No. 6 1976-77 Sixers vs. No. 11 2011-12 Sixers
6 seed: 1976-77
Regular-season record: 50-32
Playoff result: Lost in NBA Finals
Key players
Erving-One of the many spectacular seasons “The Doctor” put on, he averaged 21.6 points and 8.5 rebounds. This is one of the seasons he came oh so close to winning that elusive title.
George McGinnis-McGinnis was the second scorer to Erving. He averaged 21.4 points and 11.5 rebounds as he was a big piece down low.
Doug Collins-The coach of the team he is facing in this round, he averaged 18.3 points and 4.7 assists to form a sort of “Big 3” with Erving and McGinnis.
World B. Free-The man who earned the nickname “World” had some game to him. He averaged 16.3 points and 3.4 assists. He was also a pest on defense.
Henry Bibby-He averaged 10.2 points and 4.4 assists. He was a forgotten man on this team.
Steve Mix-He became lost in the shuffle of history, but he did average 10.5 points for this team. He gave this team some good production.
11 seed: 2011-12
Regular-season record: 35-31 (lockout-shortened)
Playoff result: Lost in East semifinals
Key players
Andre Iguodala-He was the man who eliminated the Chicago Bulls in the playoffs. His last-second free throws set Philadelphia into a frenzy as he stood on the scorer’s table to start the celebration.
Jrue Holiday-This was the season he began to establish himself. He averaged 13.5 points and 4.5 assists and he became an elite defender for them.
Elton Brand-Brand was a key piece. Injuries robbed him of his ability, but he was a big part of the upset over the Bulls and he helped push the Boston Celtics to 7 games in the semifinals.
Evan Turner-Turner was up and down in the regular season, but averaged 11.2 points and 7.5 rebounds as a starter in the playoffs, and he was huge on defense.
Spencer Hawes-Hawes was big in the playoffs providing a 3-point shot for a big guy. He did get pushed around a bit on defense that opened the door for Lavoy Allen.
Lou Williams-He was a scoring machine off the bench. He averaged a team-leading 14.9 points off the team’s bench.
Thaddeus Young-The Sixers relied on him to give all-around play off the bench. He averaged 12.8 points and 5.2 rebounds. He was just a reliable player.