76ers lose to Nets, 103-96

Since tonight's game from Roanoke, VA doesn't appear to exist anywhere else on the internet, thought we should get this info up ASAP. The Sixers lost to New Jersey, 103-96, at the Roanoke Civic Center.

Here are some numbers from the Sixers: Marreese Speights 19 points on 4 for 14 shooting from field, 11 for 14 from the line, with 9 rebounds and 2 turnovers. Elton Brand had 15 points on 4 for 7 from the field and 7 for 10 from the line. Thaddeus Young left the game in the second quarter with a corneal abrasion to his left eye. It's not expected to be serious. Andre Iguodala had 4 points on 0 for 5 shooting, 4 for 4 from the line, with 2 rebounds and 3 assists. Jrue Holiday had 10 points on 4 for 9 shooting, 5 rebounds, 4 assists. Evan Turner had 12 points on 2 for 6 shooting, 10 for 12 from the line, with 7 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 turnover. Turner played 25 minutes. Lou Williams had 10 points, Jodie Meeks played the entire second half and had 9 points on 4 for 7 shooting. Craig Brackins played 20 minutes and had 5 points and 5 rebounds. Jason Kapono had 2 points on 1 for 4 shooting in 15 minutes.

Nets shot 50.7 percent from the floor, Sixers shot 37.5 percent; Nets shot 8 for 12 from beyond the arc, Sixers shot 2 for 18 (um, yikes, scary); Nets outrebounded the Sixers, 48-29; Sixers scored 22 fast-break points while the Nets only scored 5.

And there's a swift version of your boxscore.

Here are some observations:

*Holiday wasn't all that effective tonight (4 assists and 5 turnovers), but Collins said he expects he'll be much better going forward, so that's a game-changer right there.

*The interior defense did not look good. OK, so we know that Brook Lopez is a good, young center, but in the first half he just absolutely dominated Spencer Hawes and Speights. Yes, it's early, but neither of those guys look like a solution to stopping some of the NBA's better big men. Collins said after the game that for Hawes to be effective defensively, he needs to have the team playing solid "team defense." The points in the paint number ended about even (Nets, 38-34), but that might be because Lopez played only 9 minutes in the second half.

*Turner creating offensively. He still needed the ball in his hands to make things happen, but getting to the line 12 times in your first NBA game is nothing to be upset about. When Turner was in with Holiday, Turner ran the point most of the time. Only worrying thing about Turner was that he wasn't necessarily getting his looks out of the flow of the offense, he just kind of did his thing.

*The Sixers really have some depth on the bench. With a second-unit backcourt of Williams and Turner, that's strong right there. Add in Meeks, who looked good, Speights, and Brackins, who seems to be one of those right-place, right-time guys, and that's a fast-scoring backup unit. Although, again, not sure who's defending the center in that scenario.

*Speights loves to shoot. He just loves it. So much.

More tomorrow night against the Boston Celtics.

--Kate