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No. 4 Charlotte vs. No. 5 Philadelphia
Philadelphia wins series 3-1
* - if necessary
| REGULAR-SEASON RESULTS (Charlotte won series 3-1) |
| Date |
Final Score |
| 12/11 at PHI |
Charlotte 106, Philadelphia 84 |
| 1/20 at CHA |
Charlotte 109, Philadelphia 100 |
| 2/15 at PHI |
Charlotte 95, Philadelphia 93 |
| 3/20 at CHA |
Philadelphia 102, Charlotte 96 |
| HEAD COACHES |
|
Paul Silas, Charlotte
Second year with Hornets, fifth year overall
Playoff record: 0-0
Close last year: After replacing Dave Cowens last season, Silas led the Hornets to a 21-13 record and nearly to the playoffs
|
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Larry Brown, PHI
Third year with Sixers, 17th year overall
Playoff record: 44-47
Best finish: Led Indiana to Eastern Conference finals in back-to-back years (1994 and '95)
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| STARTING FIVE |
| Charlotte Hornets |
| David Wesley, G |
Near the bottom of the league in assists
(5.7) among starting point guards |
| Eddie Jones, G |
Great defender led the league in steals,
but had his worst shooting year |
| Anthony Mason, F |
Silas turned him into point forward the
final month of the season |
| Derrick Coleman, F |
One night he's great ... the next
not-so -wonderful |
| Elden Campbell, C |
Mobile 7-footer could have big series against Sixers
|
| Philadelphia 76ers |
| Allen Iverson, G |
Great scorer, but must shoot better than
low-30s from 3-point range |
| Eric Snow, G |
One of best at taking care of ball with
nearly 4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio |
| George Lynch, F |
Gutty guy does all the little things that
Brown loves |
| Tyrone Hill, F |
Sixers' best rebounder, and drills nearly
half his shots |
| Theo Ratliff, C |
One of only four players in the league to
average more than three blocks a game this season
|
| THE BENCH |
| Charlotte Hornets |
| Brad Miller, C |
Seven-footer good for a handful of
rebounds a game |
| Baron Davis, G |
No. 3 pick in draft had disappointing
rookie season
|
| Eddie Robinson, F |
Nothing wrong with 55-percent shooter
coming off the bench |
| Chucky Brown, F |
Hornets picked Brown up in February after
Spurs cut him |
| Philadelphia 76ers |
| Toni Kukoc, F |
Sixers surged after February trade brought
sixth man |
| Matt Geiger, C |
Frequently dissed by Brown, but must
perform in playoffs for Sixers to succeed
|
| Aaron McKie, G |
Versatile swingman a big key off the pine
|
| HOW THEY GOT THERE |
| Charlotte Hornets |
|
It's been a difficult season for Charlotte. It started
before the year began when Derrick Coleman, with teammate Eldridge Recasner
a passenger, got into an automobile accident and was cited for drunken
driving. Recasner suffered a collapsed lung and played in just a handful of
games. Then came the tragic death of Bobby Phills, who reportedly died
while drag racing with teammate David Wesley after a morning team
shoot-around. Through it all, the Hornets have somehow kept focus on the
court and qualified for the playoffs after missing out last season.
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| Philadelphia 76ers |
|
The Philly story could be broken into two parts: pre-Toni
and post-Toni. The better part has been with Toni Kukoc, the player the
Sixers acquired in a three-way deal with Chicago and Golden State in
February. Before the Croatian went to Philadelphia, the Sixers were 27-22,
with him they were 22-11 and had one more offensive option to go with the
Allen Iverson's rapid-fire gunning. Sixers GM Billy King was ecstatic at
the Kukoc signing, proclaiming Philly a contender in the East.
|
| SERIES OUTLOOK |
| Both teams like to get physical down low and have excellent shooting
guards. The highlight reels will be rolling while Jones, one of the best
defensive guards in the league, tries to slow down Iverson, the league's
second-leading scorer at nearly 29 points a game. While the talk
surrounding Philly usually swirls around Iverson, the Sixers' trademark
this season has been their defense -- they are among the top 10 in point
allowed and opponents' field-goal percentage. But the Hornets have more
options on offense than Philly, the Kukoc acquisition notwithstanding, with
Mason, Coleman, and Campbell all threats in the paint and Jones able to
light it up from the outside.
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| PREDICTION |
Jones will help contain Iverson and other Sixers falter. Hornets in
5.
Prediction by Simon Fishler, Sportsline.com NBA Editor
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