Hill Is Hearing a Mountain of Criticism
PHILADELPHIA — After grabbing only two rebounds in Sunday’s Game 3 loss to the Lakers and then having Coach Larry Brown tell reporters that the team is hurt because the 76ers are not getting enough production from him, Tyrone Hill has plenty of reasons to be on edge heading into tonight’s Game 4.
“Me getting two rebounds in a game is not going to happen too often so I’m not even worried about that,” an agitated Hill said Tuesday. “And, if Coach [Brown] is worried about that, then there is a bigger problem than there really is because he knows I am not that type of player.”
But he is not just having difficulties getting rebounds; his scoring has been almost nonexistent in the Finals. After averaging 9.6 points and nine rebounds during the regular season, he has eight points and 13 rebounds in three games against the Lakers.
Like the Lakers’ Horace Grant, Hill understands that being a role player is sometimes a thankless job and it’s a lot easier when you are winning.
“If we didn’t have the mentality to do the dirty work and be the type of garbage type of player, we wouldn’t be around in the league this long,” Hill said. “When you have guys like that who are struggling, you rat them out.
“This game is all about rhythm. You can’t just do it one game. You have to do it over the course of a season or a course of the playoffs. You are not going to play like someone who has been in rhythm. The game is not made up like that. You are not going to get it overnight.”
When asked if there was anything he could tell Hill, teammate Allen Iverson said it’s really up to him.
“We are in the Finals and I can’t think of anything that I could do or say to get something out of him at this point,” Iverson said. “This is it right here.”
Backup big man Matt Geiger has battled with injuries all season and acknowledges if this weren’t the NBA Finals, he wouldn’t be playing.
“I’m trying to play through it,” said Geiger, who has been taking multiple pain-killing pills before every game for his right quadriceps injury. “If the doctors didn’t tell that the chance of me tearing my tendon is pretty low because it’s a tendon that doesn’t tear all the way, I wouldn’t be trying to go out there.”
Philadelphia fans are making a big deal about the possible return of forward George Lynch for tonight’s game but if he does play, it’s not likely that he will be effective.
Lynch, who has been sidelined because a fractured left foot since May 13, didn’t look good Tuesday. But he plans to try to play.
Lonnie White
Team President Pat Croce is taking his love of the team to new heights. He plans to climb the Walt Whitman Bridge this morning and help hang a “Go Sixers, Beat L.A.” banner almost 400 feet above water level.
At the start of the playoffs he climbed a 235-foot water tower to hang a 76er banner. Croce said some workers from the Walt Whitman Bridge said they had a higher structure for him to climb.
“I said, if we make the Finals, I’ll do it,” Croce said.
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