Doug Collins tends to be a glass-is-half-full type of guy and the Philadelphia coach hopes to instill that kind of mentality into his 76ers on Easter Sunday as they try to stave off elimination against the heavily-favored Miami Heat.
Dwyane Wade poured in 32 points with 10 rebounds and eight assists on Thursday, as the Heat used a strong fourth quarter to defeat the Sixers, 100-94, in Game 3 at Wells Fargo Center.
"It was a gutsy win," Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We could not really take control of the game until the fourth quarter."
LeBron James added 24 points, 15 boards and six assists for the second-seeded Heat, who have a 3-0 advantage in the set and will look to sweep the series this afternoon. Chris Bosh donated 19 points and six rebounds.
"I know I don't have to score as much on this team," James said. "We have other great options, so it allows me to concentrate on other things."
Miami has history on its side heading into Game 4, as no NBA team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win the series.
"As long as there's a game & we're in it, I think we can win it," Collins said. "If you have three Aces, I still think I can beat you."
Elton Brand tallied 21 points and 11 boards in Game 3 for the Sixers, who have lost six straight to the Heat this season when you include the regular season. Jrue Holiday chipped in 20 points and eight assists.
Lou Williams and Spencer Hawes added 15 and 12 points, respectively, for Philadelphia, which has not been swept in a series since the 1999 Eastern Conference semis against Indiana. Andre Iguodala had 10 points and 10 assists.
"We know we can play with them," Brand said. "We just have to get a win and stay in the series. Realistically we could have had two of these games. It's discouraging."
"To play this team [the Heat], you have to play the 48 minutes," Collins added. "That may sound like a trite thing to say but every time we have played them this year, they have had one stretch where they just locked us down."
Miami swept Philadelphia in the three-game regular season series in 2010-11, winning by an average of 10 points a contest. The teams have never met in the postseason before.
Game 5 of the series, if necessary, will shift back to Miami next Wednesday.
Ever the optimist, Collins still believes:
"Miami is flying home Sunday after the game and we want to fly with them."
1 comment:
Awesome job by this group, and by the fans who make their presence known (especially late in the game).
Got their W over the Heat to truly show how much they have improved and showing how they are on the right track.
ZERO pressure on this team, maybe you can hit the Heat in the mouth early. You never know folks.
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