With the NBA in an indefinite hiatus due to COVID-19, we continue our day-by-day look back at the history of the Philadelphia 76ers. We continue down our path into Sixers history every day as we look to fill the void left by the absence of basketball.
This edition of Sixers history takes everybody back to 2012 when the 8 seed Sixers had the 1 seed Chicago Bulls on the ropes. Of course, it is mostly due to the fact that Derrick Rose was out with an injury, but Philadelphia did not care at all. The Bulls still had more than enough to win this series and they had the lead late in Game 6 before Andre Iguodala stepped to the line to try and win it.
May 10, 2012
Chicago’s Omer Asik missed to give the Sixers a chance. Iguodala took the ball to the basket and he was then fouled with 2.2 seconds left with Philadelphia down by one. Statistically, he was one of the worst foul shooters in the fourth quarter in the NBA and it was a bit unnerving to have him at the line in this situation.
Instead, he sank both free throws. Chicago’s desperation shot fell short and the Sixers advanced to Round 2 for the first time since 2003 with a 79-78 win in Game 6. Iguodala jumped on to the scorer’s table and the Wells Fargo Center crowd went crazy as the Sixers pulled off the upset.
Iguodala was confident in his ability at the line as he was thinking about teaching his son how to make free throws. He told reporters postgame:
I was like, ‘Son, this is how you shoot free throws’.
The Sixers would move on to Round 2 where they would face the Boston Celtics. The C’s were still led by future Hall of Famers such as Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen as well as the electric Rajon Rondo. Philadelphia would give them everything they could handle before falling in seven tough games. [lawrence-related id=30760,30752,30746]