Many felt early on in Evan Turner’s rookie campaign last year that he was going to be a complete bust. He struggled very badly in summer league, was horrible in exhibition games, and couldn’t ever seem to adjust to the NBA schemes on offense. His ball handling went to waste because he didn’t understand where he was supposed to be on the court, and he looked confused at times.

That has changed this season in his second year, and a big reason why is because he is hitting his shots, to make it quite simple. Magic coach Stan Van Gundy joked about it, saying “When guys hit their shots, people think they are playing well, and then when they don’t, people think they are playing poorly when they are doing the exact same thing but just missing the shot.”

So it has gone for Turner. This season, due to improved shooting mechanics, Turner is shooting 45.2% from the field and 73.5% from 9 feet and closer, up over 20% from that figure last season. That means Turner is hitting the shots he should hit. He is not, however, hitting his threes, as he shoots a very poor 21% from behind the arc. He can improve that, though, as many NBA players have become very good shooters who had no jumper early in their career (points in case, Jason Kidd, Nick Anderson, et al.,).

Turner says he is :”more comfortable with it (his shot)…and mechanics are the key…I get my shot off quicker now.” That is essential, and good shooters realize that a quicker shot means a more open and more clean look at the basket. Anyone at all familiar with the best two three point shooters in NBA history, Ray Allen and Reggie Miller, knows that both have extremely quick releases and were able to get off shots that were on-balance while winding off screens. As to whether Turner can ever reach that level of competency is anyone’s guess, but all indications are that he may put in the hard work to do so.

Turner is averaging 6.2 rebounds per game in his 26 minutes a night, which ranks him among the top rebounding guards in the league. That value is important and helps the Sixers prevent second chance points, which is one of their strengths as a basketball team on a regular basis.

So, for all of those doubters early on, I would think most are starting to realize Turner is going to have at least an above average career and not be a bust. I am reserving judgement on whether or not he can ever become an all All-Star, but I could see Turner averaging 15 to 18 a game at some point, possibly as early as next season. For right now, he is putting up 14.0 points per-36 minutes. That’s not too bad for a guy most were saying lacked the aggressiveness to ever succeed at the NBA level.

Turner has been compared from everyone to a pre-injury Brandon Roy to an offensively deficient Eric Snow, but the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. Turner is not going to be a liability offensively like Snow, but he also won’t be a deadly closer like Roy was before his knees betrayed him.

We’ll keep an eye on Turner, especially in keeper leagues. If you lack a solid fifth keeper or sixth in a 5 or 6 keep league, Turner could prove to be an option this season. Since most keeper leagues don’t require owners to declare their keepers until the days prior to the draft, we can keep an eye on Turner’s progress this summer and even in through the early part of the exhibition season before making a ruling on whether we keep Turner or a player who has already posted a slightly higher value.

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The Philadelphia 76ers have avoided consecutive defeats so far this season
but it’s been nearly two weeks since they’ve earned back-to-back wins. A visit
from the Detroit Pistons might help them remedy that.

The 76ers will try to build on a strong defensive performance Saturday night
while attempting to deny the Pistons only their second road win this season.

Philadelphia (13-6) has split six games since a 9-1 stretch, and kept a
pattern of alternating losses and wins going with an 89-72 win over lowly
Charlotte on Friday night.

The Atlantic Division leaders limited the Bobcats to 38.6 percent shooting
and a 4-for-15 performance from 3-point range while allowing their second-fewest
points in a game this season. For the second straight contest, Lou Williams had
a team-best 17 points off the bench.

“We’ve always been good at bouncing back,” point guard Jrue Holiday said.

Holiday and the rest of Philadelphia’s starters also got plenty of rest
during the rout and that could help them Saturday.

“To not have guys play heavy minutes is a real blessing,” coach Doug Collins
said.

Collins’ team is seeking its first back-to-back wins since a three-game run
Jan. 13-16. The 76ers might have a chance to pull that off against the Pistons
(4-16), who are 1-8 on the road and coming off another bitter defeat.

The 76ers, meanwhile, own one of the best home records in the Eastern
Conference at 9-2 and blew out Detroit 96-73 at the Wells Fargo Center on Jan. 6
as Jodie Meeks scored 21 points.

Collins, though, isn’t taking the Pistons lightly.

“Detroit is better than its record,” he said. “They’re playing good
basketball, and they’ve got good guards. They’re a very good defensive team.
We’re going to have to play well to get that game tomorrow night.”

After falling short against Miami two days earlier, Detroit appeared that it
might earn its third win in 15 games and first in three contests Friday.
Instead, the Pistons blew a six-point lead over Atlanta in the final 54 seconds
of regulation en route to a 107-101 overtime loss.

“We kicked that game. We should have won the game, but we didn’t make
winning plays down the stretch,” coach Lawrence Frank said. “I think we were
defeated as soon as (the tying 3-pointer with 1.9 seconds left) went in, and the
game went to overtime. We have to be mentally tougher than that.”

Greg Monroe scored at least 20 points for the second straight game with 22.
He also had a team-best 22 during the loss in Philadelphia earlier this month.

The Pistons might have as many as four players out for this visit. Tayshaun
Prince is dealing with a family matter while Ben Gordon (shoulder), Will Bynum
(foot) and Charlie Villanueva (ankle) are injured.

The status of Philadelphia starting center Spencer Hawes is unknown because
of a strained left Achilles, and rookie big man Nik Vucevic is dealing with a
left knee quad strain.

The teams have split their last six overall matchups with the 76ers winning
two of the last three. All three of those games have been in Philadelphia.

The Philadelphia 76ers are benefiting from being in the Atlantic Division, since no one else there has a winning record. As such, Sixers fans like myself can feel a little overconfident about their chances to win the division, although it could be a different story when they face better competition. But the Sixers are also fortunate to be in the Eastern Conference as a whole, as it is once again proving to be the inferior conference from top to bottom.

The lockout and the shortened season did a lot to alter things, yet one constant has remained the same. The Eastern Conference has the majority of poor NBA teams so far while the Western Conference is more stacked than usual. The Sixers just happen to be among the select few Eastern teams with winning records so far, rather than in the pack of losing teams for once.

As of Jan. 25, the Sixers are one of only six Eastern Conference clubs over .500, whereas 10 Western squads have a winning record. If this continues, two sub .500 Eastern teams will make the playoffs while two Western franchises over .500 will be left out. This seems to happen pretty much every season, however, and in spite of the lockout it is taking place right on cue again.

Although the New York Knicks are imploding and on the brink of getting Mike D’Antoni forced out, they would still make the playoffs as an eighth seed if the season ended today. In addition, the Boston Celtics would be the seventh seed in spite of a 7-9 record and speculation that most of their Big Three will be gone soon. Even the Cleveland Cavaliers remain a half-game back for the eighth spot despite a 6-10 record and some horrendous blowout losses last week.

The poor records of the No. 7 to No. 15 ranked teams in the East make the whole conference look bad – or make those on top look even better. Only the Sixers, Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks and Indiana Pacers look any good so far, and that may remain the case the rest of the season.

But given that the Bulls have the best record in the NBA, the Heat remain the championship favorite, the Magic are still contending with Dwight Howard and the Hawks, Sixers and Pacers are still improving, the East could still have more title contenders while the West devours itself. Since the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks are flailing early while the Oklahoma City Thunder try to become championship ready, the West is a free-for-all right now.

The Sixers will have a much easier time making the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, especially since they might even afford to make it with a losing or .500 record again. Of course, Philadelphia would like to get in with a much better record this time around.

Now that the Sixers have risen about the nine or so rotten/mediocre clubs left in the East, the next goal is to rise above the would-be contenders like the Hawks and Pacers and get to the Bulls, Heat and Magic’s level. Unfortunately, overtaking the Eastern Conference teams that are actually good is a much tougher task.

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

Other stories from this contributor

76ers barely break a sweat over Wizards

76ers still unable to jump over Heat

76ers, Heat are still works in progress

76ers have big second half awakening over Hawks

76ers start most important two-game stretch this season

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It would be great if the Philadelphia 76ers could play the Washington Wizards in every game. For the third time this season, the 76ers faced the Washington Wizards. For the third time this season, the 76ers won the game comfortably. The win moved the 76ers to 12-5 on the season and helped maintain their lead in the Atlantic Division. The win was that much more impressive considering that the 76ers were missing their top two big men. As a 76ers fan, I’m happy the team got the win. It was a great way to kick off an important stretch for the team.

The 76ers raced out of the gate and led 33-14 after the first quarter. The lead was 30 points at halftime. After that the 76ers could call off the dogs. They ended up coming out on top with a 103-83 win. The win was made possible from a nice combination of work from the starters and the bench. Jrue Holiday and Elton Brand led the 76ers with 17 points. Brand, playing with a stomach virus, also added nine rebounds to help make for the absence of Spencer Hawes and Nikola Vucevic. Jodie Meeks had 15 points while Andre Iguodala had seven points, seven rebounds, and 11 assists.

The bench was also stellar. Thaddeus Young and Lou Williams each had 14 points while LaVoy Allen had 10 points and made all five of his field goal attempts. As a team, the 76ers shot 52 percent from the floor. It was a great shooting night for the team when they really needed it. It was clear that the defense would suffer a little without the big men. The 76ers had to shoot the ball well and they did just that.

Overall, this was a big win for the 76ers. The Wizards are a terrible team but no one can be overlooked. Coming off of a tough loss to the Miami Heat and kicking off a huge home stand, the 76ers needed to make a statement in this game. They were able to do that. Now they should have momentum for the upcoming games.

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

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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

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.