NBA Playoffs 2012: 4 Reasons Philadelphia 76ers Can Rock the Postseason

After barely clinching the eighth playoff seed, the Sixers are rejuvenated in the loss of Derrick Rose.  

The Sixers redeemed themselves against the Bulls Tuesday night, proving they can win on the road in the playoffs. They evened the series at 1-1 and are taking the game home to the City of Brotherly Love.

With help from Jrue Holiday and Lou Williams, the Sixers have a chance to take this series. Find out why Philadelphia can still rock the postseason.  

No Derrick Rose

This is self-explanatory. When Derrick Rose fell to the floor with a torn ACL at the end of Game 1, the 76ers' chances of winning the series improved greatly.

The Sixers took advantage of the Rose-less Bulls Tuesday night, tying the series at 1-1 after a 109-92 win. The Bulls struggled to create opportunities without Rose, while the Sixers strengthened their offensive attack.

The series is now heading to Philadelphia, where the Sixers have a chance to pull ahead of the Bulls using home-court advantage. It doesn't matter that Chicago went 18-9 without Rose during the regular season. Right now, Philly has all the momentum and needs to capitalize on a struggling Bulls team. 

Jrue Holiday

Jrue Holiday has consistently performed well in this postseason so far. He recorded 17 points, six rebounds and two assists in the Game 1 loss. While the stats aren't eye-popping, they are solid enough to tell Holiday knows how to take control of the floor. 

In Game 2, the third-year point guard had one of the best games of his career. He put up a game-high 26 points on 11-of-15 shooting with two rebounds and six assists. 

Now that Holiday doesn't have to deal with Rose on either end of the court, expect him to really go off for the remainder of the series.  

Lou Williams

The Sixers' sixth man and leading scorer will be key to the team's postseason success. Williams had an amazing game Tuesday night, scoring 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting. He also chipped in six assists and two steals.

The fact that the Sixers have a player of Williams' caliber coming off the bench is a huge advantage for them. Whereas the Bulls struggled to create opportunities without Rose, the Sixers had big contributions from both their starters and the bench.

Defense

Defense will be a deciding factor in this series. In fact, good defense could carry the Sixers far in the postseason. 

In Game 1, Philadelphia forced 18 turnovers which resulted in 19 points. They also recorded 10 steals and five blocks. Although they didn't win the game, it was a pretty impressive defensive performance. 

In Game 2, Chicago's offense couldn't handle Philly's defense without Derrick Rose. The Sixers held the Bulls to 45.2 percent shooting while connecting for 59 percent on the other end. They also forced eight turnovers, seven steals and seven blocks.

Chicago will definitely have their hands full trying to compete with Philadelphia's defense.