Final Boxscore

Wow! What a game! I haven't seen a game that exciting for awhile. Last night's overtime victory in Philly ended our East Coast road trip, our best road trip in 30 years (4 and 1). Though this was the 2nd game of a back to back, I was a little disappointed we didn't run the tables on the 76ers.

Yet with that, I have to say, the season has completely turned around for me and I find a new sense of enthusiasm for our Warriors. Jackson has returned and we are now 5-7, good for 10th in the West.

During halftime we were down by 12 and looking sluggish. I'm not sure what he said, but Nellie lit a fire underneath Baron and the rest of the team. They came out firing, dropping a 30 point 3rd quarter and holding Philly to only 19. The 4th quarter felt like two JV teams unable to score leading to an exiting ending in overtime:

The Bad: Our Defense! We let the 76ers score 98 points on us! That’s horrible. We were exchanging baskets all night. We had some impressive steals from Pietrus and Baron, however our zone defense left many holes for Philly to counter. I really think we need to hire a defensive assistant coach. Van Gundy is out there and open so I’d love to see him come and give us some pointers. I don’t want to take away from our run and gun attitude but how are we going to stack up against the Texas Triangle? Also, was it me or did the Warriors completely have a mental breakdown at the end of the game going to Jackson when he was having a horrid offensive night? Why not stick with the hot shooters like Baron and Ellis?

Basically our defense in a nutshell last night!

The Good: I think I now lead the Azubuike fan club. Since the start of the season I’ve been saying how I love this guy. Even better watching him in person, Azubuike has the speed and strength to fill in at any guard/small forward position. Last night he did the little things to win the game. Starting with a bad shooting night, he still pulled down 10 rebounds and had the game winning 3 pointer. Together with him and Monta on the court our future is bright.

Look at the faces in the crowd … I’m loving it!

And the Warrior Wonder: Finally Monta! I know I’ve been hard on this guy all season but I’ve been waiting for him to wake up from his early season nap. Last night he did just that. It looked as though the 76ers had no answer for his speed, breaking down defenders and leading the fast breaks with Baron. Ellis ended the night tying his career high 31 points and gaining the confidence back we need him to have.