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76ers trounce Hawks, 101-90

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John N. Mitchell, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

Posted: Friday, April 5, 2013, 10:02 PM

ATLANTA - Playing with an urgency that was absent a few days ago in a loss at Charlotte, the 76ers responded with a balanced effort Friday in a 101-90 victory over the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena.

The Sixers scored 40 points in the first quarter, the most they have scored in any quarter this season, and that enabled them to cruise home.

After going 14 games in which he failed to score 20 points or more earlier this season, Evan Turner finished with a team-high 24 points, marking the third time in the last four games that he's scored 20 or more.

"We were clicking on all cylinders," Turner said of the first quarter. "Coach [Doug Collins] has been encouraging us to come out and win first quarters."

Spencer Hawes (19 points, 12 rebounds) and Thaddeus Young (14 points, 13 rebounds) notched their 18th and 20th double-doubles, respectively, of the season. Damien Wilkins added 16 points, and Jrue Holiday finished with nine points and eight rebounds.

Josh Smith led the Hawks with 19 points.

"I thought this was the best game Evan has played in a while," Collins said. "It makes me feel good because I spent a lot of time with him and Jrue at the practice facility talking about getting yourself ready to play and coming down he stretch.

"These games are important for us because I've got young players."

The victory kept alive the Sixers' slim hopes of reaching the playoffs. They came into the game six games behind Milwaukee, the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs with the Bucks' magic number for securing the spot being two. The Bucks fell to the hot Carmelo Anthony's Knicks in New York on Friday.

The Hawks, meanwhile, came into Friday's game seeded sixth and having already clinched a berth. However, despite their lackluster performance, the Hawks, just 21/2 games behind fourth-seeded Brooklyn, are trying to move up. So they had something to play for.

But the Sixers held them at bay all night after their big first quarter. The Sixers led by as many as 19 points in the first half, saw the Hawks reduce it to 12 in the third quarter, and then restored their lead to 85-65 at the end of three.

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The Sixers close out this trip on Saturday with a game against Eastern Conference-leading Miami. This will be the first time the Sixers have faced the Heat since Chicago ended their franchise-record 27-game winning streak last Wednesday.

The Heat, who rested LeBron James and Dwyane Wade against Charlotte on Friday, have won 14 straight regular-season games against the Sixers.

Sixers associate head coach Michael Curry was not on the bench on Friday after being diagnosed before the game with viral gastroenteritis, according to the Sixers.

Contact John N. Mitchell at jmitchell@philly.com. Follow on Twitter @JmitchInquirer

John N. Mitchell INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

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Comments (17)

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 11:06 PM, 04/05/2013

Decent game.Arena was full of vip basketball types-in Atlanta for the final 4.

They played well so lets see whats left in their tank for the Heat.

— HO HUM

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 11:27 PM, 04/05/2013

Holiday had only 2 TOs & had 3 fgs on 14 shots .. why does he try to dribble thru 3 guys! If this guy is untouchable the Sixers will never get better .. Barkley for GM!

— bill poore

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 5:00 AM, 04/06/2013

Jrue had 8 assists not 8 rebounds. He had 3 rebounds. It's apparent that Jrue is a tired player but DC is still playing him 40 minutes. At this rate Jrue is vulnerable to a serious injury. Just look at him. Rest him Doug! The last thing we need is for Jrue to go down at the end of a dreadful season in meaningless games and be out next season. Get Moultrie and Jenkins some time on the court to develop! I hope these are the last games Doug Collins is doing as head coach of the Sixers.

— joecooler2u

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 6:48 AM, 04/06/2013

Sensational first quarter for the lowest scoring team in the league, as they hit 12 shots in a row (three of them from beyond the arc), while also playing D with a sense of purpose (to stymie their chances to get better through the Draft)...Through that first quarter, the starters were 14-18, and 4-4 from beyond the arc...Sloppy offense the rest of the game, as Jrue shot 1-10 the rest of the way (The "Happy Holidays" are a combined 8-48 through their first 2 games together)...Hawks were a mess missing three guards. This game still seemed so easy, still hard to believe this was just the Sixers 9th win on the road all season.

— bearsfriend

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 7:27 AM, 04/06/2013

Like most fans I wish the Sixers would lose all the rest of there games and play the younger players so the can get some experience just like the rest of the league is doing. Collins is grasping at that last bit of playoff hope so they can be swept in four games by Miami . His thinking l might get the first pick if the ping pong balls fall right or the playoffs if the bucks fold. He also wants the season to end on a posititive Note so he can save his job by saying how well his team played down the stretch and how much the players improved at the end of the season. The only problem is that if you go into nest season with the same players minus one or two and adding one or two you still are in the same spot your in now? Unless they get a real all star which aren't available they will be fighting for the 7,8 or 9 th spot in the east. The draft has no real answers , can anyone even name the overall number 1 pick? There are no free agent difference makers on the market and really who on this team can you trade that will get you a player that will make a real difference? The only real answer is to blow it all up and start over,Orlando will win before the Secaucus Sixers will if things don't change

— bgwille

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 8:43 AM, 04/06/2013

Spencer Hawes, Thad Young, Evan Turner, all playing good balls right now. Thanks God for NOT send them out to ALT for Josh Smith - trade dead line last month.

Jrue should learn how to coach HIS MIND out of DOGMATIC PUZZLE.
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— phillafuN

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 9:05 AM, 04/06/2013

Portland decided to move up in the lottery and will pass us and maybe Washington and Toronto as well. We will finish just ahead of the 3 teams contending for the last spot in the West at 13. Honestly, I'm glad that Doug has come around finally on Turner, allowing him to gain confidence, as well as Hawes, while Thad and Wilkins continue their solid play, but Jrue is a mess as he adds exhaustion to some head down tendencies, so at best he's replicating bad habits and at worse setting himself for injury.

— rzzzzz

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 9:08 AM, 04/06/2013

reminds me of the year we traded Iverson to Denver. We stink and everyone know we are going no where........so lets string together a great stretch and totally blow our chances at a great draft pick. Amazing.....

— beefbre

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 11:20 AM, 04/06/2013

Moultrie in "doghouse" and will probably be traded! Jenkins who knows if he is a player! Colllins is not the right coach for this team but will be back if he wants to come back! BARLKEY FOR GM!!

— bill poore

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 11:21 AM, 04/06/2013

Interesting that in his postgame presser, DC is once again talking about his positive teaching role (echoed elsewhere by the lamentable Bob Cooney) and how young this team is, although his team includs Damien Wilkins, 9th season, Dorell Wright, 9th season, Nick Young, 6th season, Thad Young, 6th season, Royal Ivey, 9th season, Spencer Hawes, 6th season, Jrue Holiday, 4th season, Kwame Stiff, 12th season, and Evan Turner, 3rd season. At some point, the "I am a teacher doing the best I can with a very young team" excuse will be seen for what it is: an excuse for a mediocre team with an overrated coach. BTW: Evan Turner is punching his ticket out of town with increasingly good performances, adding to his trade value, as he has finally figured out that using his body to get defenders off him for the short jumper, complemented by post-up jumpers, the occasional three point jumper and well-timed drives are his best offensive moves, rather than helter-skelter drives to the rim where he routinely eats the ball. As for Holiday, he shot an air ball from the foul line, which stunned Malik Rose, but Zumoff, the grand cheerleader claimed he did not see it, so did not mention it. Pathetic. Holiday looks drained, physically and emotionally, beaten down by long minutes and an overbearing coach. Give him a rest, already!

— chuckw

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 1:51 PM, 04/06/2013

Chuck:great insight...and thanks for post game PC info. The "teacher" excuse (those "valuable" practices were no doubt the reason Moultrie has been here rotting away, rather than have a longer stay at Sioux Falls, getting real minutes)...DC's excuses could fit the Holland Tunnel, and he probably meant "young", as in being around him...All those vets haven't yet mastered the art of winning a grab and clutch game 82-80, with limited rotations, and overmanaging possession to possession...Concerning Jrue, he looks more spent than the Philies bullpen catcher.

— bearsfriend

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 2:31 PM, 04/06/2013

"" he has finally figured out that using his body to get defenders off him for the short jumper, complemented by post-up jumpers, the occasional three point jumper and well-timed drives are his best offensive moves,""Per Chuck""

I agree with your assessment of ET-as that is what i saw in a
game against the Cavs early in the season.I also see that Wilkins is in his ear-(like -play your game-as something has steadied him). Another tidbit-When Evan blew the chances of the team in Charlotte with the bad inbounds
pass late--he had to realize that was on him alone-as he came out determined against Hawks.

Wilkins will prob not be here next year-but he gives his all and a team player--And Chuck--Is it true Kwame has a problem like AB? Some one-me-has termed it "splinteritis".

Wonder if DC is/was his silent agent as for the life of me cannot understand it--Unless Management is resting him up for next year for the twin towers debut of AB and Kwame.

— HO HUM

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 3:55 PM, 04/06/2013

plant turner at the foul line instead of the corner, and he'll give you those kinds of numbers. just like at school. doug finally making that move is a rare display of flexibility, but maybe he is just auditioning him for the trade.

— rzzzzz

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 11:21 AM, 04/06/2013

The Sixers will and are a better team when Dru cuts down on his dribbling and looks to find the open man. He looks to score way to much. Just keep showing him film of Rondo.

— cuch

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 12:15 PM, 04/06/2013

AI was really a talented kid in the court in terms of playing balls, but his attachment to me me good first - that one sided self - pround makes him blinded on the reality live ...

Get out of Doug_matic system. Be humble and ==> Known Thy Self !

— phillafuN

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