Philadelphia 76ers (93) @ Miami Heat (99)
CLIP OF THE NIGHT
NBA TV analyst Greg Anthony’s consolation prize for losing the Pick ‘Em Contest against Chris Webber
***** ***** *****
NBA GameTime
Ernie Johnson, Greg Anthony and Chris Webber
Webber on the difference between the way the Miami Heat play on the road versus home: “Championship teams always want to control their home court advantage. I am amazed that they have such a discrepancy between their home and away records.”
Anthony on the Miami Heat’s issues on the road: “Miami is not as intimidating as they used to be. I think teams feel more comfortable, especially at home, with their ability to break them [Miami Heat] down defensively. Their bench play has not been as good and no one is filling the void when the big three [Chris Bosh, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade] aren’t playing the way they are capable of.”
Anthony on Miami Heat’s problems on the road: “Miami’s strength has become a weakness. Their best asset has been their ability to defend and disrupt and get out in transition. They haven’t gotten better in the half court. When they are on the road, their scoring is way down.”
Anthony on Reggie Miller’s selection into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2012: “One of the great things about Reggie was his longevity – he played for 18 years and for one team. He was one of the best in the league at coming off screens, creating space and as clutch a shooter as we have ever had. You have more memorable shots from Reggie Miller than probably Michael Jordan.”
***** ***** *****
Sprint Halftime Report
Johnson, Anthony and Webber
Webber on Philadelphia 76ers style of play: “Philadelphia can’t afford to take bad shots. They know that, so they don’t. You have guys attacking the basket, getting back cuts, keeping each other involved and keeping it fluid. I love the way they play. They play to their limitations, which make them better and they play team first.”
Anthony on Philadelphia’s play: “[Philadelphia 76ers are] one of the best passing teams in the league. They move the ball and they play without a ball and that’s something you don’t see. They put a lot of pressure on Miami’s defense.”
Webber on Miami’s fast break game: “It’s all about rebounds. It’s about how you get rebounds. If you don’t let Dwyane Wade or LeBron James get the rebound, there is no fast break.”
***** ***** *****
NBA GameTime presented by Hyundai
Johnson, Anthony and Webber
Webber on Heat forward LeBron James scoring 41 points against the 76ers: “You like seeing him come out of a slump, seeing that his hand is healthy and his elbow is healthier and playing the way he should play.”
Anthony on Heat guard Mario Chalmers: “He is becoming a little bit more than a spot-up, three-point shooter. He’s more aggressive in the paint. He could be that x-factor. He got off to a great start this season. He’s got to play with this kind of energy and efficiency for them to win it all.
Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh joins the Fan Night crew via Cisco Telepresence
Bosh on the mentality of the Heat without injured teammate Dwyane Wade: “The main game plan is to win, first and foremost. It doesn’t matter who is out there. We have to play hard for each other. We are a defensive first team. We are trying to improve in that area. We want to get out in the open court and get as many fast breaks as possible. If that doesn’t work, just share the ball and hunt down open shots.”
Bosh on the Heat being better this season vs. last season: “We haven’t hit our stride this year. We are a much better team than last year. We still have that ultimate goal in mind. We know it isn’t going to be easy. We are going to find a way to get it done, that’s what it is about. We have hit some tough times and that’s okay. Now is the time where we want to put everything behind us and really try to get it going with these three weeks left in the regular season.”
Bosh on the team’s difficulty winning on the road: “We just have to play better, there’s no other way to put it. On the road, you are in a different environment. We have to be more intense. We have to do a better job of taking it to other teams and challenging each other and being 100 percent when we are on the floor. We just have to stay strong and play a lot better.”
– 30 –
Recent Comments