CHICAGO– Evan Turner’s rivalry with Derrick Rose, which dates back to their days as high school stars from Chicago’s West and South Sides, respectively, might get stoked anew Tuesday night at United Center.
Turner might be on the court as a starter in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference first-round series between Philadelphia and Chicago, while Rose most definitely will not.
All the Bulls star point guard will be able to do, alas, is watch after suffering a torn ACL in his left knee in Game 1 of the series Saturday. But Turner could get boosted into the Sixers’ starting lineup as a reward for his work that day (12 points, five assists, three rebounds, three assists in 29-plus minutes) and as a change of pace from Jodie Meeks.
Meeks, who has been labeled something of a coach’s pet by some diehard Philly fans for his graps on the starting shooting guard job despite poor production, was at it again Saturday, playing ineffectively at both ends and logging barely three minutes after halftime. He started 50 times this season, averaging 9.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.9 assists while shooting 41.6 percent. Philadelphia was 29-21 in games Meeks started.
Turner, the second-pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, averaged 12.7, 6.7 and 3.0 while shooting 45.7 percent in his 20 starts, compared to 7.9, 5.4, 2.7 and 43.8 percent off the bench. The Sixers were 8-12 in his starts, however.
Coach Doug Collins declined for a second day Monday to address the possible lineup change. But Sixers point guard Jrue Holiday, a superior defender, hinted after practice at the UC that he might be chasing Rip Hamilton in the Game 2 defensive assignments, with Turner potentially on Rose backup C.J. Watson. Hamilton hurt the visitors in Game 1 with 19 points on 6-of-7 shooting. Watson doesn’t have Rose’s elusiveness, enabling a matchup with the 6-foot-7 Turner.
“We’d be bigger on the wings,” Philadelphia forward Andre Iguodala said. “So we should be better defensively and we should be able to rebound better, to help us attack and push the ball.” The Sixers got outrebounded in the opener 47-38 and managed only a 17-13 edge in fast-break points, after dominating that category 58-21 in three regular season meetings.
iggy needs to step up and be ‘the man’ if they expect to do anything these playoffs
Amen
Ive always said that, even throughout the regular season. Who knows what they can do if he actually was more aggressive to score.
I AGREE. THE ONLY PERSON I LIKE ON THIS TEAM IS IGOUDALAS AND PRESSURE OR NO PRESSURE, PHILLY NEEDS TO BEAT CHICAGO IN THIS SERIES.
I don’t know about Doug Collins but he will certainly destroy Turner’s career by not giving him minutes. He was dominant in Ohio State and I don’t know why he can’t be dominant in the NBA game.
maybe because hes just an average nba player..college whole different ball game then the pros..like most rookies he had a tough year last year
Dr J. is going to need to score 30 and Moses Malone will need need to set strong picks so the real AI can get open if they are any chance of winning game 2
i think it going too be a good game but the play good when ever
hahaha preach!
Sixers have to go get this one..It’s do-able too….The guys have to spread the court out, and let the bigger wing guys, Iggy and Turner help Holiday funnel the ball where they can get at it…I expect the Sixers to win this game, period. The old fashioned way, TEAM win……we need 6 maybe 7 guys in dubs, and rebounding is paramount…If ET gets 35 minutes tonite, he’ll get you 10-11 rebounds…EB (Brand) and TY (Young) have to score the ball effectively…..we can do this….so do it!
Your playing for honour as a team philly..beaten by bulls with rose..to be beat again by bulls with no rose would prove you as a team just aren’t up to it,nor your coaching staff..play as a team,someone get up high near rim if you see a 3 being lobbed in..do what it takes..don’t be outmuscled..play the ball/rim..not the man..don’t foul,be careful…
Its no good rose being out if philly allows some replacement to bob up and score 30 points..they have to play like in their minds rose is still out on court..someone get up high as a 3 point lob is coming and swat the ball away i possible..play this 2nd game like their lives depended on it.
lets go bulls we can do it if we win tonight without rose it means that this round is ours baby hahahaa so do everything to make it possible we can do it, and we aint no loosers we cant loose against the sixers come on now thats like loosing to a college team hahahahaa thats funny come on watson you have to step up and play your game baby hahahaa.
Bulls comin out in da eastt, my guy d rose comin out the surgery, cant wait to just see the bulls surprise all you in the east haha were too good, we got noah, booz, cj drops 20 points, taj gibson just a monster, and we got a bench MOB! 100% health recovery to derrick really sad for him to go down in front of his court like that really made fans cry not for the chances of getting a ring just for his injury, but we have beat teams like the HEAT… without him, as for the knicks they gotta find more scoring inside, cuz lebron wade will make u work, u cant just give it to melo and expect him to catch u guys up down 10. knicks got game 3