76ers-Hornets Preview

By ALAN FERGUSON
Posted Nov 07 2012 12:49PM

While some of the recent focus has been on coach Monty Williams' comments involving Anthony Davis' concussion, the New Orleans Hornets are off to a solid start even with the No. 1 overall draft pick having to sit out the latest game.

They'll be without him - and their other first-round pick - again Wednesday night.

After recording back-to-back wins over playoff teams from last season, the short-handed Hornets will seek to make it three in a row during a visit from the also hurting Philadelphia 76ers.

Williams was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Tuesday for criticizing the league's concussion policy. Before Saturday's game in Chicago, Williams said, "Now, they treat everybody like they have white gloves and pink drawers and it's getting old. It's just the way the league is now."

Davis suffered a mild concussion when he was inadvertently elbowed by rookie teammate Austin Rivers in Friday's 88-86 win against Utah.

With Davis out, the Hornets (2-1) knocked off the Bulls 89-82 and allowed them to shoot just 33.0 percent. After hitting a late go-ahead shot versus Utah, Greivis Vasquez scored a team-best 18 points against Chicago, and Ryan Anderson had 12 points and 13 rebounds while starting in Davis' place.

"That's the big thing about a team game," center Robin Lopez said. "Everybody came together and everybody stepped it up."

Lopez and his teammates will have to compensate for the loss of Davis and Rivers on Wednesday. While Davis remains out because of his concussion, Rivers - who's shooting 20.0 percent thus far - will miss his first game with a sprained left index finger.

Fellow rookie Darius Miller will start in Rivers' place.

The 76ers (1-2) are averaging 85.3 points on 37.2 percent shooting, and they made 33.7 percent of their shots Monday while suffering their second loss in as many days to New York, 110-88.

"Points aren't easy to come by and you have to be on the same page," center Spencer Hawes said.

Jrue Holiday, who scored a team-best 17 points, is the only player averaging more than 15.0 with 19.3. The absence of Andrew Bynum, out indefinitely with nagging knee problems, hasn't helped.

Jason Richardson is expected to sit Wednesday because of a sprained left ankle that kept him out Monday, while Kwame Brown is also unlikely to play after leaving the latest loss to the Knicks with a strained left calf.

"We haven't played together, so we're trying to learn how to trust each other," coach Doug Collins said. "We're trying to grow and win at the same time while battling some injuries. We've had a little adversity here."

The 76ers will try to overcome those potential absences to earn their fifth victory in six matchups with the Hornets. Philadelphia won 101-93 in last season's lone meeting Jan. 4 in New Orleans as Holiday scored 23 points and Evan Turner added 21 off the bench.

The 76ers have won two of their past three road games against the Hornets after losing five of the previous six. This contest marks the third consecutive time Philadelphia has traveled to New Orleans during the series.

Sixers hold Hornets to franchise low in 77-62 win

By BRETT MARTEL
Posted Nov 08 2012 12:09AM

NEW ORLEANS (AP) Jrue Holiday and the Philadelphia 76ers figured they deserved a tongue-lashing from coach Doug Collins after a sloppy, turnover-filled first half against undermanned New Orleans.

The Sixers still failed to reach 80 points by game's end, but felt better about themselves following a stifling defensive performance that limited the Hornets to a franchise low in points.

Holiday finished with 14 points and 12 assists, and Philadelphia snapped a two-game skid with a 77-62 victory on Wednesday night.

"Coach kind of reamed us at halftime," Holiday said. "We tried to pressure everything. ... We tried to talk and rotate. We really tried to play as a team."

Evan Turner also scored 14, and Thaddeus Young and Lavoy Allen each added 12 points for the Sixers, who took the lead for good with a 10-0 run to open the third quarter. The Hornets committed 14 of their 24 turnovers after halftime and scored only 25 points during the final two quarters. Young also grabbed 10 rebounds.

"It wasn't a masterpiece but we'll take it," Collins said. "Our guys are growing, the way they talk with each other. I see some growth from them. It's just nice to get a win."

Al-Farouq Aminu was the only Hornets player to score in double figures, with 10 points to go with a career-high 16 rebounds. Ryan Anderson grabbed 10 rebounds and 7-foot reserve Jason Smith blocked a career-high five shots.

The Hornets, who lost for the first time in three games, played without first-round draft choices Anthony Davis and Austin Rivers. Davis was not cleared to return from a recent concussion and Rivers had a sprained finger on his left hand.

The team's previous low was 63 points in a 2009 playoff loss to Denver.

Disappointed as Hornets coach Monty Williams was with his club's turnover and point total, he stopped short of criticizing his players' effort.

"When you're dealing with a young team and trying to nurture that team, the averages say you're going to have a few nights like this and it's my job to make sure we bounce back," Williams said. "If you told me we're going to hold them to 77 points tonight, I'm thinking we're going to win. So as bad as we feel, we still held another team under 80.

"It's hard to be upset with our guys," he added. "Sometimes you're disappointed, but with this group I can always find something positive to talk about."

The Sixers finished with a 30-20 advantage in the paint and scored 26 points off Hornets turnovers, which was more than enough to offset Philadelphia's 4-of-22 3-point shooting or the Sixers' inability to get to the foul line, where they attempted only five free throws.

Spencer Hawes finished with 11 points and three of the 76ers' six blocked shots. Philadelphia also outshot New Orleans 41.7 percent (35 of 84) to 33.3 percent (23 of 69).

New Orleans was the more aggressive team on defense in the first half, forcing 14 turnovers and taking a 37-36 lead into the locker room despite shooting only 37.8 percent (14 of 37) through the opening two quarters. Smith's eight early points on 3-for-3 shooting and a pair of free throws helped the Hornets keep pace to that point.

"We were just so hesitant in the first half," Collins said. "We were passing up shots and then trying to pass the ball in an area where we had no place to go. We were so out of sync."

In the third quarter, however, the Sixers took much better care of the ball, turning it over only once, and buckled down on defense. New Orleans struggled with the pressure, shooting 4 of 15 (26.7 percent) and turning the ball over eight times in the period as Philadelphia blocked four shots and surged to a double-digit lead.

A pair of jumpers by Allen helped the Sixers jump ahead 46-37. Allen added a 17-foot jumper late in the quarter to make it 57-46.

New Orleans continued to struggle offensively in the final period, falling behind by as many as 23 points when Dorell Wright's back-to-back 3-pointers made it 77-54.

"It's a long season. Long season. Flush this one down the toilet," Smith said. "We have a lot of games left. We have to continue to fight, continue to get better and we will. ... I know Coach will hold us accountable for a lot of stuff and we've just got to keep our heads up."

Notes: The Hornets announced that G Eric Gordon, expected to miss the first four to six weeks of the season with a sore right knee, will undergo an "intensive" and "personalized" rehabilitation program away from the club in Los Angeles. ... The Sixers did not attempt a free throw in the first half. ... Veteran Sixers guard Jason Richardson remains sidelined with a sprained left ankle. Turner started in the backcourt with Holiday. ... Hornets 2012 second-round draft pick Darius Miller got his first career start with Rivers out.

Notebook: Sixers 77, Hornets 62

Bradley Handwerger, for NBA.com
Posted Wed Nov 07, 2012 11:52 PM - Updated Wed Nov 07, 2012 11:52 PM

THE FACTS: The Philadelphia 76ers held the New Orleans Hornets to a franchise-low point total, coasting to a 77-62 win by forcing 24 turnovers. Evan Turner and Jrue Holliday led Philadelphia (2-2) with 14 points, with Holliday adding 12 assists. The Hornets' previous franchise-low for points was 65, coming against Miami in 2000 and Boston in 2003. New Orleans (2-2) shot just 33.3 percent from the floor and lost in spite of shooting 11 more free throws than the 76ers and outrebounding Philadelphia by four. Only Al-Farouq Aminu scored in double figures for the Hornets, notching just 10 points. Aminu added 16 rebounds in the loss.

Philadelphia trailed 37-36 at halftime due in part to 14 turnovers. But the 76ers took better care of the ball in the final 24 minutes, turning it over just one time while forcing the Hornets into just 9 of 32 shooting.

QUOTABLE: "I've told our guys since we've been here that there's one way that we play and there's one way that we're going to be successful, especially when we have guys out. We have to play with more force. I didn't that tonight." -- Hornets coach Monty Williams

THE STAT: 23 and 24 -- When all was said and done, the Hornets had more turnovers than they had made baskets. New Orleans made just nine baskets in the second half and turned it over 14 times. The lack of ball control allowed Philadelphia to take 15 more shots than New Orleans in spite of fewer offensive rebounds.

TURNING POINT: Philadelphia trailed the Hornets by one point at halftime. It never trailed again. The 76ers turned the game in the opening four minutes of the third quarter when it went on a 10-0 run. Philadelphia forced five turnovers in that stretch and didn't allow New Orleans a clean shot at the basket.

HOT: Philadelphia's Thaddeus Young was efficient against New Orleans. Though he took just eight shots, he hit six of them on his way to 12 points. He also grabbed 10 of Philadelphia's rebounds, nearly a fourth of their total for the game.

NOT: Hornets guard Brian Roberts hasn't had a great start to his career. After going 3-of-9 Wednesday night, Roberts is now 4-for-16 for the season. He saw more minutes against Philadelphia because of injuries at the guard position, but didn't capitalize.

NOTABLE: Hornets rookie Darius Miller picked up his first career start with both Austin Rivers and Eric Gordon sidelined with injuries. He finished with five points. ... Philadelphia took only five free throws. ... Aminu set a career high for defensive rebounds with 12. His 16 total rebounds also was a career high. ... The teams combined to go just 8-of-41 from 3-point range.

UP NEXT: For the Hornets, Friday vs. Charlotte, Wednesday @ Houston, Friday vs. Oklahoma City. For the 76ers, Friday @ Boston, Saturday @ Toronto, Monday vs. Milwaukee.

• 76ers: Bynum
• Hornets: Gordon

• 76ers: --
• Hornets: --

• Lead Changes: 10
• Times Tied: 5

• Arena: New Orleans Arena, New Orleans, LA
• Officials: #25 Tony Brothers, #27 Dick Bavetta, #20 Leroy Richardson
• Attendance: 12988
• Duration: 2:10