76ers-Suns Preview

By JUSTIN EINHORN
Posted Dec 27 2011 11:47AM

With the NBA seemingly thin on talent at the center position, Phoenix's Robin Lopez and Philadelphia's Spencer Hawes appeared to be two more big busts after disappointing 2010-11 seasons.

Each 7-footer showed in this week's opener he still could end up being a major contributor, though only one can help his team get its first victory as the Suns host the 76ers on Wednesday night.

The expectations for Lopez grew after he became a starter midway through 2009-10 - his second NBA season - and averaged 11.3 points and 6.2 rebounds in 31 starts. He failed to build upon that promise last season, averaging 6.4 points and 3.2 boards in 67 games, and eventually lost his starting job.

Some nagging injuries could have been partly to blame for that drop-off, and the team noticed his improved play during training camp.

Lopez scored a game-high 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds in 27 minutes off the bench in a season-opening 85-84 home loss to New Orleans on Monday.

"He's looked really active and aggressive and he was big for us tonight," two-time MVP Steve Nash said. "He had a really nice game. He had a struggle last year physically and mentally and to come back strong says a lot about him."

Nash had 14 points and 12 assists to kick off his 16th season but went scoreless in the fourth quarter. The final play was designed for Nash to get the ball, but rookie Markieff Morris threw it out of bounds.

Phoenix, though, was pleased with its defensive effort, particularly after finishing second-to-last in the league last season in points allowed at 105.9 per game.

"You can see the work that we've been putting in at practice," Lopez said. "If we can make that big of a jump from preseason to this game, I think it's a tough loss but if we keep playing with that intensity I think we'll be OK."

Like the Suns, the 76ers weren't too bothered by a narrow loss in their opener, 107-103 in Portland on Monday.

Philadelphia cut a 15-point deficit to two with 17 seconds left after Lou Williams scored 10 straight 76ers points - he finished with 25 - but Andre Iguodala missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer.

"If we play with that kind of effort and competitive nature over the course of the year, we're going to be fine," Hawes said. "The stuff that hurt us tonight is correctable. And I think we'll get it quickly the more we're around each other."

Hawes nearly had a triple-double, finishing with 10 points and 14 rebounds while tying a career high with nine assists.

The 10th overall pick in 2007, Hawes is coming off a subpar first season with Philadelphia after being acquired from Sacramento in a three-team deal. Despite starting 81 games, his averages of 7.2 points and 5.7 boards were easily his worst since his rookie season.

"He was incredibly committed in the offseason," second-year coach Doug Collins said. "This is a kid who has great confidence in himself. Spencer came in great shape. He thrives in the way we play. If Spencer stays healthy and sound, he's going to have a great, great year."

While the 76ers look to prevent another bad beginning - they lost four straight and 13 of 16 to open last season but made the playoffs - Phoenix hopes to avoid its first 0-2 start since opening 0-13 in 1996-97.

Philadelphia swept both meetings last season after losing nine of 12 to the Suns.

76ers surge past Suns 103-83

Posted Dec 29 2011 12:24AM

PHOENIX (AP) Philadelphia coach Doug Collins' emphasis on starting the second half quickly paid dividends on Wednesday night.

Andre Iguodala scored 15 points to lead six players in double figures and added six assists and the Philadelphia 76ers used a 19-0 run to start the second half and routed the Phoenix Suns 103-83 on Wednesday night.

Jrue Holiday and Thaddeus Young also scored 15 each for the Sixers, who extended a 14-point halftime lead to 67-34 with 6:44 remaining.

"As an announcer I always said teams don't warm as well after halftime as before the game," Collins said. "I have been adamant about coming out and warming up well and trying to hit them hard the first five minutes (of the second half.)"

Ronnie Price, signed as a free agent on Dec. 13, matched a career high with 16 points, and Grant Hill and Hakim Warrick added 14 each for the Suns, who are off to a 0-2 start for the first time since 1996-97.

"What can I say? Obviously it was not what we anticipated," Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. "It was a struggle. We just can't afford to (lose) the first two games at home. You lose those two games and it puts you behind the eight ball right away."

Philadelphia needed less than 90 seconds of the third quarter to stretch a 48-34 lead at halftime to 11 at 55-34 on Spencer Hawes' steal and dunk with 10:34 to go in the period.

The 76ers' fast start was aided by Steve Nash, who threw the ball away twice, missed a jump shot and took the blame as his teammates walked to the huddle after Gentry called time out.

"It felt like we knew we could get stops," Iguodala said. "Offensively with all the mismatching and I got a play call that was working for us. We exploited it a couple of times and from there everybody kept getting open shots and just kept picking them apart."

Philadelphia never missed a beat. Jodie Meeks made consecutive shots, Holiday made four straight free throws and added a pair of jump shots as the 76ers opened a 33-point lead.

"We had that six-minute period in the second half where our defense was as good as it could be," Collins said.

Shannon Brown ended the Suns' quarter-long scoring drought on an 18-foot jump shot with 5:48 left in the period, drawing a sarcastic cheer from the crowd.

"Collectively we are not in a good rhythm," Hill said. "That is something usually we are pretty good at. We missed a lot of shots. We have to keep working, stay positive and those shots will come."

Nash finished 2 of 11 from the floor with one assist, six turnovers and four fouls.

NOTES: The Sixers have won two straight in Phoenix for the first time since 1984-85. ... Meeks, who scored three points in Philadelphia's opener at Portland, finished with 12 on 5 of 8 shooting. ... Phoenix's losing streak in 1996-97 stretched to 13 games before the Suns won 40 of their last 69 to make the playoffs. ... Suns forward Channing Frye had eight rebounds in eight first-quarter minutes, but sat out the entire second quarter and played only five more minutes the rest of the way. . Phoenix had two field goals over the final 5:04 of the first quarter, both by Hakim Warrick spaced nearly four minutes apart. ... Sixers coach Doug Collins is 3-0 against Phoenix since taking over in Philadelphia before last season.

Notebook: Sixers 103, Suns 83

By Mike Tulumello, for NBA.com
Posted Thursday December 29, 2011 1:54AM

THE FACTS: The Phoenix Suns, synonymous in the NBA with high-powered offense through the decades, can't score these days. The latest team to take advantage was the Philadelphia 76ers, who breezed to a 103-83 win in Phoenix Wednesday night.

The game wasn't nearly this close; the Sixers led by as many as 34, 70-36, midway through the third quarter.

The Sixers, who evened their record at 1-1, got 15 points each from Andre Igoudala, Jrue Holiday and Thaddeus Young.

Ronnie Price, the Suns' backup point guard, had 16 points.

The Suns, who averaged 105 points last season, are averaging 83.5 after two games and have opened the season 0-2 for the first time since 1996-97. That's the season they started 0-13.

QUOTABLE: "Our defense was superb ... it's what created all of our offense, got us in the open court."
-- Sixers coach Doug Collins

THE STAT: In rolling to a 48-34 lead, the Sixers had only four turnovers in the first half.

TURNING POINT: Pretty much when the teams took the floor. The Suns had three turnovers (two by Steve Nash) and one basket in their first 10 possessions and fell behind 11-1. They recovered to lead, briefly, 16-15 and 17-16. The Sixers dominated the rest of the way.

QUOTABLE II: "It's so hard for us to get a shot off and to get a rhythm. I'm really disappointed, but you can't stay there. I've got to start thinking about what we are going to do in the next game ... We don't have time to linger in pity. We've got to regroup and figure out what we can do."
-- Suns coach Alvin Gentry

HOT: Evan Turner was 6-for-9 off the Sixers' bench for 12 points. He also had seven rebounds and zero turnovers.

NOT: Nash had one of his worst games as a Sun. He shot 2-for-11 for four points. He also had six turnovers, and -- most stunning -- just one assist. Nash said: "I wasn't able to get it going, and that put a lot of pressure on the offense. We couldn't loosen them up or break them down to create easy opportunities."

FANTASY SPOTLIGHT: Through two games, Igoudala is averaging 18.5 points on 12-for-21 shooting (57 percent). By contrast, the Suns' Channing Frye is averaging 1.5 points on 1-for-10 shooting plus 6.0 rebounds.

GOOD MOVE: None of the Sixers played more than 32 minutes.

BAD MOVE?: So far, the signing of free agent Shannon Brown has produced little for the Suns. Through two games, Brown has shot 4-for-15 for eight points in 41 minutes.

INSIDE THE ARENA: Suns fans appeared too bored to boo, at least until the Sixers' lead approached 30 points in the third quarter.

ROOKIE WATCH: The Suns Markieff Morris shot 4-for-5 for nine points. He is averaging 8.0 points and 6.0 reboounds. In his NBA debut, the Sixers Nikola Vucevic shot 3-for-6 for six points plus six boards.

NOTABLE: Collins said he emphasizes the importance of halftime warmups and a strong start in the third quarter. Wednesday, this worked in spades. The Sixers outscored the Suns, 22-2, to start the second half to stretch their lead to 34 (70-36).

UP NEXT: For the 76ers, Friday @ Utah, Saturday @ Golden State and Wednesday @ New Orleans. For the Suns, Friday @ New Orleans, Saturday @ Oklahoma City and Monday vs. Warriors.

• 76ers: Allen
• Suns: --

• 76ers: --
• Suns: --

• Lead Changes: 6
• Times Tied: 1

• Arena: US Airways Center, Phoenix, AZ
• Officials: #49 Tom Washington, #45 Brian Forte, #30 John Goble
• Attendance: 16360
• Duration: 2:04