Archive: March, 2012
Video: Evan Turner scored a career-high 26 points in the Sixers' 103-71 blowout win over the Celtics. The Daily News' Marcus Hayes reports from the Wells Fargo Center.
Bob Cooney
Thaddeus Young is sick and will not play tonight against Boston, coach Doug Collins told reporters before the game.
Tony Battie will get the start, with Nik Vucevic coming off the bench to give the Sixers some spark. Vucevick was initially slated to start his second consecutive game.
Battie will be making his 10th start of the season.
Bob Cooney
Remember Spencer Hawes? Starting center for the Sixers. Had a terrific start to the season and was a big reason as to why the team got off to such a tremendous start. He's missed over a month of action now, but he seems close to putting on the uniform again.
After this morning's shootaround in which the Sixers prepared for tonight's home game against the Boston Celtics, Hawes met with the media for the first time in a few weeks. He looks good, not having put on any weight during his absence. In fact, he says he's even lost a couple of pounds.
"It's been encouraging the last couple of days to go out on the court, move around and not even think about it," said Hawes of his strained Achilles'. The first time I tried to come back (a two-game stint) I was definitely favoring it. This time, checking with everybody who is observing me, they're telling me it looks like it's back to normal pretty much.
Bob Cooney
It has all the feel of "Ok, son. Show me what you got."
Sixers coach Doug Collins inserted second-year swingman Evan Turner into the starting lineup for the first time this season tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks in favor of struggling starter Jodie Meeks, who has mad just 8 of his last 32 shots from three-point range.
But more than that, it appears, at least through his body language, that Turner hasn't been tha happiest camper of late. His playing time has been severely trimmed of late and he has appeared to put on a few pounds during his inactivity.
Sidelined Sixers center Spencer Hawes is expected to "resume basketball activities" Monday, coach Doug Collins said.
The Sixers remain hopeful that Hawes will return to action on March 12. That was the initial target suggeted by Hawes' foot specialist, Richard Fenkel, after Hawes was examined during the All-Star break.
Upon his return, Hawes will be limited to about 5 minutes per quarter initially. He also would have limitations on the minutes he played in the second game of back-to-backs.
Bob Cooney
The talk throughout the arena all day Friday, from the morning's shootaround to just about game time has been about the 100 points Wilt Chamberlain scored 50 years ago today as a member of the Philadelphia Warriors against the New York Knicks in Hershey, Pa. Everyone in attendance received a 2x2 piece of the floor in which that game was played, as well as a scoring breakdown of Wilt's night.
Reporters were asking reporters and players were asking players what the most points they ever scored in a game, no one coming close to Chamberlain's total. Almost all feel the feat will never be accomplished again. Many thought the 81 Kobe Bryant scored for the Lakers in 2006, the second-highest total in NBA history, might not even be reached.
Stories about Chamberlain have circulated through the years, some myth, many real. One of the stories my dad used to tell me was how Chamberlain could palm a 16-pound balling ball. According to my dad, he could pick the ball up off the floor without using the holes.
Bob Cooney has been at the Daily News for more than 20 years, working in the sports department for the past 15. This is his third season on the Sixers beat. He has covered just about everything, but mostly college basketball, where he was the La Salle beat writer for six seasons. E-mail Bob at cooneyb@phillynews.com and follow him on Twitter.
