Eternal Mulligan

Halladay has strong outing, Victorino leaves after collision

2011-03-21T13:18:00.000-07:00

Final Score: Philadelphia 4, Boston 1

Reigning NL Cy Young winner Roy Halladay went 7 2/3 innings, allowing one run on five hits and struck out six, as the Phillies topped the Red Sox, 4-1, in Grapefruit League play.

Josh Barfield hit a two-RBI single in the sixth while Raul Ibanez and Michael Martinez both knocked in a run for Philadelphia. Ryan Madson was credited for a save for finishing out the eighth and allowing one hit in the ninth.

Jon Lester, the Red Sox opening day starter, was charged for four runs -- three earned -- on five hits in 5 1/3 innings. Jed Lowrie scored on Drew Sutton's sacrifice fly in the fifth to account for Boston's only run.

Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino left the game in the top of the fifth inning after colliding with Ibanez on a routine fly ball. Victorino was cut above his left eye, and departed a short time later.

Copyright: The Sports Network

Sixers top Pacers behind strong showing from T-Young

2011-03-21T13:10:00.000-07:00

Thaddeus Young finished with 18 points and nine rebounds as the Philadelphia 76ers held off a late Pacers run to top Indiana, 110-100, at Conseco Fieldhouse.

Andre Iguodala, straight off back-to-back triple-doubles, posted 16 points, 10 assists, and four rebounds while Jrue Holiday added 16 points for Philadelphia, which is three games over .500 for the first time this season and now sits just a half-game behind the idle New York Knicks for sixth place in the Eastern Conference.

"Our starters have been starting really slow and tonight was huge for us because we got our defense set," Sixers coach Doug Collins said. "Iguodala was fantastic."

Jodie Meeks added 15 points while both Elton Brand and Spencer Hawes scored 12 points in the victory, Philadelphia's third straight and seventh in eight games.

Tyler Hansbrough finished one point shy of a career-high with 26 points to go with six rebounds, while both Danny Granger and Dahntay Jones added 11 points for the Pacers, who have dropped four straight and six of their last seven.

"We just have to stick together, everyone as a team," Hansbrough said.

The Sixers held an 84-70 advantage entering the final quarter, and throughout the opening minutes of the final stanza their advantage remained around 15. However, two A.J. Price free throws just over the four-minute mark started an 8-0 Pacers run that kept the game close.

Price capped the spurt with another pair from the line at 2:17, but after a Holiday turnover, Price missed a three-pointer. After Price's missed three, Roy Hibbert was stripped on the rebound by Holiday, and Meeks drilled a three of his own on the far end to widen the Philadelphia lead back to 10.

Indiana worked its deficit to as low as 106-99 in the final minute, but Meeks made 4-of-4 from the line down the stretch to silence the Pacers' chances of a legitimate comeback.

"Give credit to Philadelphia, they were the better team," Pacers interim coach Frank Vogel said. "Our guys have to do better. They understand it, I understand it."

Philadelphia opened the game on a 13-5 run, and with just over 3 1/2 remaining in the first held a 22-9 advantage. The Sixers shot 60 percent from the field in the first quarter, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, and held a 34-23 lead after one.

The Sixers widened their lead to as high as 15 on multiple occasion in the second and took a 65-53 lead into the break. Philadelphia shot 59 percent from the field in the first half.

The Philadelphia lead remained above 10 for the entire third quarter, and an Iguodala layup just under the midpoint widened it to 79-58. However, the Sixers only made two of their final 11 shots down the stretch as the Pacers whittled their deficit to 84-70 entering the final stanza.

Game Notes

Evan Turner added 10 points and four assists in a reserve role for Philadelphia...Hibbert finished with 13 points, Price 12 and Paul George grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds for Indiana...Philadelphia led for the entire 48 minutes...Iguodala blocked two shots for the Sixers.

Copyright: The Sports Network

Sixers take down C's behind low-post tandem

2011-03-21T13:06:00.000-07:00

Elton Brand and Spencer Hawes both finished with 14 points and Philadelphia edged Boston, 89-86, at Wells Fargo Center.

Andre Iguodala added 13 points with nine rebounds and eight assists for the Sixers, who bounced back from Wednesday's overtime loss to the Thunder and have won four of five. Jodie Meeks added 12 points while Jrue Holiday posted nine points and seven assists for the victors.

"That's my guy," Sixers coach Doug Collins said of Iguodala. "I am going to put it in his hands and ride him down the stretch."

Jeff Green paced the Celtics with 18 points in a reserve role while Nenad Krstic added 16 points and 15 rebounds for Boston, which had won seven straight and nine of the last ten meetings in Philadelphia.

Green and Krstic are both relatively new to the Celtics as they were a part of the Kendrick Perkins to Oklahoma City deal at the trade deadline. Kevin Garnett added 14 points while Rajon Rondo and Paul Pierce scored 12 and 11 points, respectively, in the loss.

"We never established anything, we had no rhythm," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "We just tried to do things on our own. We are usually the team that executes at the end but we were trying to get something out of nothing."

The Sixers took a 49-45 lead into the break, and after Pierce opened the third with a jumper, Philadelphia went on an 12-4 run that widened its lead to a game-high 61-51. The Celtics methodically cut their deficit down the stretch and Pierce's jumper tied the game at 66 with 2:44 remaining.

However, Philadelphia took a 72-68 lead into the final stanza.

The Celtics took a lead on Green's bank-shot just over 3 1/2 minutes in, putting the game at 76-75, but after trading the lead for the next few minutes the Sixers used a Lou Williams jumper and Meeks free throws to take an 85-81 edge with 4:44 remaining.

Both teams went cold from the field and had to make up for it at the line until Iguodala's driving layup with 12.8 seconds remaining put the Philadelphia lead at 89-84.

The Celtics called a timeout to advance the ball to midcourt, but after Garnett's layup the Celtics failed to get a foul on the Sixers, and Philadelphia played keep-away to run out the clock.

The first quarter remained close in the opening minutes, and just over the midway point the Sixers started to create some distance. Hawes' jumper inside the final two minutes put the Philadelphia lead at 25-17, but the Celtics ended the quarter on an 5-0 run to trim their deficit to 25-22 after opening 12 minutes.

Philadelphia widened its lead to as high as nine in the closing minutes of the second quarter with Hawes' three putting the Sixers' lead at 41-32 with 5 1/2 remaining. The Celtics scored the game's next seven points, making it a one possession game, and two Evan Turner free throws with 42.2 ticks remaining gave Philadelphia a four-point lead at the break.

Game Notes

Philadelphia will now hit the road for a five-game trek, featuring visits to the Bucks, Jazz, Clippers, Kings and Portland...The Sixers are now a half-game behind the Knicks for the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference...Williams finished with eight points in a reserve role...Philadelphia scored 12 points on 11 Boston turnovers.

Copyright: The Sports Network

Halladay goes three innings; Phils fall to Pirates

2011-03-05T17:43:00.000-08:00

Final Score: Pittsburgh 4, Philadelphia 3

Neil Walker's two-run homer in the sixth inning gave the Pirates the lead, and Pittsburgh topped Philadelphia, 4-3, in Grapefruit League action.

Lyle Overbay went 3-for-3 with a double and scored two runs while John Bowker added a double to account for Pittsburgh's other run.

Paul Maholm allowed one run on four hits in the three-inning start while Jeff Karstens allowed one run on two hits in two innings of work to record the win.

Roy Halladay threw three innings of one-hit ball for Philadelphia. The reigning National League Cy Young winner walked two batters while striking out four. J.C. Ramirez was tagged for four runs -- all earned -- on five hits in three innings of work in the loss.

Ben Francisco belted a solo homer in the second inning while going 2-for-3. Delwyn Young finished 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI and Michael Martinez knocked in a run in his only at-bat of the game.

Phillies right fielder Domonic Brown will miss 3-to-6 weeks with a broken hamate bone in his right hand. The injury took place during a second inning swing.

Sixers enter the .500 Club

2011-02-28T14:01:00.000-08:00

Jodie Meeks scored all of his 14 points in the second half, and Philadelphia held on late to top the Cleveland Cavaliers, 95-91, at Quicken Loans Arena.

Elton Brand and Lou Williams both finished with 16 points as the Sixers won their season-high fourth straight game. Jrue Holiday added 13 points while dishing out nine assists and Evan Turner added 10 points in a reserve role for Philadelphia, which is above .500 for the first time this season (30-29).

"Our bench gave us a huge lift," Brand said. "[Young] and Williams gave us a huge spark to overcome a 12-point deficit, they played with heart."

J.J. Hickson posted a game-high 22 points and 16 rebounds and Ramon Sessions added 20 points and 10 assists for Cleveland, which has dropped two of three. Antawn Jamison contributed 16 points but left the game late in the third quarter after breaking his left pinky finger.

Jamison was fouled while taking a shot with 1:26 remaining in the quarter, and immediately left the game and went to the locker room. Ryan Hollins entered the game for Jamison and made both free throws.

The Sixers took a 75-64 lead into the final stanza and widened it to as high as 82-70 before a late Cavs comeback. Hickson connected on a step back jumper at 8:13 to start a 11-2 Cleveland run, which was capped with Daniel Gibson's layup and three-point conversion at 4:18.

The Sixers quickly stretched their advantage to 91-82, but once again the Cavs surged and Gibson's three-pointer with 7.9 ticks remaining made it a 93-91 game.

Forced to foul, the Cavs sent Meeks to the line with 6.9 seconds remaining, he made both and Gibson's three at the buzzer was off target to end the game.

"We've been up and down," Cavs coach Byron Scott said. "We are trying to learn what it is like to be consistent on a nightly basis."

Despite trailing by as many as 12 in the first quarter, the Sixers ended the opening stanza on a 14-3 run to cut their deficit to 23-22 after the opening 12 minutes.

Philadelphia took the lead with a Turner turnaround basket just over the ten minute mark of the second, and after another Turner basket at 8:24 the Sixers lead was 32-27. The Cavaliers kept the game close down the stretch but after Iguodala made a pair from the line with 2.4 ticks remaining the Sixers lead was 49-43 entering the break.

Thaddeus Young paced Philadelphia with 12 points on 6-of-8 from the field in the first half.

Holiday and Meeks both posted nine points in the third quarter as Philadelphia shot an impressive 66.7 percent from the field. The Sixers widened their lead to as high as 15 in the quarter, and took a 75-64 lead into the final stanza.

Game Notes

Philadelphia has won 13 of their last 17 games and have gone 27-16 since a dismal 3-13 start...The Sixers are now 11-20 on the road this season and will return to Philadelphia for a three-game home stand...The Cavs are now 3-4 on an eight-game residency that will conclude with a visit from the Spurs on Wednesday...Cleveland is 8-21 at home this season...The teams split the season series 2-2...The Cavs had won 10 of the previous 12 meetings between these two clubs entering Sunday.

Phillies top Yanks in Grapefruit League opener

2011-02-26T14:06:00.000-08:00

Sardinha is looking to make the team as the #2 catcher

Final Score: Philadelphia 5, NY Yankees 4

Dane Sardinha's two-out, two-run single in the top of the eighth inning gave the Phillies the lead, and Philadelphia held on to top the Yankees, 5-4, in Grapefruit League action.

Sardinha finished 2-for-2 while both Pete Orr and Ross Gload knocked in a run for the Phillies, who won their fourth-straight National League East title in 2010 with a 97-65 record.

Brian Schlitter was touched for two runs on two hits in one inning of work but got the win thanks to scoreless eighth and ninth innings from Mike Zagurski and Jason Grilli, respectively.

Jorge Vazquez went 2-for-2 with a two-run homer in the seventh inning for the Yankees, who finished second the American League East in 2010 with a 95-67 record.

Eric Wordekemper allowed two runs on three hits in the eighth inning to suffer the loss.

Copyright: The Sports Network

Sixers enter All-Star break on high note: top Rockets

2011-02-16T20:48:00.000-08:00

Andre Iguodala finished with 13 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists as the Philadelphia 76ers matched their entire win total for the 2009-10 season, topping the Houston Rockets, 114-105, at Toyota Center.

Philadelphia is now 27-29, a drastic improvement from their dismal 27-55 record from last season.

Jrue Holiday finished with 20 points and eight assists while both Lou Williams and Thaddeus Young finished with 19 points off the bench. The Sixers have now won three of four overall and are only the second Eastern Conference team to match or surpass their 2009-10 win total before the All-Star break (New Jersey 17).

"Our guys are in great spirits entering the break," Sixers coach Doug Collins said. "We are a good team and I tell them to remember that we are a good team."

Kyle Lowry finished with a career-high 36 points to go along with seven assists for Houston. Luis Scola scored 26 while grabbing 13 rebounds as the Rockets lost for the third time in four games.

Philadelphia led by eight, 86-78, entering the fourth. The teams traded baskets in the opening minutes of the quarter, and after a Scola layup at 7:49 the Philadelphia advantage was down to 92-88.

However, Young then made 1-of-2 from the line to start a 7-0 Sixers run to create some distance.

Young's dunk at 5:04 put Philadelphia up 11, and after a Holiday pullup jumper just over four minutes later the Sixers advantage was 107-96. Iguodala connected of 4-of-4 from the line down the stretch, and his pair from the stripe with 45.7 ticks remaining widened the Philadelphia advantage to a game- high 13.

The Sixers won their fourth straight game in Houston dating back to January 2008.

"I want our guys to keep thinking about what's ahead," Collins said. "What is ahead of us is opportunity. We have a lot of hope and that's exciting."

The game was tied 23-23 after a back-and-forth first quarter. The second quarter was close as well, with the Sixers' lead never reaching above five. A Young driving layup with 2:50 remaining put Philadelphia up 50-45, and two Brad Miller free throws then made it a one-possession game.

The teams traded baskets, and the Rockets thought they had tied it entering the half with a Lowry three-pointer with 2.9 seconds remaining, however, that was enough time for Iguodala to get a shot off from 31-feet as the Sixers took a 55-52 lead into the break.

Holiday scored 12 of his points in the third quarter as Philadelphia widened is lead to 86-78 entering the final stanza. Scola led the Rockets with 14 in the quarter, however, the Sixers shot 54.2 percent from the field and led for the entire third.

Game Notes

Philadelphia has won six of its previous seven against Houston...Entering Wednesday the Sixers had lost 17 of their last 18 -- including six straight -- when allowing 100 points-or-more...Spencer Hawes added 17 point and 10 rebounds while both Elton Brand and Evan Turner finished with 10 points...Patrick Patterson scored 10 points in a reserve role for Houston.

Copyright: The Sports Network

Mauled: Sixers roughed up by Memphis

2011-02-16T20:44:00.000-08:00

Mike Conley finished with team-high 22 points as Memphis won its fourth straight game, topping Philadelphia, 102-91, at FedEx Forum.

Zach Randolph posted 21 points with 10 rebounds and seven assists for the Grizzlies, who ended a three-game home stand with the win. Sam Young added 12 points and five boards while Rudy Gay scored 11 points before leaving the game in the second quarter.

Gay drove in the lane and was fouled by Sixers rookie Evan Turner, injuring his left shoulder in the process. Gay shot the associated free throws, but left the game afterward and did not return.

Thaddeus Young led Philadelphia with a game-high 23 points in a reserve role, and Lou Williams added 18 points, five boards and four assists as the Sixers lost in Memphis for the first time since January of 2007.

"This is one of the most aggressive teams we've played just because the lineups they put in the game are so strong," Young said. "They try to outmuscle you and out-quick you to everything. Those guys just outhustled us."

A disastrous first quarter by the Sixers -- eight turnovers while shooting 29.4 percent from the field -- allowed the Grizzlies to take an early 26-10 lead after 12 minutes. Gay led Memphis with 10 points on 5-of-7 from the field in the opening stanza.

Young and Williams paced the Sixers with 14 and 10 points, respectively, off the bench in the second, and Philadelphia cut its deficit to 55-44 at the half.

Despite the recovery, many of the Sixers' deficiencies continued into the second quarter. It took until 5:05 remaining in the half for Philadelphia to force the first Memphis turnover, and Williams' three-pointer with 36.4 seconds remaining was Philadelphia's first made trey of the game.

After Williams' triple, Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo sank a three-pointer of his own with 22.2 seconds remaining -- the first points the third-year man has scored since serving a 10-game suspension for violating the league's anti-drug policy.

"I was just really eager to get back out there," Mayo said.

A Jodie Meeks three-pointer opened the third quarter, and after a Spencer Hawes putback dunk with 5:24 remaining, the Grizzlies' lead was down to four, 64-60. The 16-9 Philadelphia run was led by eight points from Meeks -- who made 2-of-3 from beyond the arc in the spurt.

Memphis responded with a Conley driving layup and three-pointer to widen its lead back to nine, 71-62. However, after trading baskets, an Elton Brand jumper at 3:31 started a quick 8-0 Philadelphia run, capped by three Williams free throws and a three-point conversion, to make it a one-point game.

The Grizzlies held on down the stretch. Sam Young's reverse layup and three- point conversion gave the hosts a 77-75 lead entering the final stanza.

Memphis opened the fourth quarter with a 6-0 run, capped by a Conley driving layup at 9:29, and its lead never fell below seven down the stretch.

Game Notes

The Sixers are now 1-1 on a three-game road trip that will conclude in Houston on Wednesday...Philadelphia's 10 first-quarter points were a season-low for a quarter...Brand finished with 13 points and eight boards while Jrue Holiday posted 10 points and five assists in the loss...The Sixers finished 3-of-13 from beyond the arc...Memphis has won three of the last four meetings in this series...Tony Allen scored 10 points in a reserve role for Memphis...Mayo's three-pointer accounted for his only points in just over six minutes of court time...Darrell Arthur and Marc Gasol both scored nine for the victors.

Augustin comes up big as B'Cats top Sixers

2011-01-20T19:16:00.000-08:00

D.J. Augustin poured in a career-high 31 points, including 25 in the first half, and the Charlotte Bobcats snapped a two-game skid against Philadelphia, topping the 76ers 100-97 at Time Warner Cable Arena.

Augustin also dished out a game-high eight assists for the Bobcats, who have won two straight on the heels of a three-game skid.

"It was probably the most impressive thing I've seen so far with this club," Bobcats coach Paul Silas said of Augustin's first half. "I expect that kind of play from him all the time."

Gerald Henderson scored nine of his 11 points in the fourth quarter, and Nazr Mohammed added 15 points and seven rebounds for Charlotte, which announced mid-game that forward Tyrus Thomas will miss up to eight weeks with a lateral meniscus tear in his left knee.

Thaddeus Young led the Sixers with 21 points and Andre Iguodala contributed 19 points, but missed a crucial jumper in the final seconds for Philadelphia, which has dropped two straight.

"We just gotta get the team to learn how to play the game in certain situations," Iguodala said of the Sixers late-game struggles. "Late in games we gotta continue to know how to close out a game."

Henderson's jumper with 56.4 seconds remaining gave the Bobcats a 94-91 lead. After a Sixers timeout, Iguodala was fouled in the act of shooting a three- pointer, but missed the third free throw to leave the Sixers a point behind. Henderson grabbed the rebound and widened the Bobcats' advantage to 96-93 with a basket from the right side with 26 ticks remaining.

Iguodala attempted a teardrop basket in the lane on Philadelphia's next possession, but the ball clanked off the rim. Augustin grabbed the rebound and was sent to the line with 11 seconds remaining, making both.

Elton Brand connected on a tip-in from a missed Jrue Holiday layup with 7.6 ticks remaining to cut the deficit to 98-95, but Augustin was sent back to the line with six seconds left, and made both to put the game away.

Holiday sank a jumper before the buzzer to account for the final margin.

Augustin, who took over the starting point guard role after Raymond Felton was signed by the Knicks in the offseason, has come into his own while averaging career highs in points and assists this season.

He paced the Bobcats with 14 points in the first quarter on 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, and Charlotte held a 30-27 lead heading into the second. Augustin added 11 more points in the second quarter on a perfect 5-of-5 from the field and the Bobcats took a 56-50 lead into the break.

After Augustin opened the third quarter with a jumper, however, the Sixers scored six quick points, bookended by Brand jumpers. Both teams went cold for close to a minute and a half, and Holiday tied the game at 58-58 with a driving layup just over the eight minute mark, ending an 8-0 run.

Holiday connected with Iguodala for an alley-oop dunk with 4 1/2 remaining in the quarter to tie the game at 64-64, but Gerald Wallace responded with a short jumper at the far end to start a 10-4 run that gave the Bobcats a 74-68 lead heading into the final stanza.

Game Notes

The Sixers had won the two previous meetings this season, including a 96-92 overtime victory in Monday's matinee game in Philadelphia...Young scored 15 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter...Holiday finished with 13 points and seven assists, while Brand contributed 12 points and 10 rebounds in the loss...Stephen Jackson scored 14 points for Charlotte.

Williams leads Sixers over Bobcats in OT

2011-01-17T16:59:00.001-08:00

Lou Williams finished with 23 points, including a three-pointer to send the game into overtime, and the Philadelphia 76ers topped the Charlotte Bobcats, 96-92, at the Wells Fargo Center.

Elton Brand notched a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds, while Andre Iguodala netted 16 points to go along with 10 rebounds and six assists for the Sixers, who won their first overtime game of the season and capped a three-game home stand at 2-1.

Jrue Holiday and Marreese Speights each supplied 10 points for the victors.

"Lou Williams was great in the second half," Sixers coach Doug Collins said. "Second [close] game in a row that we have won that we had not won all season long. It is huge growth for our team."

Boris Diaw finished with a triple-double scoring 25 while grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing out 11 assists for Charlotte, which has dropped three straight. Kwame Brown and Stephen Jackson both scored 15 and Brown grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds in defeat.

"We expected to win," Brown said. "We know we've got to chase balls off the three-point shot but we had a mental lapse and we didn't win."

Leading 65-59, Philadelphia opened the fourth quarter on a 8-2 run, capped with a Williams driving layup at 9:21, to put the Sixers up 73-61. The Bobcats clawed their way back as a Jackson layup with five minutes remaining sparked a 13-0 run, that Jackson ended with a three-pointer at 3:11 to give Charlotte a 81-79 lead.

Williams responded with a jumper, and after Gerald Wallace made a three to put the Bobcats up 84-81, Iguodala sank two from the line with 1:10 remaining to cut the Sixers deficit to one.

After missing their next three shots, the Sixers spent their final foul on D.J. Augustin and proceeded to send Matt Carroll to the line with 7.7 ticks remaining, he made both to give Charlotte a 86-83 lead.

Out of a Philadelphia timeout, Iguodala sent the inbound pass to Williams at the corner, and after a quick shotfake to draw off his defender, sank a three to tie the game at 86 with 4.9 seconds remaining.

"I was mostly disappointed with the last shot they made because we were supposed to switch out on that and didn't and [Williams] got a wide-open look," Bobcats coach Paul Silas said.

Jackson attempted a three at the buzzer but the shot was off target.

The teams traded baskets to open the extra period, and after an Iguodala jumper with 37.9 seconds remaining the Sixers held a 92-90 advantage.

Diaw was charging in the low post, guarded by an undersized Holiday, and sent the ball to Brown at the charity stripe. Brown tried to dish the ball back to the top of the key but it was picked off by Thaddeus Young, who sent the ball to a streaking Evan Turner.

The Bobcats sent Turner to the line with 16.8 seconds remaining, he made both. On the next possession, Augustin tried to draw a foul while shooting at the far end but the ball was short and Carroll converted on the putback layup with 8.4 seconds remaining to cut the Bobcats deficit to 94-92.

Turner then proceeded to ice two final shots from the line with 7.5 seconds remaining to account for the final margin.

Diaw attempted a three in the final seconds but the shot was off target.

Despite jumping out to an early lead, the Sixers trailed 23-22 after the opening 12 minutes. Both teams suffered from the field in the second quarter and Philadelphia was able to take a 40-39 lead into the half.

Diaw opened the third quarter with a three from the left edge and after he knocked down another deep ball off a Jodie Meeks turnover, Augustin capped the quick 8-0 burst with a driving layup at 10:12.

Holiday ended the run with a layup, but the Bobcats responded with a Wallace three and Augustin pullup jumper to widen their lead to 52-42 just over the nine minute mark.

The Sixers then went on a lengthy 19-3 run, bookended with a Williams jumper and a trio of free throws, and after the teams traded baskets down the stretch the Sixers took a 65-59 lead into the final stanza.

Game Notes

Philadelphia has won four of six overall...Brand recorded a season-high five blocks...Williams scored all of his 23 points in the second half...The win makes the Sixers 12-7 at home this season, matching their total from last year (12-29)...Charlotte is now 4-14 on the road this season...Wallace finished with 11 points and six rebounds in the loss...It was Diaw's sixth career triple-double and only the second in Bobcats history (Jackson on November 20 2010).

Iggy makes return, Sixers fall flat to Pacers

2011-01-12T04:45:00.000-08:00

Danny Granger finished with a game-high 27 points, and the Indiana Pacers survived a late Philadelphia surge to top the Sixers, 111-103, at Wells Fargo Center.

Darren Collison notched a double-double with 21 points and 13 assists for the Pacers, who snapped a nine-game road losing streak. Mike Dunleavy finished with 20 points and Tyler Hansbrough added 12 points and nine rebounds for Indiana.

Jrue Holiday led a balanced Sixers attack with 19 points and eight assists. Elton Brand added 18 points and both Evan Turner and Marreese Speights finished with 14 points in reserve roles for Philadelphia, which has dropped two in a row.

Sixers forward Andre Iguodala made his return to the team after missing seven games with an injured right Achilles. He finished with seven assists, but went 0-for-7 from the field and scored his only point in 33 minutes on a free throw.

"Needless to say, we were in an uphill struggle the whole night. We came out incredibly flat," Sixers coach Doug Collins said.

After trading the lead in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, Philadelphia tied the game at 99-99 on Brand's short jumper with 2:32 left.

However, Indiana responded with Collison's jumper and Roy Hibbert's hook-shot to take a four-point lead with 1:24 remaining.

Thaddeus Young made it a one-possession game with a finger-roll at 1:12, but the Pacers connected on six straight free throws to widen their margin to 109-101.

After Williams connected on a driving layup with 8.9 ticks remaining, Collison iced two from the line with 7.3 seconds remanding to account for the final margin.

"I think that we defended well," Pacers coach Jim O'Brien said. "We had a good quickness on the court, challenged shots, shots that they were making were challenged."

Dunleavy controlled the first quarter, scoring 15 points, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, as the Pacers took a 27-23 lead after the opening 12 minutes. Indiana then widened its margin to 57-49 at the half.

Granger's three to open up the third quarter started a 10-2 Pacers run, capped by a Hansbrough jumper at 10:17, to put the game at 67-51. However, Philadelphia responded with a 10-0 run to pull within a manageable 67-61 inside the eight-minute mark.

Holiday later cut the deficit to 73-72 with a three-pointer just over the five-minute mark, but Indiana took an 84-81 lead into the final stanza.

Game Notes

The Sixers started a three-game home stand that will see them also host Milwaukee and Charlotte...Jodie Meeks finished with 13 points and both Williams and Young added 12 points off the bench in the loss...Sixers forward Andres Nocioni left the game in the first quarter with a dislocated right middle finger...Philadelphia is now 10-7 at home this season...Jeff Foster added 10 points and eight rebounds while Hibbert scored eight points and grabbed eight rebounds in the win...Indiana was 11-of-11 from the free throw line.

Copyright: The Sports Network

James leads Heat to OT victory in Rip-City

2011-01-09T22:32:00.000-08:00

"I know I don't usually put non-Sixers games here but this game was great; LeBron has now officially a closer"

LeBron James scored a game-high 44 points, including a deep three-pointer with 16.3 seconds remaining in overtime, as the Miami Heat topped the Portland Trail Blazers, 107-100, at the Rose Garden.

Dwyane Wade added 34 points and Chris Bosh finished with 18 points for Miami, which stretched its road winning-streak to 13 games and have won 21 of 22 overall. James grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds to go along with six assists in the win.

LaMarcus Aldridge led Portland with 31 points and 14 rebounds, but committed a costly turnover in the closing seconds of overtime to allow Miami to seal the victory.

Nicolas Batum added 22 points and Wesley Matthews scored 14 to go along with five assists for the Blazers, who had an eight-game home winning streak snapped. Marcus Camby grabbed 14 rebounds in the loss.

The game went into the overtime period tied at 93. Miami opened the extra period on a 7-2 run, capped by a James triple with 2:12 left. Aldridge made three of four from the line -- surrounding a pair of James free throws -- and Bosh connected on a long jumper with 1:08 remaining to put Miami up 104-98.

After Batum missed a tip-in and driving layup, he connected on a short jump- shot inside the final minute to trim the deficit to four, 104-100. After a Wade miss, Aldridge had the rebound with 37.6 seconds remaining, but was called for traveling as he reached midcourt.

James then knocked down a deep three with 16.3 seconds left to put the game away for good.

Portland took a 67-65 lead into the final stanza and was ahead by seven, 91-84, following an Aldridge hook shot with 1:46 left in regulation.

James' long three at the far end began a 7-0 Miami run to knot the game at 91, and after Aldridge knocked down a driving hook shot with 35.8 ticks left, James made two from the line to put the game at 93-all.

The Blazers had a chance to seal the game in the final seconds, but after Andre Miller missed a jumper, he grabbed his own rebound, and missed a putback jumper as time expired.

Miami took a 27-26 lead after the first, and after Bosh added eight points in the second quarter the Heat took a 46-44 lead into the half.

Game Notes

Portland held a 43-41 rebounding margin...Patrick Mills scored 13 points in a reserve role for the Blazers...Miami shot 71.4 percent from the field in the extra period, compared to 28.6 percent for the Blazers...James, Bosh and Wade accounted for 89.7 percent of Miami's points.

Copyright: The Sports Network

Back on track: Sixers return home with topping of Washington

2011-01-06T08:37:00.000-08:00

Jrue Holiday and Lou Williams both finished with 26 points as the Philadelphia 76ers topped the Washington Wizards, 109-97, at the Wells Fargo Center.

Elton Brand added 17 points and Andres Nocioni notched a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds for Philadelphia, which returned home after an eight- game road trip.

Thaddeus Young contributed 11 points in a reserve role for the Sixers, who topped Washington for the first time since winning four straight during the 2008-09 season.

"Needless to say, it is nice to beat Washington," Sixers coach Doug Collins said. "Our guys would not lose that game, and I was very proud of them for that."

Nick Young led the Wizards with 21 points. Rookie John Wall finished with 18 points and 14 assists and Rashard Lewis added a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds for Washington, which has yet to win a game on the road this season (0-17).

"We've got to make clutch plays in clutch situations as far as on the road," Wizards coach Flip Saunders said. "Our margin of error is not that much."

The game stayed close until the closing minutes of the fourth quarter, when Philadelphia took a 94-87 lead on a Brand jump shot and two Thaddeus Young free throws with 4:18 remaining.

After two Nick Young pullup jumpers sandwiched a Holiday driving layup to trim the lead to five, Williams widened the margin to eight with a long three with 2:38 remaining in the contest.

Williams then added a driving layup to extend the margin to 101-91 with just over two minutes left.

Wall responded with two from the line before a Thaddeus Young jumper and four free throws by Williams and Nocioni widened the Sixers lead to a game-high 14 and sewed up the victory with 58.5 ticks to go.

Brand led the way with 10 points as the Sixers held a 29-26 advantage after the opening 12 minutes. Washington responded in the second to take a 52-50 lead at the half.

After a back-and-forth third quarter, Philadelphia was able to regain a 76-75 advantage heading into the final stanza.

Game Notes

Washington won the two previous meetings this season by a combined three points...Both of the Wizards' previous victories came in overtime...Andray Blatche and Kirk Hinrich scored 17 and 13 points, respectively, for the Wizards...Philadelphia held a 40-35 rebounding margin and 46-44 lead in points in the paint...The game featured 14 lead changes.

Copyright: The Sports Network

Hornets Nest: Sixers fall in NOLA to complete road trip

2011-01-04T11:02:00.000-08:00

David West scored 17 points, Chris Paul added 15 and five assists and the New Orleans Hornets held off a late Philadelphia surge to top the 76ers, 84-77.

Emeka Okafor added 13 points and eight rebounds, while former Sixer Willie Green finished with 11 points in a reserve role for New Orleans, which has won three straight.

"We needed to get this one," West said. "We have a tough stretch of games coming up. It's about continuing what we've been doing and trying to put some wins together."

Elton Brand led a balanced Philadelphia attack with 14 points and 10 rebounds and Andres Nocioni supplied 13 points and seven boards. Marreese Speights and Jrue Holiday both finished with 12 points and six rebounds for the shorthanded Sixers, who finished an eight-game road trip at 3-5.

Philadelphia played without starting center Spencer Hawes (mid-back strain) and starting small forward Andre Iguodala, who will miss three more games with tendinitis in his right Achilles.

New Orleans led 77-64 midway through the fourth quarter, but Brand made two free throws to start an 11-1 Sixers run that he capped with a short layup to make it a one-possession game entering the final three minutes.

West connected on a putback layup at 2:44 to build a five-point advantage for New Orleans, and after Philadelphia missed its next five shots, Evan Turner put the game at 80-77 after two free throws with 39.7 remaining.

Paul hit a driving layup on the next possession to make it a five-point advantage for New Orleans, and when the Sixers had a chance to cut it to one or tie, Jason Kapono committed a costly turnover, essentially ending the game.

Forced to foul, Philadelphia sent Paul to the line in the final seconds -- and he made both.

"With Chris Paul, he basically can get you a good shot anytime down the floor because of his ability to play pick-and-roll and do the things he does," Sixers coach Doug Collins said. "He's such a great player."

Philadelphia held a 26-23 lead after a back-and-forth first quarter, but a poor-shooting second quarter (6-of-25) allowed New Orleans to take a 43-40 advantage at the half.

The Hornets widened their margin in the third quarter as they shot 52.6 percent from the field en route to a 68-58 lead entering the final stanza.

Game Notes

Thaddeus Young scored 10 points off the Philadelphia bench...The Sixers shot 1-of-8 from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter...The Hornets held a 34-30 margin in points in the paint.

Copyright: The Sports Network

Lakers hold-on, avoid late Sixers surge

2010-12-31T23:51:00.000-08:00

Bryant jumper in the final minute put the game away

Kobe Bryant hit the deciding jumper with 1:15 remaining and sank two free throws in the final seconds, as the Los Angeles Lakers edged the Philadelphia 76ers, 102-98, at Staples Center.

Bryant finished with a game-high 33 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter. Pau Gasol added 20 points and Andrew Bynum grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds to go with eight points for the Lakers, who have won two straight on the heels of a three-game skid.

Lamar Odom added 18 points and seven rebounds in a reserve role for LA.

Jrue Holiday led Philadelphia with 19 points and 11 assists. Lou Williams and Thaddeus Young finished with 18 and 14 points, respectively, off the bench for the Sixers, who are 3-4 on an eight-game road trip.

"I am proud of our guys," Sixers head coach Doug Collins said. "We hung in there and battled. Twenty-six assists ... we moved the ball. [Gasol and Bynum] are just so big, that's a load in there."
The Lakers were up nine, 82-73, entering the fourth quarter, and Odom made a short layup with 10:55 left for a double-digit lead. However, Elton Brand hit a turnaround jumper 40 seconds later to start a 12-2 Sixers run.

Williams sank a three, and after Holiday made one of two from the line, LA's Steve Blake drained a short jumper.

Holiday finished with 19 points and 11 assists

ree, 98-95, with a Bryant fadeaway jumper with 2:24 remaining. Young's driving layup on a 3-on-2 breakaway resulted in a three- point play that tied the game, the first time the teams were knotted since early in the first quarter.

Bryant hit the deciding basket on the next possession, sinking a 12-foot fadeaway to put the Lakers up 100-98.

Williams missed a potential go-ahead jumper with 2.3 seconds remaining, and on the rebound, Young and LA's Matt Barnes went up for the possession. The ball bounced off both hands, and after a video review, possession was given to the Lakers, essentially ending the game.

Bryant's two from the line with 1.9 seconds remaining accounted for the final margin.

The Lakers had a 29-19 lead after the first, as the Sixers shot 38 percent from the field. But Philadelphia responded in the second, cutting the Lakers' advantage to 52-44 at the half.

Gasol led LA with 11 points in a back-and-forth third quarter.

Game Notes

The Lakers have won four straight in this series and seven of eight overall...The Lakers committed 15 turnovers...LA scored 50 of its points in the paint...The Sixers shot 45 percent from beyond the arc, compared to 28.6 percent for LA...The Sixers will end their eight-game road trip in New Orleans on January 3...Philadelphia has alternated wins and losses in its last four games.

Copyright: The Sports Network

E.T. Phones Home: Sixers tops Suns without Iggy.

2010-12-29T22:14:00.000-08:00


Turner had a breakout night

Jrue Holiday scored 25 points to go along with seven assists, rookie Evan Turner added 23 points in a reserve role, and the Philadelphia 76ers topped the Phoenix Suns, 123-110, at US Airways Center.

Andres Nocioni added a season-high 22 points and 12 rebounds. Spencer Hawes notched a double-double with 10 points and 11 boards for the Sixers, who are 3-3 on a eight-game road trip.

Elton Brand and Thaddeus Young scored 16 and 15 points, respectively, for Philadelphia.

The Sixers played without swingman Andre Iguodala, who missed his second straight game while dealing with right Achilles tendinitis. Reserve guard Lou Williams scored 10 points in his first game back after missing two games due to the birth of his daughter.

Steve Nash led Phoenix with 23 points and dished out 15 assists, but the Suns lost their season-high fourth in a row. Grant Hill added 17 points, five assists and five rebounds.

Vince Carter contributed 18 points in his Suns debut. The former All-Star missed four games with a sore knee since being acquired by the Suns in a six- player trade with Orlando on December 18.

Phoenix was up 84-81 with 3:15 left in the third, but a Holiday jumper 21 seconds later started an 11-2 Philadelphia run to end the quarter.

Holiday and Hawes both connected on mid-range jumpers, Nocioni converted on a three-point play and Turner ended the run with a short jump shot to put Philadelphia up 92-86 entering the fourth.

The Sixers' lead remained around seven for the opening minutes of the fourth, and it ballooned to 11 points after Nocioni hit two from the line with 5:10 remaining to make it 108-97.

Brand drained a short jump shot inside the final minute to put the Sixers up a game-high 14.

Nash scored 10 in the first quarter as the Suns took a 35-33 lead into the second. Philadelphia shot 63.2 percent from the field in the quarter en route to a 66-65 halftime lead.

Game Notes

Mickael Pietrus, who was a part of the six-player Orlando deal, finished with 15 points in 26 minutes of play. The other Phoenix acquisition, Marcin Gortat, scored 13 points and grabbed six rebounds in the loss...Philadelphia held a 46-31 rebounding advantage...The Sixers will finish their road trip with visits to the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans...Philadelphia's last win in Phoenix came on March 1 2008.

Copyright: The Sports Network

High School Basketball Throwback:

2010-12-29T16:22:00.000-08:00

I was always told as a child to never forget where I came from, hell that simple statement 'never forget where you came from' is one of the strongest lyrics and sentiments in the hip-hop community. Well as a short white kid with no rapping ability, this is my way of never forgetting where I came from. Coatesville, PA, the biggest little city and the biggest basketball city that is not Philadelphia.

A brief view of youtube made me a bit nostalgic. So here are some interesting articles from my viewings. The first is called Born to Ball Part. 2.

If you go to the 4:51 mark you can catch some early highlights from former Coatesville and present day Detroit Pistons swingman Richard 'Rip' Hamilton.

This next one is a feature video that shows many present and past NBA players in the high school careers. Again there is a Hamilton siting (2:11), but the video also features some highlights of Coatesville's own John 'Tootie' Allen (2:06), who had a standout career at Seton Hall and surpassed Hamilton on Coatesville's all-time scoring list.

Start out at 1:04 and you will see present Orlando Magic guard and former Chester High School and St. Joe's Hawks standout Jameer Nelson,. (My Dad's from Chester so I figured id add it).

Also a little fact that I stumbled on while I was searching the interweb. If you look at the starting rosters of the 1996 McDonalds All-American game you will see these interesting names:

Kobe Bryant- LA Lakers (5x Champion, 2x Finals MVP, 2008 League MVP)
Richard Hamilton- Pistons (2004 NBA Champion, 3x All-Star)
Stephen Jackson- Bobcats (2003 NBA Champion)
Jermaine O'Neal- Celtics (6x All-Star)
Tim Thomas- Mavericks
Mike Bibby- Atlanta Hawks

Not a bad starting lineup eh?

Also two articles:

Where are they now John 'Tootie' Allen (SLAM Magazine)

Richard 'Rip' Hamilton never forgets where he came from (ESPN.com)

Sixers even up on the road, Top Nuggets

2010-12-27T06:13:00.000-08:00

Meeks' three in the final minute sealed the win

Jodie Meeks hit a deep three with 47.1 seconds remaining to cap strong fourth quarter, and the Philadelphia 76ers topped the Denver Nuggets, 95-89, at Pepsi Center.

Jrue Holiday finished with 22 points, Elton Brand notched a double-double with 16 points and 17 rebounds. Meeks ended with 17 points for the Sixers, who snapped a two-game skid and are now 2-2 on a eight-game road trip.

"Once again our defense gave us a chance," Philadelphia coach Doug Collins said. "We won this game today shooting under 40 percent from the floor, 3-of-14 from three, missing 12 free throws."

Chauncey Billups finished with a game-high 24 points, Arron Afflalo and Ty Lawson both scored 14 and Nene had 13 points and nine rebounds for Denver, which was without superstar Carmelo Anthony. He missed his third game in a row following the death of his sister, Michelle Anthony, who passed away due to a pre-existing medical condition.

The Sixers were without guard Lou Williams who is home expecting the birth of his daughter. Williams will also miss Monday's game at Golden State.

The Nuggets were up 82-70 after two Billups free throws with 8:11 remaining, but a Brand layup on the Sixers' next possession started a 19-2 run that gave the Sixers the lead in the final minutes.

"I think it's something we have to spend some time watching on film, going through game-type situations in practice," Billups said of the fourth-quarter meltdown.


Holiday led the way with 22 points

After his layup Brand added a putback shot just inside seven minutes to put the game at 82-74. Meeks connected on four free throws and Iguodala hit a short jumper with 5:08 remaining to put the game at 82-80.

After Holiday tied the game at the line, Billups hit on two from the charity stripe with 4:18 left to keep the Nuggets advantage at 84-82. Thaddeus Young then added two of his 20 points off the bench with a short jumper on the next possession, and Iguodala made the front end on two from the line to give the Sixers an 85-84 lead with 3 1/2 minutes remaining.

A Holiday jumper and two Brand free throws extended the Sixers' lead to five to cap the run and give Philadelphia a 89-84 advantage.

Nene ended the run when he hit on a convincing dunk just over the minute mark, but Meeks hit his long three to put the Sixers up six, 92-86, to seal the victory.

The Nuggets were forced to foul down the stretch and the only shot they made was a Billups three with 17.8 seconds left, but Philadelphia was already up eight at that point.

Denver took a 25-13 lead after the first, but shot 35 percent from the field in the second, and Philadelphia cut the margin to 46-43 at the half.

Holiday led the Sixers will 11 points in the third, but Denver outscored them 25-23, en route to a 71-66 lead entering the fourth.

Game Notes

The Nuggets have lost three straight...Denver shot 91.3 percent from the foul line...Philadelphia is now 4-12 on the road, and will finish off its trip with visits to Golden State, Phoenix, the LA Lakers and New Orleans...Philadelphia was also without assistant coach Brian James due to a death in the family.

Copyright: The Sports Network

Fisher leads 'Nova to romp of Monmouth

2010-12-23T17:48:00.000-08:00

Corey Fisher scored a game-high 20 points to go along with five assists and five rebounds as the No. 8 Villanova Wildcats topped the Monmouth Hawks 76-36.

Corey Stokes added 19 points, including five three-pointers, and Mouphtaou Yarou scored 14 for the Wildcats (10-1), who have won five straight and will next face Big 5 rival Temple on December 30.

Maalik Wayns had 11 points and six assists for the victors.

Phil Wait led Monmouth with eight points and Jordan Davis scored seven for the Hawks (4-8), who have lost four of five.

The Wildcats jumped out to an early lead and never looked back.

Monmouth's R.J. Rutledge made the first of two foul shots to tie the game at 5-5 with 16:08 remaining in the first half, but Fisher's jumper on the other end started a 19-2 run for Villanova that put the game away for good.

Stokes followed Fisher's jumper with a layup in the lane, and Fisher added two more jump shots -- surrounding a Davis layup -- to put Villanova up 13-7.

The Wildcats scored a total of 13 unanswered points and the Hawks went 0-for-6 from the field to widen Villanova's lead to 24-7 with 8:32 left in the half.

Fisher and Stokes scored 13 and 11 points, respectively, for Villanova in the first half, en route to a 44-17 lead at the break.
Monmouth would never threaten down the stretch.

Game Notes
Villanova shot 50 percent from the field, while Monmouth shot just 25.5 percent...The Wildcats converted 13 turnovers into 23 points...The Hawks shot 1-for-19 from beyond the arc.

Copyright. The Sports Network

Allen leads the way as Celtics top the Sixers AGAIN

2010-12-23T17:43:00.000-08:00

Ray Allen led the Celtics with 22 points and six assists as Boston topped Philadelphia, 84-80, for its league-leading 14th consecutive victory.

Shaquille O'Neal finished with 13 points and nine rebounds and Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce added 12 and 11 points, respectively, for Boston, which capped a three-game home stand.

Elton Brand led Philadelphia with 16 points and 12 rebounds, but fouled out late in the fourth, and Jrue Holiday added 15 points for the Sixers, who have dropped two straight.

"Our team is competitive," said Sixers head coach Doug Collins. "Our guys compete every single night. For them to come out and play the Celtics the way we did, they showed me who they are. I knew our guys were going to compete like this."

Garnett sank two from the line with 3:17 remaining to tie the game at 76. Pierce added a pair of free throws 22 seconds later to give Boston the lead, but Lou Williams' running jump shot on the far end put the game at 78 apiece.

Allen went to the line for two after Holiday was called for a blocking foul, and after he sank both, Pierce added a short jumper, after an Andre Iguodala miss, to expand the Boston lead to 82-78.

Brand made a short jumper to make it a one-possession game, but he fouled O'Neal on the far end, sending him from the game. O'Neal missed both to give the Sixers life, but Iguodala turned the ball over on the next possession and was rejected by Garnett on a driving layup with 14.9 seconds left.

"Last time we played them, Paul (Pierce) told me Iguodala loves to go right, finish right, and Paul funneled him," said Garnett. "We talked about some things, some schemes, this morning about sending [Iguodala] to the defense, we did that and I just got the block"

Allen was fouled with 5.6 seconds left, and iced two from the line to seal the game.

Philadelphia's Andres Nocioni attempted a desperation three with 2.8 ticks remaining, but the shot was off target.

Allen scored 11 in the first, as Boston took a 23-17 lead after the opening 12 minutes. The Sixers responded in the second as they shot 58.3 percent from the field, to take a 44-38 lead at the half.

Philadelphia went cold in the third quarter, shooting 5-of-15 from the field, and Boston responded to take a 64-61 advantage heading into the final stanza.

Game Notes
Boston won the previous meeting, 102-101, on December 9...Boston shot 38.8 percent from the field, while the Sixers shot 43.1 percent...The Celtics won the rebounding margin, 43-40...Williams scored 12 points and Tony Battie added 10 points and six rebounds off the bench for the Sixers.

Copyright. The Sports Network

Is Jets' head coach Rex Ryan a podophilia

2010-12-21T18:15:00.000-08:00

In this video, uncovered by Deadspin.com, a woman that looks like Jets' head coach Rex Ryan is shown and a man with a similar voice to that of Rex's engage in a amateur version of Popophilia, or those who pursue foot fetishes.

Maybe Rex likes feet cause he can't see his...

Luck of the Irish: Celtics top 76ers on Garnetts last second basket

2010-12-20T09:25:00.000-08:00


Iconic is was not but Sixers Celtics sure was entertaining

Kevin Garnett's alley-oop layup with 1.4 seconds remaining lifted the Boston Celtics to a 102-101 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center.

Rajon Rondo connected with Garnett for the tip-in, finding his teammate with a substantial size advantage in the paint over Sixers guard Jrue Holiday.

"We worked on that last week," said Celtics head coach Doc Rivers of the play. "We tried to run it early and we had bad timing. It's just funny how things work out."

The shot came just seconds after Andre Iguodala gave Philadelphia a 101-100 advantage with a running hook shot.
Garnett stole the inbounds pass after his go-ahead bucket, sealing the win for Boston. He scored 14 points and Rondo added 19 with 14 assists for the Celtics, who have won nine straight.

Ray Allen scored a game-high 23 points and Glen Davis added 16 in a reserve role for Boston.

Jodie Meeks led the Sixers with 19 points on 4-of-4 from beyond the arc and Iguodala scored 14 with 11 assists for the Sixers, who saw their five-game home winning streak snapped.

Thaddeus Young and Lou Williams both had 16 points off the bench for Philadelphia.

"What a heart-breaking loss," stated Sixers head coach Doug Collins. "Our guys played so hard, and so well. That Celtics team is so good and so well-coached. They have got so many different ways that they can attack you on the offensive end. It was just a shame. It would have been an incredible win for us here tonight."

Boston led 81-80 entering the fourth and after the teams traded baskets for most of the quarter, Philadelphia took a 97-93 lead in the final two minutes on a Meeks three-pointer and Elton Brand jump shot.

Allen responded with two from the line and a deep triple to retake the lead for Boston with 1:04 left on the clock. Iguodala followed with a jumper for the Sixers, but Davis came back with a bucket to give the Celtics another one- point lead and set the stage for Iguodala's go-ahead basket with 6.6 seconds remaining.

His runner left plenty of time for Garnett's heroics.

Philadelphia held a 32-29 advantage after the opening quarter, but Boston responded in the second with nine-point efforts from Allen and Nate Robinson to take a 56-55 lead at the half.

Game Notes

The Celtics have not lost in Philadelphia since Allen and Garnett joined the team in 2007...Shaquille O'Neal missed the game for Boston with right calf soreness, while Semih Erden made his first career start...Philadelphia won the rebounding margin 39-33...Holiday finished with 12 points and six assists for the Sixers.

Copyright. The Sports Network

Hornets Stung: Philly capitalizes on slow NOLA for win

2010-12-20T09:16:00.000-08:00

Andre Iguodala scored 16 to go along with 10 rebounds and five assists as the Philadelphia 76ers cruised to an 88-70 victory over the New Orleans Hornets at Wells Fargo Center.

Lou Williams accounted for 17 points and Elton Brand had 15 points and 13 rebounds for the Sixers, who capped a 3-1 homestand with the win. Jrue Holiday added 12 points and four assists.

"The mentality around the team is great. Five out of seven," stated Brand when talking about the team's recent success. "We had a lead out in Atlanta, big lead and the one-point loss the other day [to Boston]. That could have been seven in a row. We would have been one of the most talked about teams in the league, so they know we can play. We are just working hard to get better."

Chris Paul led the Hornets with 25 points but fell well below his 10.4 assists per game average because of a dismal shooting day from his team. David West accounted for nine points and eight rebounds and Trevor Ariza grabbed 10 boards for the Hornets, who have lost two in a row and four of their last five.

"Give them credit. They switched, they're active and athletic," Hornets head coach Monty Williams said of the Sixers. "But we missed a lot of point blank shots and we missed a lot of free throws."

The Sixers capitalized on a poor shooting first quarter for New Orleans -- 5- of-21 from the field -- to take a 20-13 lead after the opening 12 minutes.

The storyline of the game took place in the second quarter as New Orleans broke various franchise records for offensive futility.

Philadelphia started the second on a 12-0 run, and it took until a Marcus Thornton free throw at 6:29 for the first Hornets points. New Orleans' slump continued as they shot 1-of-21 from the field in the quarter en route to a 45-23 Sixers lead at the break.

The Hornets shot 6-of-42 in the first half, which garnered the distinction as the worst shooting start in franchise history. Their one field goal in the second quarter was also a franchise first.

Although the 10-point second quarter was low it was not the league's worst as the Los Angeles Clippers hold that honor with a three-point second quarter in a game against the Lakers on December 14, 1999.

New Orleans made 8-of-15 from the field in the third quarter -- which included seven points from Paul -- but Philadelphia still held the 67-46 advantage heading to the final stanza.

The fourth quarter was all but a formality as Philadelphia's lead reached as high as 27 at the midway point of the quarter and stayed around 20 throughout.

Game Notes

Sunday's game kicked off five games in seven days for the Sixers...This was the return of Willie Green and Jason Smith to Philadelphia. The pair, who both went scoreless, was sent to New Orleans in a trade for Darius Songaila and Craig Brackins in the off-season...Philadelphia won both meetings last season after losing the previous four...The winner of the first game has swept the season series for the past four years...New Orleans visits the Miami Heat on Monday...The Hornets shot 30.4 percent overall.

Copyright. The Sports Network

LouWill Shines as Sixers top Magic

2010-12-20T09:07:00.000-08:00

Lou Williams scored 24 points off the bench and the Philadelphia 76ers opened an eight-game road-trip with a 97-89 victory over the Orlando Magic at Amway Center.

Orlando made two trades prior to the game, overhauling its roster in the midst of a slump with moves that involved eight players.

Andre Iguodala scored 21 points and dished out seven assists for Philadelphia, which has won two straight on the road for the first time this season. Elton Brand finished with a double-double, scoring 20 and grabbing 13 rebounds.

The Magic acquired embattled guard Gilbert Arenas from Washington for forward Rashard Lewis, then made a six-player deal with Phoenix that netted them Jason Richardson, Hedo Turkoglu and Earl Clark for Vince Carter, Marcin Gortat, Mickael Pietrus, a first-round draft pick and cash consideration.

"We needed scoring and we needed a little bit more punch," stated Magic president of basketball operations Otis Smith regarding the trades. "Looking at our team we were missing a little bit of something. We lost size but we got scorers and that was important for us."

With their new teammates in transit, the Magic only dressed eight players against the Sixers, getting game-highs of 26 points and 20 rebounds from Dwight Howard and 18 points from Brandon Bass.

Orlando lost for the sixth time in seven games.

Howard scored 12 points in the first quarter and the Magic held a 21-20 advantage heading into the second.

Williams paced the Sixers with 12 of his points in the second, while the rest of Philadelphia shot just 3-of-14 from the field. However, an equally slow quarter from Orlando (7-of-23 shooting) allowed the Sixers to take a 40-39 lead into the half.

Iguodala's three-pointer with 3:10 remaining in the third quarter gave Philadelphia a 65-57 lead. The teams traded baskets down the stretch and Philadelphia took the 71-64 lead into the final stanza.

A Williams' three with 3 1/2 remaining put Philadelphia up 15, its largest lead of the game, but the Magic went on a 10-1 run to trim the deficit to 91-85. The Sixers then made five foul shots -- three from Williams, two from Iguodala -- to widen the gap to 96-85 in the final seconds.

"Our defense was so good tonight," said Sixers head coach Doug Collins. "Scrambling, trying to make Dwight Howard work hard for all of his baskets and our guys rotated. You're not going to look on the stat sheet and see much stats besides Thaddeus Young's name, but he was terrific."

Game Notes

Philadelphia will play eight games in 17 days on its road-trip...Orlando had won eight straight and 12 of the previous 13 in this series...Jameer Nelson scored 17 with nine assists in the loss...Orlando won the rebounding margin 53-39.

Copyright The Sports Network

Phil Jasner: Thank You

2010-12-13T20:31:00.000-08:00

For those of you that know me you know that I am a basketball fan. Someone that follows the NBA more then is socially acceptable and one of the remaining Sixers fans still brave enough to admit it.

Today the Sixers lost one of their longest standing voices, Mr. Phil Jasner. I don't need to read across his accomplishments because if you know who he is then his years of service to the Philadelphia basketball community are already well known.

I met Phil once and I thought it was a good time to tell my story.

Coming out of college I began my career at the sports network, where I still work today. One of the perks of working at a wire service is the access to press credentials and in the dark days, "Eddie Jordan's tenure", I was able to attend many Sixers games. At one of those games I had the honor of meeting Mr. Jasner in person.

This particular game was special. It was Allen Iverson's second game back with the Sixers and it was against the Detroit Pistons, a team I have followed for years because of Coatesville's own Rip Hamilton. It was also my first game attending solo as a member of the media.

Anyway, I was walking through the press concourse and I got lost (for any of you who have been in the lower level back stage area you can understand). I ended up in a long corridor outside of the office of Mr. Harvey Pollack. Now I should have known where I was because I spent time as an intern for Harvey, but my nerves sent me into a confusion and I accidentally walked through a set of double doors and ended up in a stairwell.

Completely lost, I finally found myself in a long hallway around where the locker rooms were. Players were coming out so I was blocked off, it was about 50 minutes from tip off and I still couldn't find my way into the arena. I back tracked and ran into Mr. Jasner standing by the coat check.

I guess it was obvious that I was lost and just as if I was some long lost friend he asked me if I needed help finding my way. Knowing who he was I was shocked by his kindness. Mr. Jasner showed me where to put my coat and asked me who I was here representing. I told him (trying not to act like a nervous child) and he asked me how old I was. Being 22 at the time I told him and he laughed. He told me he had note pads older then me and said that he thought it was refreshing seeing "new blood" at the games.

What immediately shocked me about him was he genuine nature and the fact that he gave the time of day to a 22-year old kid that obviously didn't look like he belonged there. Mr. Jasner showed me around, to the press eating room, and also to where I would be sitting at that nights game.

I was four rows behind Mr Jasner but instead of paying attention to the game I kept finding myself watching this man that I have read for most of my life.

In between quarters he said hello to everyone and everyone said hello to him. It was like there was no division between the every fan and this man that accomplished more then I can ever hope to achieve.

At the end of the game I did my duty and went to the locker room for post game quotes. After I got what I needed I went into the back hallway between the locker rooms to call back into the sports network. As I finished up my call I remember seeing Mr. Jasner down the same hallway so I went up to say goodbye and thank you.

I was astonished when, as walking up to him, he immediately remembered my name and asked how my locker room session went, I told him and he asked to see my notes. (this was big for me), I was worried that he would laugh at my scribbles but he just smiled and said.. "you know I was like you back in the day."

He spent about 10 minutes giving me pointers about who was great for quotes, what type of questions led to the best answers and which players and coaches are easier to talk to them others. It as amazing that a man that has accomplished so much was so open to talking to a kid that was way below him professionally.

But, that was the type of man Phil Jasner was, he was a kind man first and a journalist second, but a damn fine journalist.

I went back three weeks later when the Sixers hosted the New York Knicks. This time I knew where to go and knew exactly where my seat was. As I walked into the arena and sat down Phil noticed me walking up, he leaned back from his chair and said "Did ya find it ok this time", I replied "sure did" Phil nodded and gave me a quick smile then he said "Your already a pro, keep it up kid".

That was the last time I saw Phil Jasner but with this solo experience his writing has taken on a whole new voice for me. Phil Jasner was a man among men and more then anything he was a fan. A fan of basketball, a fan of Philadelphia but more then anything a fan of people.... Mr. Jasner, I thank you for the years of service you gave you craft and the Philadelphia region, you will be missed.