as the play Utah, Portland and Orlando at home next week.
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We always have the Eagles and they finally play in Dallas tonight, with a chance to put a stranglehold on the NFC East. Seeing the Linc yesterday, I thought of the many good times just ahead- the thought of home playoff games
It's really nice to see- and hear- cheering during Philly sports. Much-needed and well-deserved after many years of losing and despair. Let's hope the coming years will provide lots of cheers, smiles and joy to our Philly fans. We deserve it.
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