Sixers head into break on positive note after beating Rockets

HOUSTON - The message after last night's game against the Houston Rockets from 76ers coach Doug Collins to his players was simple: Believe that you're a good team, and come back from the NBA All-Star break and show it.

Collins gave the talk after his team proved its resiliency yet again, dropping a 114-105 loss on the Rockets a night after losing at Memphis. The Sixers will now head into the break with a 27-29 record and winners of 10 of their last 14 games.

Last night, though, started eerily similar to Tuesday's game against the Grizzlies, in which the Sixers fell behind by 16 in the first quarter.

Houston, the NBA's third-highest scoring team, came out firing like a rocket as they flew to an 18-6 lead just a little over 5 minutes into the game. Four of their first seven makes were from beyond the arc, which prompted Collins to make a move.

The coach quickly gave the hook to starting guards Jodie Meeks and Jrue Holiday in favor of Evan Turner and Lou Williams after Houston's Kyle Lowry buried the fourth trey in the early going.

Collins told reporters and warned his players before the game that the Rockets were hard to beat when they converted 10 or more three-pointers in a game (13-4), yet Lowry and Kevin Martin effortlessly swished bombs early.

"I went to the bench early tonight because I didn't want them posting Jodie with Shane Battier," a sweaty Collins said. "When I went to the bench, I went with Evan, so that he could guard Shane, and Dre [Andre Iguodala] could stay with Kevin Martin. He [Martin] hit two shots early, just one more the rest of the game, and we only gave him two free throws."

Martin entered the game averaging 23.2 points a contest (10th in the league) and first in free throws made, but finished with only nine points.

After Collins inserted Williams and Turner, the Sixers outscored the Rockets, 17-5, the rest of the first and got themselves righted after yet another rough beginning.

Lowry, the Cardinal Dougherty and Villanova product who finished with a career-high 36, single-handedly kept the Rockets in the game during a first half in which the Sixers shot 61.5 percent. The 6-1 guard made all seven of his shots, including five three-pointers, en route to 19 points, keeping the Rockets within striking distance at 55-52.

Once again, the bench supplied a good portion of the offense in the first 24 minutes, as it accounted for 30 of the Sixers' points, led by Thaddeus Young's 12.

If there is anything this team has learned about itself before this break, it's that it can play with just about anyone in the NBA, and can adapt to almost any style of play. A night after facing a big, rugged Memphis team, the Sixers adapted to the quick, freewheeling Rockets approach.

"I think it was important for us to get this one, especially it being a back-to-back," said Iguodala, who posted his fifth career triple-double with 13 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. "We don't like losing, and we do a good job of regrouping and seeing what we did wrong on the first night and coming back."

The comeback was a total team effort as seven players scored in double figures, Iguodala, Elton Brand and Spencer Hawes all had double-digit rebounds, and the team concentrated on shutting down Martin after his quick start.

Holiday led the scoring with 20 points, to go along with eight assists, while Williams and Young each posted 19. Hawes had his best overall game in some time with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Brand contributed 10 points and 11 rebounds. Turner also added 10 points to go with six rebounds, as the Sixers won the battle of the boards by 50-40 over the smaller Rockets (26-31).

In all, a good way to head out for some vacation time.

"That's a great win to go on the break on. That team's very difficult to play the way they shoot the ball. Kyle Lowry was magnificent tonight, but I thought our guys were great," Collins said. "Our guys are in great spirits going into the break. We're 24-16 over the last 40. I told our guys we're a good team, and that's the way we should start thinking. It's going to be important to hit the ground running when we get back."

When they do return, seven of their first nine games will be in the Wells Fargo Center. Their two away games will be at Cleveland and Indiana. It could be a good time to build on what they have started over the past 40 games.

"Coach told us to just come back knowing we're a good team," Iguodala said. "We have to start believing we're a good team, and we've showed over the last 40 games that we can compete with anybody."

And adjust on the fly, as they did last night.

"It's always the idea to try and go inside first, and then everything else is gravy," Hawes said. "It's nice going out with a win especially after started slow [Tuesday] and couldn't get a win. And then tonight we started slow again, but battled back. That's how we are."

Spencer Hawes left the game momentarily last in the third quarter after turning his left ankle. After getting it retaped, he returned to the bench in the fourth and appeared fine . . . After the All-Star break, the team will practice on Monday at 6 p.m. at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, then again Tuesday morning before hosting Washington on Wednesday. *