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76ers down the Rockets

HOUSTON - While his players enjoy home-cooked food or the beach's warmth, 76ers coach Doug Collins wants them to consider one more thing during the next five days: this team's future.

Andre Iguodala recorded a triple-double with 13 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. (Pat Sullivan/AP Photo)
Andre Iguodala recorded a triple-double with 13 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. (Pat Sullivan/AP Photo)Read more

HOUSTON - While his players enjoy home-cooked food or the beach's warmth, 76ers coach Doug Collins wants them to consider one more thing during the next five days: this team's future.

After Wednesday night's 114-105 win over the Houston Rockets, a game the Sixers seemed incapable of losing, the visitors' locker room at the Toyota Center was lively and stress-free, feeling very much filled with a bunch of guys going on vacation.

Jason Kapono relaxed in his Texas Rangers hat, Andre Iguodala smiled while icing his ankles, and Jrue Holiday chilled while still wearing his game jersey - a jersey he might as well keep on since he's playing in Friday night's Rookie Challenge during all-star weekend in Los Angeles.

The rest of the team will scatter to various locations, absorbing all things not basketball.

Except, of course, that one request from Collins: Believe in what's ahead.

On Wednesday night, the Sixers trailed early but never again, building a nine-point lead in the third quarter and a 13-point lead in the fourth. After absorbing the Rockets' best run in the game's first five minutes, a stretch that included eight of Houston guard and former Villanova standout Kyle Lowry's 36 points, the Sixers drove and dished their way to victory.

The Sixers improved to 27-29. The Rockets dropped to 26-31.

"It's a great way to end this out," Collins said. "And I think you saw it. Our guys started out very slowly, but they weren't going to lose. They just weren't going to lose."

Leaving Houston with a loss wouldn't have been representative of this season's first half. After one month of bad basketball and three months of good, the Sixers couldn't go into the all-star break on a two-game losing streak.

So they didn't.

"We don't like losing, and we do a good job of regrouping and seeing what we did wrong on the first night," Iguodala said of the team's strong play one night after losing big to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Iguodala's all-around game was essentially a microcosm of the team's production. He finished with a triple-double: 13 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists.

Reserves Lou Williams, Evan Turner, and Thaddeus Young combined for 48 points and 11 rebounds, with Williams dragging the offense behind him whenever it stalled. Power forward Elton Brand and center Spencer Hawes combined for 27 points and 21 rebounds. Holiday recovered from Lowry's early-game toasting and finished with 20 points and eight assists.

The Sixers shot 55.2 percent from the floor.

After starting the season 3-13, the Sixers went 24-16 in their next 40 games.

So, while his guys are resting and relaxing, Collins wants them thinking about those numbers - 24-16 - not just for what it means right now, but what it might mean tomorrow.

"He kind of said with this record we're one of the best teams in the league," Holiday said. "So we need to think that way. And he's right."

Said Iguodala: "It's not just about, 'We're surprising people,' but we have to start believing that we are a really good team. And the last 40 games, we've shown that we can compete with anybody."

And from the coach himself: "I'm trying to plant the seed for our guys to continue to think . . . about what's ahead, be proud of what we've done over the last 40 games, but what's ahead of us. And what's ahead of us is opportunity."

Last night's game ended too late for this edition. For coverage, go to http://go.philly.com/sixers.EndText