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Sixers fall to Hawks for fifth straight loss

JRUE HOLIDAY was making only his second start as an NBA player, only 16 games in what he hopes to be a long and prosperous career.

Philadelphia 76ers' Andre Iguodala, left, blocks a shot by Atlanta Hawks' Josh Smith in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Nov. 27, 2009, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Philadelphia 76ers' Andre Iguodala, left, blocks a shot by Atlanta Hawks' Josh Smith in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Nov. 27, 2009, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)Read moreAP

JRUE HOLIDAY was making only his second start as an NBA player, only 16 games in what he hopes to be a long and prosperous career.

Atlanta Hawks guard Mike Bibby is a 12-year veteran who has seen just about all there is to see on a professional basketball court. Last night at the Wachovia Center, no doubt he saw the 19-year-old Holiday take the court, and his eyes lit up like a hungry man settling in front of a Thanksgiving turkey.

Bibby drained all five of his shots in the first quarter, including three from beyond the arc, en route to 13 points in the opening stanza. When Holiday was summoned to the bench with a little more than 3 minutes left, all he could do was shake his head in disbelief.

It was the start of what would become a 100-86 win for the Hawks (12-4) over the 76ers (5-11). It also was the fifth straight loss for the home team and the ninth loss in its last 11 games.

"It really did open my eyes," said Holiday, who finished with two points and five assists in a little less than 25 minutes. "They [teammates] told me that's how the NBA is. Even with a hand five times in a guy's face, he can knock down all five. It was definitely tough and frustrating for me. They told me on the bench that happens. It's personal. You don't want anybody to score that many times consecutively, without missing. It was kind of tough."

Such nights are expected for Holiday, who has been thrust into the starting lineup because of the broken jaw suffered by starting guard Lou Williams, who will miss 8 weeks. Still, the lessons will not be easy.

"That's life in the NBA," Sixers coach Eddie Jordan said. "A veteran like Bibby, who can make shots, who can make plays, when they see a young guy on him and they know they can have their way with him, in a sense. And Jrue's a good defender, but he doesn't know Mike Bibby. Every night is new, every night. For a veteran, he sees a rookie matched up on him, and their eyes get big. Their confidence is overflowing."

This isn't to say the Sixers' loss should all be pinned on Holiday. In fact, much of it is just because the Hawks are a better team.

Despite Bibby's first-quarter domination, the Hawks led by only 37-31 in the middle of the second when Josh Smith (20 points) scored on a goaltend by Sam Dalembert (four points, eight rebounds, six blocks) and hit the ensuing free throw. The Sixers then used a 10-0 run to take their biggest lead of the night at 41-37 on a fastbreak dunk from Andre Iguodala.

But, as they did much of the night, the Hawks answered with a 9-0 spurt to take a 46-41 lead at the break.

"Offensively and defensively, it was never clicking or flowing," said Sixers sub Jason Kapono, who chipped in eight points. "When shots weren't going down for us, we kind of hang our head, and then we're a step slow getting back on defense, and then, all of the sudden, they make a couple baskets, and then a four-point lead is a 10-point lead. Then you call a timeout, and that's when you really start to hang your head."

Four times in the third quarter, the Sixers cut the lead to two, but they could never forge ahead, as the Hawks led, 75-66, after three. Atlanta's 29 points in the third quarter were four more than it scored in the second half Thursday night in a 93-76 loss in Orlando.

In the fourth, Atlanta slowly pulled away, and when Bibby drained a long trey for a 97-84 lead with 1 minute, 36 seconds remaining, the crowd of 12,984 headed toward the exit.

You half-expected Bibby to turn to Holiday and deliver the line from "The Untouchables" - "Here endeth the lesson."

In fact, Bibby had talked to the rookie earlier in the game, during his first-quarter barrage.

"Honestly, I was in his face every time he knocked them down," Holiday said. "Even he said, 'They're just falling.' "

Thaddeus Young led the Sixers with 22, while Andre Iguodala chipped in 16 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Also in double figures were Jason Smith (14), who started his second straight game for Elton Brand, who is nursing a sore hamstring, and Rodney Carney (13).

Jamal Crawford came off the bench to score a team-high 24 for Atlanta, while Al Horford added 15 points and eight rebounds.

But the true difference in this one was the vet vs. the rook. Holiday doesn't have an easy road ahead, as he'll match up in his next two games against Tony Parker (San Antonio) and Jason Kidd (Dallas) in the first two games of a four-game trip.

"It's real tough, especially with a rookie who is getting a lot of minutes now, and not having an understanding of a road trip like the one we have coming up," Iguodala said. "You really can't teach him anything about it. He just really has to go through the experience. We're going through growing pains. We've just got to pull one out."

Holiday looks forward to the test.

"That's fun for me," Holiday said of the thought of playing against Parker and Kidd. "I could run all day. Chasing them would be kind of fun."

He then added: "It was not fun tonight, not when he's hitting like that." *