+3
The Sixers now have wins in last week over Lakers, Magic, Bulls and Hawks.
The Philadelphia 76ers took the lead for the last time on a Lou Williams 3-pointer with 2:05 left in the fourth quarter. The previous 46 minutes featured 16 lead changes in what was a nailbiter of a match throughout. Philadelphia took remarkable care of the ball, committing just four total turnovers for the 95-90 win.
The Los Angeles Lakers lack of an effective trigger man has hounded the team throughout the season. That deficiency was especially clear on Monday night, with Jrue Holiday putting up 13 points and six assists (and a game-leading plus-11 rating) to zero turnovers. The Lakers, meanwhile, committed 16 team turnovers, including five each for Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum.
The Sixers held LA to just 42 percent shooting from the field, including 29.2 percent on 24 3-point attempts. Philadelphia shot better from beyond the arc than they did overall. Williams and Jodie Meeks went 3-for-6 and 3-for-5, respectively, from long range to pace the team. Williams' 24 points were behind only Bryant's 28 for the game, but he needed 13 less field goal attempts to get there.
Philadelphia improved to 18-7 with the win, putting them four games ahead of the Boston Celtics in the Atlantic Division. They came in fifth in Tom Ziller's latest NBA Power Rankings for SB Nation.
For more 76ers coverage, be sure to check out SB Nation Philly and Liberty Ballers.
Kobe Bryant gets to return home once again. The Los Angeles Lakers star will be looking to get his team going on the road, somewhere that has been brutally unkind to them.
The Lakers (14-10) are 3-8 so far this season away from the Staples Center while the 76ers (17-7) are a stellar 12-3 at home. Philadelphia is coming off of a 98-87 road victory over the Atlanta Hawks which put the Sixers three and a half games ahead of Boston in the Atlantic Division.
It's been the Kobe show in L.A. without much of a supporting cast so far. Andrew Bynum is having a superb year, averaging 17 points and 12 rebounds per game. Pau Gasol has good stats with 16 points and 10 rebounds on average, but he's been unhappy with the offense and very inconsistent. The guard play has been bad for the Lakers around Bryant as well and Metta World Peace has been completely non-existent.
For Philadelphia it's business as usual with its great depth. With a win tonight, the 76ers will have won six of seven before hosting San Antonio on Wednesday.
Philadelphia has shown the ability to beat very good teams this season, so this will just be another notch in the belt if it can pull out the victory. With the Sixers stifling brand of defense, they have a chance every night.
Mr. Bryant will be looking for a huge win Monday night at the Wells Fargo Center. Philadelphia has to remind him that while he's home, his team is still on the road.
TV: COMCAST
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
For more 76ers coverage, be sure to check out SB Nation Philly and Liberty Ballers.
76ers Schedule 2012: Spurs And Clippers On Tap This Week
After taking out the Los Angeles Lakers 95-90 on Monday night, the Philadelphia 76ers have just two more games to play during the week. Both should be rather stiff challenges, however.
The San Antonio Spurs will visit on Wednesday night at 17-9 and winners of their last five games. Even with Manu Ginobili out of the lineup with a broken finger and Tim Duncan showing his age, the Spurs have managed to keep winning games thanks to a good bench and, of course, some help from Tony Parker.
The Los Angeles Clippers are somehow 14-7 on the season. While Blake Griffin garners highlights, Chris Paul continues to be the biggest difference in the team's turnaround. They may be receiving some bad news soon regarding Chauncey Billups, however.
Here's the complete Sixers weekday schedule with TV/Radio information:
Wednesday, 2/8: 76ers vs. Spurs(7:00 p.m. ET, TV/Radio: CSN/94 WIP)
Friday, 2/10: 76ers vs. Clippers (7:00 p.m. ET, TV/Radio: CSN/94 WIP)
For more on the 76ers, head over to the SB Nation blog Liberty Ballers.
Feb 06 11:30p by Louis Bien