The Miami Heat improved their 2011/12 regular season record to 11-4, defeating the Philadelphia 76ers 113-92 on Jan. 21. With the win, the Heat move to the second spot in the NBA’s Eastern Conference, trailing the Chicago Bulls by two and a half games.

As expected, the game started off competitively, but the Heat started pulling away in the second quarter. From then, it was all Miami, as the Heat continued piling up points on their way to the blowout victory.

Chris Bosh wasn’t playing around with the 76ers, finishing with 30 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocks.

“We believe in our offense,” Bosh told reporters after the game. “We feel that when we move the ball, when we get stops first and then we’re out in the open court in transition and being aggressive, we feel that we cannot be stopped… Championship is on our mind and in order to do that, we’re going to have to beat the best teams.”

LeBron had a big game as well, putting up 28 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. Mario Chalmers was the third highest scorer for Miami, dropping a respectable 11 points, 8 assists and 3 rebounds against the 76ers.

Mike Miller had another solid performance coming off the bench, shooting 50 percent from long range. Miller finished with 8 points and 6 rebounds. Udonis Haslem also gave the 76ers some problems on Jan. 21, putting up 8 points and 10 rebounds.

Dwyane Wade missed his third consecutive game due to a sprained ankle, but it didn’t really matter thanks to the impressive play of his teammates. Some critics have tried to spread disharmony among Miami’s players, pointing to the fact the Heat are undefeated without Wade this season.

The Heat aren’t playing better because Wade is on the sidelines, they’re winning games because they now have role players that can drop a combined 55 points and 36 rebounds on any given night.

David is a Miami Heat fan that has followed the team for 16 years. Follow him on twitter @davidkingwriter and check out his blog.

Sources:

Associated Press, “Chris Bosh, LeBron James power Heat past 76ers”

Player and game information from ESPN.com

More from the Yahoo! Contributor Network:

Miami Heat Get Back on Track with Win Over Pacers

Miami Heat Hand Hawks First Home Loss of the Season

Miami Heat Struggle in Overtime Against Clippers

Miami Heat Suffer Third Straight Loss

LeBron James, Miami Heat Show Kobe Bryant Who’s Boss

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The Philadelphia 76ers took a huge step toward convincing the rest of the NBA that they are the real deal. After trailing by double digits in the first half, the 76ers put together a strong game and ended up with a 90-76 win over the Atlanta Hawks. This was a win over a first place and team and that shouldn’t be overlooked. More importantly, it allows the 76ers to quell the talk they can only beat bad teams. As a 76ers fan, I was impressed with this win. I expect more will follow.

Things looked rough in the first half. The 76ers fell behind by double digits early in the second quarter behind some poor shooting and less than stellar defense. They started to right the ship and ended up trailing by eight at the break. The third quarter was an entirely different story. The 76ers outscored Atlanta 25-10 in the third to go up by seven points. They completely shut down the Hawks on defense and did everything right. The good times continued in the fourth quarter as the 76ers ended up with a comfortable win. The Hawks managed just 29 points in the final 24 minutes.

There were several standout performances for the 76ers. Jrue Holiday had 16 points and 11 assists in the game. Elton Brand picked up the slack with Spencer Hawes out of the lineup and ended up with 16 rebounds to go along with his 10 points. Andre Iguodala and Jodie Meeks also played well as the starters really helped in this game. Thaddeus Young led the team with 20 points but the rest of the bench didn’t do too much. That is out of character for the 76ers but fortunately the starters were able to make up for it.

The second half defense was huge for the 76ers. That is the way the 76ers win games. Atlanta is a solid offensive team and it looked like they were on their way to another strong performance. But the 76ers proved that they are strong enough on defense to shut down any team. Hopefully the formula continues as the schedule continues to get more difficult.

* – Mark Paul is a Philadelphia resident and fan of the 76ers. Follow him on Twitter here.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

PHILADELPHIA – Jrue Holiday had 16 points and 11 assists, and Thaddeus Young scored 20 points to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 90-76 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.

Andre Iguodala scored 11 points and Elton Brand grabbed 16 rebounds to help the 76ers win for the ninth time in 11 games and improve to 7-1 at home.

The Sixers left a dismal first half in the dust with a sensational third quarter. Jodie Meeks hit a pair of three-pointers and Iguodala rocked nearly 18,000 fans with a pair of thunderous dunks during a 14-0 run.

In a game between teams that started the night as division leaders, the Hawks were in control until the 76ers found their way. Philadelphia pulled ahead by 18 in the fourth.

Ex-Sixer Willie Green scored 14 points for the Hawks, who had won four straight. Atlanta had been perfect since All-Star centre Al Horford tore his left pectoral muscle, an injury that required surgery and could keep him out for the rest of the season.

MAGIC 92, LAKERS 80

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Dwight Howard scored 21 points and grabbed 23 rebounds, and Orlando overcame a tough shooting performance to beat Los Angeles.

Jameer Nelson added 17 points and nine assists, and J.J. Redick had 15 points as the Magic had all five starters in double figures.

Kobe Bryant scored 30 points and Pau Gasol 13 for the Lakers, who lost their second straight and posted a season low in points to drop to 1-6 on the road this season.

The Magic led by as many as 23, helped by Los Angeles’ second consecutive night shooting under 40 per cent.

Orlando, which was slightly better at 41 per cent but connected on 12 three-pointers, has beaten the Lakers in six of their last nine regular-season meetings.

TIMBERWOLVES 101, CLIPPERS 98

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kevin Love hit a three-pointer at the buzzer after Ricky Rubio’s tying three with 20 seconds to play, lifting Minnesota over Los Angeles.

Darko Milicic had 22 points and seven rebounds for Minnesota before fouling out with 1:01 left, and Love had 17 points and 14 rebounds. The Timberwolves have won three straight for the first time since a four-game stretch from Jan. 29 to Feb. 6, 2010. After that, they lost 29 of their final 31 games.

Rubio, Minnesota’s rookie point guard, missed his first 10 field goal attempts before draining a clutch 3 from in front of the Clippers’ bench.

Chauncey Billups missed a driving layup against Rubio coming out of a timeout, and Love got the rebound before Minnesota called a timeout with 1.5 seconds on the clock.

The loss snapped a seven-game home winning streak for the Clippers.

Mo Williams scored 21 of his 25 points off the bench in the first half for Los Angeles before getting ejected midway through the fourth quarter. Blake Griffin had 21 points and 10 rebounds.

KINGS 88, SPURS 86

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Tyreke Evans had 23 points and 11 rebounds, including the go-ahead jumper with 47.2 seconds left to give Sacramento a surprising road victory over San Antonio.

Marcus Thornton and DeMarcus Cousins added 17 points apiece for the Kings, who won on the road for only the second time and did so in the NBA’s toughest place to play this season. The Spurs had been 9-0 at home.

Cousins also had 13 rebounds. The Spurs hadn’t lost to the Kings at home since 2006.

Tony Parker led the Spurs with 24 points. San Antonio missed its last five shots, including Danny Green’s airball on a short runner as time expired.

Sacramento had been abysmal away from home, getting blown out by an average of 23 points in its seven road losses.

San Antonio started 9-0 at home for the third time in franchise history. Now only Chicago (6-0) remains unbeaten at home.

BULLS 114, CAVALIERS 75

CLEVELAND (AP) — Luol Deng scored 21 points, Carlos Boozer added 19 and 14 rebounds, and Chicago managed easily without superstar Derrick Rose in embarrassing Cleveland.

Rose missed his third straight game with a strained left big toe, but the Bulls barely missed the NBA’s reigning MVP and handed the Cavs their worst home loss. Cleveland lost by 35 at home in 1990 and 2001.

Chicago, which has the league’s best record at 14-3, led by 42 points in the fourth quarter when all the Bulls’ starters were lounging in sweats.

Anderson Varejao scored 14 points and rookie Kyrie Irving added 13 for the Cavs.

C.J. Watson started for Rose and scored 13 of his 15 points in the first half.

SUNS 79, CELTICS 71

BOSTON (AP) — Marcin Gortat scored 24 points with 12 rebounds and Steve Nash had 11 points and nine assists to lead Phoenix over Boston.

The Suns won their second straight after a five-game losing streak.

Playing without point guard Rajon Rondo, the team’s most consistent starter this year, the Celtics had their lowest-scoring game of the season. They lost for the sixth time in seven games and fell to 0-4 against the Western Conference.

Ray Allen led the Celtics with 14 points and six rebounds.

TRAIL BLAZERS 94, RAPTORS 84

TORONTO (AP) — LaMarcus Aldridge had a season-high 33 points and a career-best 23 rebounds as Portland handed Toronto its seventh consecutive loss.

Raymond Felton scored 14 points, and Marcus Camby and Gerald Wallace each had 10 rebounds as Portland won its seventh straight over Toronto. The Trail Blazers have not lost to the Raptors since a 101-100 overtime defeat on Dec. 22, 2006.

Aldridge had 23 points and 11 rebounds in the first half.

James Johnson scored a career-high 23 points for the Raptors, who have lost nine of 10.

NUGGETS 108, WIZARDS 104

WASHINGTON (AP) — Al Harrington scored a season-high 29 points, and Danilo Gallinari and Ty Lawson each had 21 to lead Denver past Washington.

It was the fifth win in six games for the Nuggets, who played without Nene due to a bruised right heel. He’s expected back Saturday in New York.

After Arron Afflalo gave Denver a 100-98 lead on a layup with 2:07 to play, Harrington hit a 3-pointer with 1:14 left to make it 103-98.

Washington dropped to 2-13 and failed to post its first two-game winning streak. Last season, it took the Wizards 39 games to win two in a row.

Nick Young lead Washington with 25 points. John Wall had 13 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds — narrowly missing his second career triple-double.

BUCKS 100, KNICKS 86

NEW YORK (AP) — Brandon Jennings scored a season-high 36 points and Milwaukee won on the road for the first time this season.

The Bucks won for the sixth time in their last seven trips to New York, where they outplayed a Knicks team that has lost five straight overall. New York heard frequent boos after turning the ball over or missing shots right at the rim all night.

Milwaukee snapped a three-game skid and improved to 1-8 on the road. The Bucks dominated the second half behind Jennings, who loves to make the Knicks pay for passing on him with the No. 8 pick in the 2009 draft.

Carmelo Anthony scored 35 points for the Knicks before he was ejected with 1:33 left after picking up his second technical foul.

GRIZZLIES 98, PISTONS 81

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) — Rudy Gay scored 24 points and surging Memphis held off a second-half rally by Detroit.

The Grizzlies, who have won five straight, led by 23 in the third quarter before the Pistons fought back. Detroit cut the deficit to six in the fourth, but Memphis pulled away after that.

Rookie guard Brandon Knight scored 22 points for Detroit, which has lost 10 of 11. The Pistons were without guards Rodney Stuckey (groin) and Will Bynum (right foot), as well as forward Charlie Villanueva (right ankle).

Marc Gasol had 17 points for Memphis, and Mike Conley added 14 points and 11 assists. The Grizzlies improved to 7-3 since Zach Randolph went out with a torn MCL.

PACERS 94, WARRIORS 91

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — George Hill scored on a three-point play with 1.8 seconds remaining and Indiana held off a late charge by Golden State.

Hill stole the ball from Monta Ellis, then raced the length of the floor for a tiebreaking layup. Hill was fouled by Stephen Curry and made the free throw for the final margin.

Curry’s 29-footer at the buzzer bounced off the back of the rim.

Danny Granger had 26 points and Roy Hibbert added a career-high 16 rebounds for Indiana, which has won four of five. The Pacers (10-4) are off to their best start since opening the 2003-04 season 13-1.

Ellis finished with 25 points and six assists, while Curry had 12 points in his first game in more than two weeks.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) – January 20, 2012 (WPVI) —
Jrue Holiday-to-Andre Iguodala was exactly the sort of high-flying connection the Philadelphia 76ers needed Friday night.

Holiday had 16 points and 11 assists, and Iguodala scored 11 points to lead the 76ers to a 90-76 win over the Atlanta Hawks.

“We can play against tough teams,” Iguodala said.

Play and win.

Thaddeus Young scored 20 points and Elton Brand grabbed 16 rebounds to help the 76ers win for the 10th time in 12 games and improve to 7-1 at home.

The Sixers left a dismal first half in the dust with a sensational third quarter. Jodie Meeks hit a pair of 3-pointers and Iguodala rocked nearly 18,000 fans with a pair of thunderous dunks during a 14-0 run.

In a game between teams that started the night as division leaders, the Hawks were in control until the Sixers found their way.

Coach Doug Collins wrote a halftime note for his team on the board: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together,”

“I thought our guys went fast in the first half, and alone,” Collins said. “I thought we went far in the second half, and together.”

Holiday had five of his 11 assists in the third and the Sixers pulled ahead by 18 in the fourth.

Former Sixer Willie Green scored 14 points and Jeff Teague had 12 for the Hawks, who snapped a four-game winning streak. Atlanta had been perfect since All-Star center Al Horford tore his left pectoral muscle, an injury that required surgery and could keep him out for the rest of the season.

Hawks coach Larry Drew could be heard yelling at his team in the locker room after the game.

“It got tough for us and we quit,” Drew said. “That’s what happened. I was more disappointed than frustrated.”

Even Horford couldn’t have done much to stop the Sixers’ mix of fastbreak dunks and 3-pointers in the third. Coming off their first home loss of the season, and a game Saturday at Miami, the Sixers knew they had to have this one to keep the early-season good vibes going.

“You win this game. You don’t lose two in a row at home,” Collins said.

Iguodala ignited the run when he scooped up a loose ball of an Atlanta turnover and turned it into a driving slam that cut it to 51-50. Meeks, who had 12 points, buried consecutive 3s to the delight of a loud and large crowd. Years of .500 or worse basketball had sucked the life out of the Wells Fargo Center. Sure enough, thanks to a fast start and slashed ticket prices, the arena is suddenly the place to be on a Friday night – or any night.

Holiday ended the run on a highlight reel-worthy feed to Iguodala for an alley-oop that nearly brought down the rim.

Yes, this was the same team that looked disconnected and missed 12 of their first 17 shots.

“We settled down a little bit, got some stops and went on a little run,” Iguodala said

.

They turned up the defensive pressure in the third and would have held Atlanta to seven points had Green not sank a 27-footer at the buzzer. The Hawks scored only 29 points in the second half.

“They took the level of intensity up and we didn’t respond,” Green said.

The Sixers even played without center Spencer Hawes (left Achilles’ strain). Hawes will also miss Saturday’s game at Miami.

Philadelphia triggered its offense off the fastbreak and turnovers and buried the Hawks with easy buckets. Iguodala, who fans wanted traded after years of symbolizing a stagnant franchise, has been embraced this season for giving them the flashy dunks in combination with the flashy victories.

The Sixers had built their Atlantic Division lead by burying some of the NBA’s worst teams. Even without Horford, the Sixers passed a nice test of beating a division leader.

“We felt we had to have this win against a really good Eastern Conference team,” Brand said. “We want to say we’re an elite team, so we had to win this game.”

Notes: Iguodala became the fifth Sixer with 1,000 career steals. He’s behind Maurice Cheeks, Allen Iverson, Julius Erving and Charles Barkley. The Sixers are off to their best start since they went 12-2 in 2000-01. The Hawks turned the ball over 15 times.

(Copyright ©2012 WPVI-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

CBSSports.com wire reports
Jan. 20, 2012

PHILADELPHIA — Jrue Holiday-to-Andre Iguodala was exactly the sort of high-flying connection the Philadelphia 76ers needed Friday night.

Holiday had 16 points and 11 assists, and Iguodala scored 11 points to lead the 76ers to a 90-76 win over the Atlanta Hawks.

“We can play against tough teams,” Iguodala said.

Play and win.

Thaddeus Young scored 20 points and Elton Brand grabbed 16 rebounds to help the 76ers win for the 10th time in 12 games and improve to 7-1 at home.

The Sixers left a dismal first half in the dust with a sensational third quarter. Jodie Meeks hit a pair of 3-pointers and Iguodala rocked nearly 18,000 fans with a pair of thunderous dunks during a 14-0 run.

In a game between teams that started the night as division leaders, the Hawks were in control until the Sixers found their way.

Coach Doug Collins wrote a halftime note for his team on the board: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together,”

“I thought our guys went fast in the first half, and alone,” Collins said. “I thought we went far in the second half, and together.”

Holiday had five of his 11 assists in the third and the Sixers pulled ahead by 18 in the fourth.

Former Sixer Willie Green scored 14 points and Jeff Teague had 12 for the Hawks, who snapped a four-game winning streak. Atlanta had been perfect since All-Star center Al Horford tore his left pectoral muscle, an injury that required surgery and could keep him out for the rest of the season.

Hawks coach Larry Drew could be heard yelling at his team in the locker room after the game.

“It got tough for us and we quit,” Drew said. “That’s what happened. I was more disappointed than frustrated.”

Even Horford couldn’t have done much to stop the Sixers’ mix of fastbreak dunks and 3-pointers in the third. Coming off their first home loss of the season, and a game Saturday at Miami, the Sixers knew they had to have this one to keep the early-season good vibes going.

“You win this game. You don’t lose two in a row at home,” Collins said.

Iguodala ignited the run when he scooped up a loose ball of an Atlanta turnover and turned it into a driving slam that cut it to 51-50. Meeks, who had 12 points, buried consecutive 3s to the delight of a loud and large crowd. Years of .500 or worse basketball had sucked the life out of the Wells Fargo Center. Sure enough, thanks to a fast start and slashed ticket prices, the arena is suddenly the place to be on a Friday night — or any night.

Holiday ended the run on a highlight reel-worthy feed to Iguodala for an alley-oop that nearly brought down the rim.

Yes, this was the same team that looked disconnected and missed 12 of their first 17 shots.

“We settled down a little bit, got some stops and went on a little run,” Iguodala said.

They turned up the defensive pressure in the third and would have held Atlanta to seven points had Green not sank a 27-footer at the buzzer. The Hawks scored only 29 points in the second half.

“They took the level of intensity up and we didn’t respond,” Green said.

The Sixers even played without center Spencer Hawes (left Achilles’ strain). Hawes will also miss Saturday’s game at Miami.

Philadelphia triggered its offense off the fastbreak and turnovers and buried the Hawks with easy buckets. Iguodala, who fans wanted traded after years of symbolizing a stagnant franchise, has been embraced this season for giving them the flashy dunks in combination with the flashy victories.

The Sixers had built their Atlantic Division lead by burying some of the NBA’s worst teams. Even without Horford, the Sixers passed a nice test of beating a division leader.

“We felt we had to have this win against a really good Eastern Conference team,” Brand said. “We want to say we’re an elite team, so we had to win this game.”

Notes

• Iguodala became the fifth Sixer with 1,000 career steals. He’s behind Maurice Cheeks, Allen Iverson, Julius Erving and Charles Barkley.
• The Sixers are off to their best start since they went 12-2 in 2000-01.
• The Hawks turned the ball over 15 times.

The Miami Heat got some unexpected resistance from the Philadelphia 76ers in
the first round of last season’s playoffs during their run to the NBA finals.

Philadelphia is proving this season its solid play in that series was no
fluke.

The Heat may again be without Dwyane Wade when they host the Atlantic
Division-leading 76ers in a playoff rematch – and possible late-round postseason
preview – Saturday night.

Second-seeded Miami beat Philadelphia in five games to advance to the second
round, but aside from a 94-73 loss in Game 2, the 76ers gave the Heat all they
could handle. The other four games were decided by no more than eight points,
with the final three decided by six or fewer.

The 76ers (11-4) have seemed to use that series as motivation. They lead the
Atlantic Division by a full five games and have won four of their last five
after beating Atlanta 90-76 on Friday.

Philadelphia trailed by eight at halftime but pulled away after a 14-0 run
in the third quarter.

“I thought our guys went fast in the first half, and alone,” coach Doug
Collins said. “I thought we went far in the second half, and together.”

Thaddeus Young scored a game-high 20 points while Jrue Holiday added 16
points and 11 assists.

“We can play (well) against tough teams,” said Andre Iguodala, who scored
11.

Collins said he wanted a win badly after the 76ers fell 108-104 in overtime
against Denver on Wednesday.

“You win this game. You don’t lose two in a row at home,” Collins said.

Philadelphia, though, hasn’t had much regular-season success against Miami
in recent years.

The Sixers have lost seven straight matchups, including a three-game season
sweep last season. They have lost nine straight in Miami – playoffs included -
and it may not get any easier against a Heat team that improved to 5-1 at home
with a 98-87 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.

LeBron James scored 31 points and added eight rebounds and eight assists for
the Heat (10-4), who played their second straight game without Wade while he
nurses a sprained right ankle.

James fought off a cold to have another solid outing. He’s averaging 33.0
points and 8.0 assists over his last three games.

“A chest cold can get to you at times,” James said. “But I felt like I
could help the team.”

His effort helped Miami improve to 5-0 this season without Wade, who is
questionable despite practicing Friday.

“We don’t take (James’) talent for granted, nor do we take Dwyane’s talent
or Chris (Bosh’s) talent,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “They’re special players
and they can rise to the occasion.”

James averaged 23.6 points and 9.7 boards in the eight meetings against the
Sixers last season.

Louis Williams leads Philadelphia with 15.1 points per game, though he was
held to six Friday. He averaged only 10.8 points in the playoffs, but his
3-pointer with nine seconds remaining in Game 4 helped the Sixers to an 86-82
win – their only victory over the Heat in the last 12 meetings.

PHILADELPHIA (AP)—The Philadelphia 76ers flicked the switch in the third
quarter and swept past the Atlanta Hawks 90-76 on Friday in a clash of NBA
division leaders.

Jrue Holiday had 16 points and 11 assists, and Thaddeus Young scored 20
points for Philadelphia, which improved to 7-1 at home.

The Sixers left a dismal first half in the dust with a sensational third
quarter. Jodie Meeks hit a pair of 3-pointers and Andre Iguodala rocked nearly
18,000 fans with a pair of thunderous dunks during a 14-0 run.

Ex-Sixer Willie Green scored 14 points for the Hawks, who had been in
control and seemed on course for a fifth straight win until the 76ers found
their way.

———

BULLS 114, CAVALIERS 75

In Cleveland, Chicago made light of the absence of star Derrick Rose by
handing Cleveland its heaviest ever home defeat.

Luol Deng scored 21 points, and Carlos Boozer added 19 and 14 rebounds for
the Bulls, who barely missed reigning league MVP Rose, who sat out his third
straight game with a toe injury.

The 39-point margin was the most lopsided defeat ever inflicted on the Cavs
in Cleveland, surpassing 35-point losses suffered in 1990 and 2001.

It could have been worse. Chicago, which has the league’s best record at
14-3, led by 42 points in the fourth quarter when all the Bulls’ starters were
resting on the bench.

Anderson Varejao scored 14 points and rookie Kyrie Irving added 13 for the
Cavs.

———

TRAIL BLAZERS 94, RAPTORS 84

In Toronto, LaMarcus Aldridge had a season-high 33 points and a career-best
23 rebounds as Portland handed Toronto its seventh consecutive loss.

Raymond Felton scored 14 points as the Blazers won their seventh straight
over Toronto. Portland has not lost to the Raptors since 2006-07.

James Johnson scored a career-high 23 points for the Raptors.

———

NUGGETS 108, WIZARDS 104

In Washington, Al Harrington scored a season-high 29 points, making the
difference in Denver’s tight win over Washington.

Danilo Gallinari and Ty Lawson each had 21 for the Nuggets, who made it five
wins in six games despite the absence of Nene with a bruised heel.

Washington led 100-98 with 2:07 to play, before an equalizing basket then a
Harrington 3-pointer with 1:14 left to make it 103-98.

Nick Young’s 25 points led the Wizards, who dropped to a miserable 2-13.

———

SUNS 79, CELTICS 71

In Boston, Marcin Gortat scored 24 points with 12 rebounds to lead Phoenix
over Boston in a low-scoring encounter.

Steve Nash had 11 points and nine assists for the Suns.

Playing without point guard Rajon Rondo, the team’s most consistent starter
this year, the Celtics had their lowest-scoring game of the season. They lost
for the sixth time in seven games and fell to 0-4 against the Western
Conference.

Ray Allen led the Celtics with 14 points and six rebounds.

———

BUCKS 100, KNICKS 86

In New York, Brandon Jennings scored a season-high 36 points as Milwaukee
won on the road for the first time this season, beating New York.

The Bucks won for the sixth time in their last seven trips to New York,
where they outplayed a Knicks team that has lost five straight overall and is
quickly losing the support of its demanding fans.

Milwaukee dominated the second half behind Jennings, who loves to make the
Knicks pay for passing on him with the No. 8 pick in the 2009 draft.

Carmelo Anthony scored 35 points for the Knicks before he was ejected with
1:33 left after picking up his second technical foul.

———

GRIZZLIES 98, PISTONS 81

In Auburn Hills, Michigan, Rudy Gay scored 24 points to help surging Memphis
hold off a second-half rally by Detroit.

Marc Gasol had 17 points for the Grizzlies, who have won five straight. They
led by 23 in the third quarter before the Pistons fought back, cutting the
deficit to six in the fourth.

Rookie guard Brandon Knight scored 22 points for Detroit, which has lost 10
of 11. The Pistons were without guards Rodney Stuckey (groin) and Will Bynum
(right foot), as well as forward Charlie Villanueva (right ankle).

By Evan Dunlap

– Newsdesk contributor

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Jan 20, 2012 – The Miami Heat will play a back-to-back set of home games Saturday and Sunday, hosting the Philadelphia 76ers on the front end and the Milwaukee Bucks on the back.

Saturday’s game pits the Heat against the Sixers for the first time in the 2011/12 season. The Heat eliminated the Sixers, 4-1, from the playoffs a season ago. Since that defeat, Philadelphia has gotten stronger, ranking No. 2 in the NBA in scoring defense (87.4 points per game) and No. 1 in three-point defense (26.4 percent). The Sixers have posted a 10-3 record prior to Friday’s matchup against the Atlanta Hawks. Indeed, Miami will have had an extra day of rest heading into Saturday’s game, which tips off at 7:30 Eastern on Sun Sports.

The Bucks then visit Miami for the first of three meetings between the teams in the 2011/12 campaign. The Heat went 3-1 against the Bucks in the 2010/11 season. Despite shaking up its roster before the season began by acquiring Stephen Jackson, Shaun Livingston, Beno Udrih, and Mike Dunleavy, Milwaukee stands at just 4-9, the No. 4 team in the Central Division. Tipoff between the Heat and Bucks is set for 6 Eastern on Sun Sports./p>

For more on the Heat, please visit Peninsula is Mightier, SB Nation’s Heat blog. For Sixers coverage, please visit SB Nation Philly and Liberty Ballers, SB Nation’s 76ers blog. For the Milwaukee perspective, please visit Brew Hoop, SB Nation’s blog about the Bucks.

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The Philadelphia 76ers had a tough loss to swallow on Jan. 18, as the Denver Nuggets gave them their first home loss in overtime. Sixers fans like myself were hoping that it would be a statement win against a plus .500 opponent in an actual close game. However, there are two more big chances ahead for the Sixers to make such a statement, as a big back-to-back stretch begins on Jan. 20 in Philadelphia.

The Sixers haven’t had to face three straight winning opponents this season and have started this run in the most heartbreaking fashion. But they can erase that a bit by defeating the first place, 11-4 Atlanta Hawks before going to Miami to face none other than the Heat the next night.

Obviously, beating the Heat on the road will send a much bigger message than defeating the Hawks at home. Like Philadelphia, Atlanta is trying to take a step into the elite and still inspires a lot of doubt about whether it can do it. Yet the Hawks are a little bit further ahead of the Sixers at this point, as Atlanta has reached the second round two years in a row while Philadelphia hasn’t won a playoff round in a long time.

The Hawks have also gotten ahead of the Sixers’ pace this season with an 11-4 record and a four-game winning streak going into Philadelphia. Atlanta’s first place standing is a bit more impressive since it is in the far tougher Southeast Division – and one that, unlike the Atlantic, has more than one team better than two games under .500. What’s more, the Hawks are slightly ahead of both the Heat and the Orlando Magic for the moment, even though few think that can last into April.

Philadelphia hasn’t faced a team with this kind of winning record all season, as it lost to the Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz before they got hot and fell to the now 10-5 Nuggets. The Sixers did defeat the Indiana Pacers on Jan. 9 when they were 6-2, yet the Hawks are on a more established high level. Of course, Atlanta isn’t close to the level that the Sixers’ next opponent is on yet – but if Philadelphia faces the Heat in 24 hours after losing two straight games to tough teams, the chances won’t be good to turn it around in Miami.

The Sixers need to salvage at least one win in this week of facing stronger competition, as the hope is that they didn’t already blow their best chance at one. Salvaging at least a win over the Hawks will make this go down easier, even if they follow it up with a loss to the Heat. Otherwise, the “I told you sos” of Sixers skeptics will be hard to quiet down for a while.

Robert Dougherty is a life-long Philadelphia resident and 76ers fan.

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