A book-end of Heat feats
TweetIRONICALLY, the season closed the way it started, with Brett Brown’s Philadelphia 76ers beating the reigning dual-NBA champion Miami Heat.
The Sixers opened the season on October 30 by upsetting the Heat and followed that with victories over the Washington Wizards and Chicago Bulls to start the season at 3-0.
Six months later, Philly capped the season with consecutive wins, beating the Boston Celtics on Sunday and dispatching the Heat (54-28).
For a 19-63 team, it was an amazing finale, although Miami did rest starters LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Mario Chalmers and Chris Andersen.
The 76ers never hid they would be trying for a top pick in June’s draft and they now are guaranteed a top-five, having finished owning the league’s second-worst record.
The Sixers also are slated to receive the first-round pick of the New Orleans Pelicans. They had the 10th-worst record. That pick is top-five protected, meaning Philadelphia won't get it if the Pelicans finish in the top five during next month’s draft lottery on May 20.
“That night, I'll be nervous,” Brown said.
“It's an important night for the club. We will continue moving forward, no matter what happens.”
Brown had to endure a roller-coaster first season as a head coach but it was as expected, with much of the ride in the coaster’s trough.
A 13-game losing streak was followed by a four-game win streak over the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings, and Portland Trail Blazers.
And those were all on the road. Go figure.
There were back-to-back road losses to the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors by a combined 88 points.
Not to mention the 26-game losing streak that matched the record for consecutive losses by a U.S. pro team.
Of course, beating the Heat 100-87 in Miami today was a promising note on which to close.
Most people love a surprise.