Bobcats-76ers Preview

By JEFF BARTL
Posted Feb 09 2013 12:27AM

Doug Collins has made plenty of lineup adjustments given the amount of injuries that have hit his Philadelphia 76ers, who have generally handled those rotation changes pretty well.

The Charlotte Bobcats are having trouble winning no matter who is in uniform.

Philadelphia looks to send visiting Charlotte to a seventh straight loss by earning a fifth consecutive victory in this series Saturday night.

Already playing without Andrew Bynum, who has yet to suit up for the team, the 76ers (21-27) have had to work around injuries to Thaddeus Young and Jason Richardson recently.

Young is expected to miss three weeks with a left hamstring strain and Richardson, who had missed the past eight games, will have season-ending left knee surgery.

The ailments have given others like Nick Young and Spencer Hawes a chance to crack the starting lineup recently. Each has started the last six games, and Collins plans to go with Hawes and Lavoy Allen in the frontcourt for at least the near future.

"We've got to keep sticking together, and it just means more opportunities for other players," said Evan Turner, who is the only Sixer to start each of the team's 48 games. "During tough times you just have to keep fighting."

Philadelphia signed Jeremy Pargo to a 10-day contract on Thursday and he is expected to get some time Saturday.

"Pargo had a great practice, brought a lot of energy," Collins said. "He can create some minutes where Jrue (Holiday) doesn't have to handle the ball as much, and I'd even like to have them play some together. It gives us two players out there at the same time with speed and quickness."

Holiday scored a game-high 19 points Wednesday but shot just 7 of 22, and he was hardly the only one who struggled in an 88-69 loss to Indiana as the 76ers were denied a season-high fourth straight win for the fourth time.

Turner had perhaps his worst game of the season, hitting 1 of 10 from the field and scoring only two points. He's totaled 20 points over his last four games - shooting 25.0 percent - after averaging 22.0 over his previous three.

"People want to keep talking about how I'm a bust or whatever just to keep the conversation going," Turner said. "That talk can go out the window along with everything else."

Turner had a strong effort in a 104-98 win over Charlotte on Nov. 30, scoring 25 points and grabbing 10 rebounds as the Bobcats were in the early stages of their 18-game skid.

Charlotte (11-38) has dropped 33 of its last 37 after blowing a 20-point second-half lead in a 100-93 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. Byron Mullens and Gerald Henderson each had 20 points for the Bobcats, who have allowed their last five opponents to shoot 51.7 percent.

"We had them down pretty much the whole game," said Kemba Walker, who scored 18 points. "They made a really good run."

Charlotte is averaging 90.0 points during its six-game skid and just 84.8 while dropping its last four versus Philadelphia.

The 76ers have given up only 78.3 points per game over their last four.

Allen's 22 rebounds lead 76ers past Bobcats 87-76

By DAN GELSTON
Posted Feb 10 2013 1:44AM

PHILADELPHIA (AP) The 76ers' arena has breezed through four names in its history. Jeremy Pargo gave it an unofficial fifth.

After Pargo's debut, fans posted on Twitter the Wells Fargo Center should be renamed the Wells Pargo Center.

"I'd love for that to be the real name," a smiling Pargo said. "That means I'd be doing well."

He had a pretty nice start.

Lavoy Allen had 14 points and a career-high 22 rebounds, Jrue Holiday scored 20 points and Pargo had 12 to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to an 87-76 win over the Charlotte Bobcats on Saturday night.

The Sixers improved to 5-2 on their eight-game homestand that ends Monday against the Los Angeles Clippers. The solid showing at home has helped the Sixers inch closer to the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.

No one could have guessed at the start they'd have Pargo to thank. Pargo signed a 10-day contract this week after he was waived by Cleveland.

Wearing No. 0, Pargo was a pleasant surprise, playing 29 minutes and injecting a needed dose of fun and energy off the bench.

"I got comfortable," he said.

Pargo had started 11 of his 25 games played with the Cavaliers and averaged 7.8 points. He even scored a career-high 28 against the Sixers in November.

"I forgive him after tonight," Allen said. "I was a little mad at the time."

With only a 10-day contract to prove his worth, Pargo hit a string of big baskets over the third and fourth, shooting 4 of 9 overall and adding six assists.

He had the play of the game when he drove the length of the court for a right-handed layup and a foul. He gave a playful smile and a wink to fans on the baseline, then sank the free throw for a 16-point lead.

"Y'all caught that? It was just in the moment," a laughing Pargo said.

Pargo wowed the crowd again in the fourth with a one-handed reverse that kept the lead at double-digits. The 6-foot-2 guard out of Gonzaga was cheered late each time he touched the ball.

He did get whistled for a technical foul in the fourth, which comes with a fine - a hit to the wallet a player on a 10-day deal might not want.

"I told the ref, `He's throwing the ball,"' he said. "That was completely it. I don't know if he got mad at me from something earlier."

Before the game, Allen noted he's had three teammates this season in the locker next to him. Maalik Wayns and Shelvin Mack couldn't stick. More games such as this and Pargo just find a home in Philadelphia for the rest of the season.

Evan Turner had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Spencer Hawes added 17 points and nine rebounds to help the Sixers crush the Bobcats 60-40 on the boards. Allen split his rebound total.

"I was a monster on the boards at Temple," Allen deadpanned. "It really was my game. All-time leading rebounder at Temple, by the way. Just want to throw that out there."

Even with Allen attacking the glass, the Sixers needed Pargo driving the lane for buckets. They missed 14 of 16 3-point attempts and hit almost nothing from any spot outside the paint.

That helped keep the game close for the Bobcats, playing a night after they blew a 20-point lead in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Ramon Sessions scored 20 points, Byron Mullens had 16 and Gerald Henderson 13 as the NBA-worst Bobcats lost their seventh straight. The Bobcats shot 31 percent from the floor. They also missed 14 of 16 3s.

"One of the things our young guys have to learn is, front up off a glamour game like the Lakers," coach Mike Dunlap said. "They just get can't excited for one game and not the other. What we're trying to teach them is how to be a pro."

The Sixers opened the third on a 12-2 run to break open a one-point game at the break. The Bobcats closed within seven late in the fourth until Holiday pushed them back with a 16-footer. He had a driving layup late to make it an 11-point game and send the Bobcats to their latest defeat.

"We always find ways to be in games and fight our way back," Henderson said. "At this point, we just need to find ways to win."

Notes: Two Charlotte assistants have Temple connections. Rick Brunson starred for the Owls in the 1990s and Dan Leibovitz was an assistant under John Chaney. ... 76ers coach Doug Collins said he had a hard time figuring out his inconsistent team. "Any little change affects this team. It knocks us out of sync," he said. Why? "I don't know. It's just their personality."

Notebook: 76ers 87, Bobcats 76

Andy Jasner, for NBA.com
Posted Sat Feb 09, 2013 11:32 PM - Updated Sat Feb 09, 2013 11:32 PM

THE FACTS: Jrue Holiday scored 20 points while Spencer Hawes scored 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds, leading the Philadelphia 76ers past the Charlotte Bobcats 87-76 Saturday night at the Wells Fargo Center. Evan Turner had 16 points and 10 rebounds while second-year forward Lavoy Allen was sensational with 14 points and a career-high 22 rebounds. Guard Jeremy Pargo, who just signed with the team two days ago, had 12 points. The Sixers improved to 22-27 with the victory.

Ramon Sessions led the Bobcats with 20 points while Byron Mullens had 16 and Gerald Henderson 13. The Bobcats fell to 11-39, 5-20 on the road and lost their seventh consecutive game.

QUOTABLE: "All I did was put my hands up and the ball came to me. I didn't do anything special."
-- Allen, on his rebounding performance, the most by any Philadelphia player this season.

THE STAT: The Sixers outrebounded Charlotte 60-40. In fact, the Sixers had more defensive rebounds (44) than the Bobcats had in total rebounds.

TURNING POINT: The Bobcats hung around and trailed 77-72 late in the fourth quarter. But consecutive jumpers by Hawes and Holiday pushed the Sixers' lead to 81-72 and it was enough to pull away from the feisty Bobcats.

HOT: Hawes was 8-for-15 in more than 40 minutes of playing time. He was effective inside and outside.

NOT: Mullens was 7-for-19, Kemba Walker was 2-for-9 and Ben Gordon missed seven of his 10 shots. The Bobcats shot just 30.7 percent overall -- 27-for-88.

QUOTABLE II: "At this point, we just need to find ways to win."
-- Henderson.

FANTASY SPOTLIGHT: Allen had 14 points, 22 rebounds (11 off the offensive glass), three assists and one blocked shot.

INSIDE THE ARENA: There was a nice crowd of 15,048 for this Saturday matchup against the struggling Bobcats. The fans were quiet much of the night until the Sixers pulled away down the stretch.

QUOTABLE III: "That's something we've got to do because it takes a lot of pressure off of us."
-- Hawes, on the rebounding differential.

GOOD MOVE: Sixers coach Doug Collins paired the newly-signed Pargo and Holiday for long stretches in the backcourt. Pargo handled the ball quite a bit and allowed Holiday more space to roam. It paid huge dividends on this night.

BAD MOVE: The Bobcats could have gone to Henderson more often. Henderson was getting the shots he wanted and did a great job of drawing contact and going to the free throw line. They went away from Henderson on too many possessions.

ROOKIE WATCH: Charlotte forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had two points, two rebounds and two assists in 14:24 while guard Jeffery Taylor was scoreless with three rebounds in 9:46. For the Sixers, forward Arnett Moultrie had three points and seven rebounds in 13:58.

NOTABLE: The Sixers were short-handed for Saturday's game against the visiting Charlotte Bobcats. Already without forward Thaddeus Young (strained left hamstring), the Sixers learned a day ago that guard Jason Richardson is also out for the season with left knee synovitis. ... The Sixers have won five straight over Charlotte. ... The Sixers held the opposition below 90 points for the fifth straight game. ... The last time a Philadelphia player had at least 14 points and 22 rebounds like Allen came when Samuel Dalembert had 15 points and 23 rebounds March 20, 2009 at Golden State. Dalembert was also the last Sixer with at least 20 rebounds -- 21 against New York on Jan. 13, 2010. ... Turner recorded his 10th double-double of the season. He had just seven double-doubles in his first two seasons combined. ... Both teams shot 2-for-16 from beyond the arc. ... Pargo picked up a technical foul with 5:31 remaining in regulation.

NEXT: For the Bobcats, Monday vs. Boston, Wednesday @ Indiana, Feb. 19 @ Orlando. For the Sixers, Monday vs. L.A. Clippers, Wednesday @ Milwaukee, Feb. 20 @ Minnesota.

• Bobcats: Diop
• 76ers: Bynum, Richardson, Young

• Bobcats: --
• 76ers: Pargo

• Lead Changes: 4
• Times Tied: 5

• Arena: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
• Officials: #13 Monty McCutchen, #59 Gary Zielinski, #60 James Williams
• Attendance: 15048
• Duration: 2:04