Warriors beat shorthanded Sixers

OAKLAND, Calif. - This wasn't the night to be shorthanded.

This wasn't the time to be without two of your top four scorers.

Of all of the games on this road trip, this was probably the only one you could have penciled in as a 76ers victory from the day the schedule was released. That is, until tip-off drew closer and it became clear that both Andre Iguodala (sore right Achilles tendon) and Lou Williams (who was awaiting the birth of his daughter) would not be playing Monday night.

Despite a monster night under the basket from Elton Brand, the Sixers lost to the Golden State Warriors, 110-95.

"We were just so undermanned, especially against a team like this that's so potent on the perimeter," Sixers coach Doug Collins said.

The Sixers dropped to 12-19. The Warriors, led by Dorell Wright's 28 points, improved to 12-18.

With 16 points and 16 rebounds, Brand was one of four Sixers in double-figure scoring. Jrue Holiday scored 23 points, Jodie Meeks 19, and Thaddeus Young 15.

None of it was enough to fight off the outside prowess of the Warriors, who finished the game 15 for 23 (65.2 percent) from beyond the arc.

"We were a step slow, and when you're a step slow against a team like this, then you're chasing," Collins said. "And when you're chasing, they're getting those threes. We were just a step behind and they took advantage."

Monta Ellis scored 22 points and Stephen Curry added 17 for the winners.

It's rare, and almost impossible, for a team to start a quarter 0 for 8 from the floor and wind up scoring 30 points.

But somehow that's how the first quarter played out for the Sixers. A few minutes into the game, there were goose eggs next to every starter's name, and one was beginning to wonder how long the shutout would extend. Finally, on a jumper by Andres Nocioni with 8 minutes, 24 seconds left in the quarter, the Sixers broke the spell. They made 11 of 16 shots in the remainder of the quarter and boosted their numbers for the period to 11 for 24 from the floor, 2 for 4 from beyond the arc, and 6 for 7 from the free-throw line.

By the time the first quarter ended, the Sixers had stormed back from their early deficit of 16-4 and were leading the Warriors, 30-25.

The Sixers had gone on a run of 26-9.

But there was still that second quarter to bury them all over again.

The Sixers didn't exactly revert to their anemic early-game offense, but they could hardly keep pace with the on-fire Warriors, who made six three-pointers in the second quarter and took a lead of 55-49 into halftime.

Rodney Carney, who played for the Sixers last season, hit two three-pointers, Ellis hit one, Wright hit three, and Curry hit two - all of those in the second quarter.

It was obvious by the start of the second half that this game would bounce between the two teams. The Sixers were dominating the game inside the paint, but were being severely outplayed beyond the arc.

The Sixers' starting frontcourt of Brand and Spencer Hawes combined for 18 first-half points and 14 rebounds, while the Warriors' starting backcourt of Ellis and Curry combined for 19 first-half points and 11 assists.

It would come down to whose go-to area of production - the points in the paint or the bombs from beyond the arc - would fail first.