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76ers plan to sign veteran Antonio Daniels

The 76ers intend to sign veteran guard Antonio Daniels to a 10-day contract, a league source confirmed late Sunday night.

The 76ers hope to have Antonio Daniels in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Boston Celtics. (Tony Gutierrez/AP)
The 76ers hope to have Antonio Daniels in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Boston Celtics. (Tony Gutierrez/AP)Read more

The 76ers intend to sign veteran guard Antonio Daniels to a 10-day contract, a league source confirmed late Sunday night.

Daniels, 36, is playing for the Texas Legends of the NBA Development League. The Sixers hope to have Daniels at practice as early as Monday and sign him as soon as possible, preferably in time to play against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night.

Much of the impetus for the signing came from the injury to guard Lou Williams, who strained his right hamstring during the third quarter of Saturday night's overtime loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. Williams underwent an MRI exam on Sunday, and the Sixers said that no timetable had been set for his return.

Daniels is a 6-foot-4 guard who has played for six NBA teams: Vancouver, San Antonio, Portland, Seattle, Washington, and New Orleans. He began his NBA career in 1997, has played in 868 NBA games, and has a career average of 7.6 points per game. Daniels most recently played for the Hornets in the 2008-09 season.

The addition of Daniels, assuming Monday's signing goes through, provides backcourt depth for coach Doug Collins, who relied heavily on Williams. Recently, the minutes of rookie guard Evan Turner have dipped dramatically, creating the necessity for the acquisition of a veteran backup

Light finish. The Sixers played a road-heavy schedule early in the season, but their reward will be a four-game homestand at season's end.

That home stretch commences after Tuesday's final road game in Boston, a matchup that could very likely be a preview of a first-round playoff series.

As it stands, the Sixers (40-37) hold the Eastern Conference's sixth playoff spot. The Celtics (53-23) hold the third playoff spot but are only a half-game behind the Miami Heat, making it almost certain that the Sixers' first-round opponent will be either Boston or Miami.

On Saturday night, the Sixers lost, 93-87, in overtime to the Bucks. The team returned home immediately after the game and did not practice on Sunday. On Monday, the Sixers will practice at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine before flying to Boston.

Knicks are coming. On Wednesday night at the Wells Fargo Center, the Sixers play the New York Knicks in a game that will go a long way in determining playoff positioning. The Knicks hold the Eastern Conference's seventh playoff spot but trail the Sixers by only 11/2 games.