Sixers Notes: Sixers' Holiday sidelined

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Last night against the Charlotte Bobcats, the 76ers were without a point guard, starting a backcourt of Willie Green and Andre Iguodala.

Rookie point guard Jrue Holiday, who has been starting since Lou Williams underwent surgery to repair a broken jaw, did not play because of a right rotator-cuff strain.

Holiday injured his shoulder Friday during practice.

"I don't know if Willie wants me to say this, but he actually blocked Willie's dunk, so it was a great play," coach Eddie Jordan said of the play on which Holiday was injured. "He didn't give up on it, and that's the type of practices we've been having. We've been competitive in every play. It's just one of those things that happened."

Holiday is listed as day-to-day and will be evaluated further today. Jordan said Holiday finished Friday's practice and started to feel pain later that night. When he awoke yesterday, he could not raise his arm more than 90 degrees.

Without Holiday, Jordan started power forward Elton Brand, who had not started the two games since returning from a hamstring injury and wasn't happy about it. Jordan's starting lineup was Green, Iguodala, Thaddeus Young, Brand, and Samuel Dalembert.

Sixers center Marreese Speights, who tore the medial collateral ligament in his left knee on Nov. 14, traveled with the team on this four-game, weeklong trip that concluded last night against the Bobcats.

When Speights was injured, his timetable to return was six to eight weeks, meaning he could be available Jan. 1 but more likely into January. Speights is lifting weights and biking, but will see a doctor today for clearance to begin on-court running.

"We think he's right on track," Jordan said. "I'd hate to say he's ahead of schedule because I'd hate to overstep my medical boundaries, but he looks great. He looks really good shooting, he's upbeat."

- Kate Fagan