Phil Jasner breaks cardinal rule -- does he get away with it?

Phil's a pro's pro. This was quite a remarkable ending to an amazing game. What do you think?

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/sixers/20080325_Sixers_ride_19-0_run_to_victory_over_Celtics.html

BOSTON - Wymon J. Anderson of the U.S. Navy won $5,000 in TD Banknorth Garden last night by dropping in a free throw and a three-pointer while blindfolded.

It was the evening's second-best shot in the dark.

No one could have seen this coming. No one could have seen the 76ers go on an explosive, 19-0 run in the fourth quarter against the Boston Celtics, the team with the best record in the NBA.

No one could have foreseen the mighty Celtics missing 11 shots in succession.

No one could possibly have seen the Sixers winning on a night when Andre Iguodala missed seven free throws, including five straight.

No one could have predicted a victory with Andre Miller scoring a single point in the fourth quarter, or with the Sixers down by 80-69 with 8:20 remaining.

Take a deep breath and a moment to soak it all in. The Sixers somehow did what only they thought they could do.

Put this one up on the mantel, right next to terrific victories over the Portland Trail Blazers and Chicago Bulls.

The Sixers - wait for it - won, 95-90. They went from down 80-69 to up 88-80 with 2:18 left. They climbed to 36-35, above .500 for the first time in the most improbable of seasons. They won for the 18th time in 23 games, for the sixth time in seven games on the road. They are alone in sixth place in the Eastern Conference.

 

Yeah. I think you're selling the Sixers ("still in sixth") short though. It wasn't long ago that they were looking like a lottery team. After road wins against Phoenix, Detroit and Boston and a home win against San Antonio, it's starting to sink in that they may be a team to watch come playoff time.

 

He could have done almost exactly the same thing while putting the final score much higher.

"No one could have seen the Sixers' 95-90 win coming. No one could have seen them go on an explosive, 19-0 run against the team with the best record in the NBA..."

 

You're right. He could have kept all the drama, and still satisfied the score geeks among us.

 

story's strong

Jasner's one of the best

and, yeah, this was huge for 76ers -- on the road? in Boston? vs. top team in East? down 11 in fourth quarter? finally putting them over .500 for first time this late in season in five years? after being 11 games under .500 not that long ago?

solid stuff

 

I agree. I would have written that way. But I'm not I would have changed it if I were editing that story. This might have been a rare -- extremely rare -- case where I bent the final-score-first rule.

 

No one could have predicted a victory with Andre Miller scoring a single point in the fourth quarter, or with the Sixers down by 11 points with 8:20 remaining.

That's all you have to do. Not even worth calling the writer about.

 

I believe the score was printed in a small box on page 1 that ran with the story. Jasner rocks. One of the best around, and a person who I'd take on my team anytime.

 

It's a little slow ... but so what?

 

I found myself speed-reading to the score. But I hadn't seen the game or heard the score earlier. In an age where most fans would have, this is easier to take.

Still I'm hardcore for the score as the first number in the story, and in the first three graphs.

 

I really balked at the -- wait for it -- line.

I already know they won. As a reader, I don't want the writer telling me what to do. And I especially don't want him to tell me to wait for the final score when I've already read 8 grafs with no score.

Readers are just looking for a reason to bail on your story and go to the horoscopes. Don't give them one.

 

He doesn't get away with it in my book.

If it were Game 7 of the NBA Finals and the 76ers made that comeback, then you can get away with it. But in a regular season game that means little to Boston, no.