Smooth-shooting Sixers beat Bobcats

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The big difference between the 76ers this season and last is that last year's team relied almost exclusively on its defense to win games.

That was the case as well in the early stages of this season, when the Sixers broke the 100-point barrier just once in their first 10 games.

But unlike last season's team, this squad has more weapons, and those weapons are starting to get untracked more often.

That was the case Friday night as the Sixers held off the Charlotte Bobcats, 104-98, in a game that featured as much offensive balance as Doug Collins' team has exhibited this season.

Evan Turner continued his surge, leading the Sixers with a game-high 25 points. Turner also pulled down 10 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season.

Turner's double-double was one of three by the Sixers. Jrue Holiday finished with a career-high 15 assists and 13 points, and Lavoy Allen notched his first double-double this season with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Jason Richardson scored 14 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, and Thaddeus Young posted a workmanlike 15 points and seven rebounds for the Sixers, winners of three in a row and six of their last eight games.

"That shooting changes stuff," Collins said after the Sixers shot a season-best 51.2 percent from the field. "But we've still got a lot of growing up to do at the end of games."

The Sixers (10-6) took their largest lead of the night, 72-62, on a Holiday bucket with 4 minutes, 52 seconds left in the third quarter. But the Bobcats (7-8) erased that lead and tied the score at 81 with 9:44 remaining.

The Sixers turned to their offense again - particularly the outside shooting of Richardson down the stretch - to hold off the Bobcats. Richardson was 4 of 6 from behind the three-point line in the fourth quarter, at one point hitting three three-pointers in a row. He scored 14 of the Sixers' final 21 points.

"I just had it going," Richardson said. "Guys were finding me and I just knocked down some shots. I was shocked that they left me open so many times.

"In the first half they kind of shaded me and I think I took a couple of contested threes. But in the second half it kind of opened up, with Jrue, Evan and Thad getting duck-ins. That just created some open shots."

While others had been wondering about the Sixers' missing offense earlier in the season, Richardson was not among them.

"We started the season off slow, but I knew we were going to overcome that because we have guys who can score the ball," Richardson said.