Maurice Cheeks said he knows what happened against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night: The 76ers didn't play great, but they won the game.
"We took something from that," the Sixers head coach said. "The game is never over. We go over a lot of last-second situations. A lot of things can happen at the end of a game." Yesterday, the Sixers (6-6) had a light practice at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, watching film, stretching, and walking through the game plan for tonight's game against the Golden State Warriors (5-7) at 5.
"They are a perimeter-oriented team. They play small," Cheeks said of the Warriors.
The coach said he likely would stick with the starting lineup he's used all season: Andre Miller, Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young, Elton Brand, and Samuel Dalembert.
Still, don't be surprised if the Sixers go small for much of the game, sliding Brand to the center spot and playing Willie Green at shooting guard.
In the win Friday night, the Sixers led by as many as 14 points in the first quarter before the second unit struggled. A similar second-unit letdown occurred Wednesday night in the loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Cheeks said he must start mixing the units to remedy the problem.
"I have to be more conscious of putting guys in the game with guys that have already been playing," Cheeks said. "We can cure that problem."
Tonight's game is the fourth in a five-game stretch during which the Sixers play sub-.500 teams.
"We can't go into a game based on the opponent's record," Cheeks said. "Not in the NBA . It's natural to do so, but each game is its own."
Quick turnaround. After tonight's game, the Sixers fly to Charlotte to play the Bobcats tomorrow at 7 p.m. Charlotte played Milwaukee last night.
Contact staff writer Kate Fagan
at 856-779-3844 or kfagan@phillynews.com.
