The Philadelphia 76ers are 7-2 on the season and have won six straight games. But the completion gets a little tougher when they visit the New York Knicks on Wednesday, January 11. This is the third game in three nights for the 76ers and that will only make it more difficult. As a 76ers fan, I would love to see this team go on the road and shut down the Knicks. It would do a lot to validate the fact that the 76ers are a legitimate team in the eyes of the national media. But I also think that they are that kind of team even if they don’t win this game.

Let’s be honest. It is asking a lot for a team to win three games in three nights. The 76ers have had a very busy week and they are not going to win every game. Therefore, a loss against the Knicks would hardly be a sign that their fast start isn’t the real deal. But I am willing to bet the national media will be quick to say that the 76ers only beat bad teams. That might be true, but the 76ers have shown me that they are the real deal. I think they are the best team in the Atlantic Division no matter what happens against the Knicks.

That said the 76ers are fully capable of winning this game. They are built to succeed in this condensed schedule because of their youth and depth. Even if center Spencer Hawes can’t play because of his back strain, the 76ers still have enough depth to handle the Knicks. New York might have more star power, but the 76ers are a better team. The shoot the ball better and are easily better on defense. Entering this game, the 76ers look like a team that can handle the Knicks.

I would love to see the team pick up this win even though it is the fifth game in six nights. Getting a road win against a division rival under these circumstances is huge for this team. I think they can do it. Doug Collins knows how to rotate his players so fatigue shouldn’t be a huge issue. The 76ers are the rare team that has seven or eight players that can step up and dominate a game. That makes them hard to defend. For those reasons, I see the 76ers pulling out the win in New York.

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

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The Philadelphia 76ers are red hot right now. That might be stating the obvious, but it is something we haven’t been able to say a lot about this team over the past decade. But the 76ers routed the Sacramento Kings 112-85 to win their sixth straight game. As a 76ers fan, I’m excited about the prospects of this team. At 7-2, the 76ers look like the best team in the Atlantic Divison. That seemed clear against the Kings.

As is the case with a team this deep, every game has a different player stepping forward. Against Sacramento, that player was Elton Brand. Brand had his best game of the season with 21 points and 10 rebounds. He shot 10-14 from the floor and was a dominant force underneath. His effort was especially huge because Spencer Hawes once again left the game early because of his back strain. Without Hawes, Brand needed a big game and he gave the 76ers one.

Evan Turner also added a double double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. He led a total of eight players that saw action off the bench, by far the most of any game this season for the 76ers. Lou Williams had 15 points and Thaddeus Young added 10 points. Rookie LaVoy Allen stepped in with five points. Starters Jrue Holiday and Jodie Meeks also scored in double figures while Andre Iguodala made all three of his field goal attempts. Offensively, the 76ers shot the ball well once again.

Defensively, they put the clamp on the Kings. A late flurry when the game was already out of hand is the only reason the Kings were able to reach 85 points. They shot just 39.5% for the game and were outrebounded by the 76ers. Holding opponents below 40 percent shooting has become a theme for the 76ers. Their strong defense is more impressive than their strong shooting right now, and that says a lot.

The 76ers will seek their seventh straight win when they go on the road to face the New York Knicks. This is a big game between division rivals and an excellent measuring stick for the 76ers. Winning a third game in three nights won’t be easy, especially on the road. But Doug Collins has this team playing so well that they can beat anyone right now.

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

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Read More: Andre Iguodala (F – PHI), Spencer Hawes (C – PHI), Roy Hibbert (C – IND), Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers extended their current winning streak to five games after defeating the Indiana Pacers 96-86 on Monday night. The Sixers’ 6-2 start this season is their best in 11 years.

Philadelphia never trailed after Lou Williams hit a 3-pointer with 2:31 left in the first quarter. Down five points at half, the Pacers would get as close as three points in the third quarter before the Sixers methodically pulled away, leading up to the 10-point final margin.

Andre Iguodala led the Sixers with 20 points, nine rebounds and five assists in the game. Spencer Hawes played despite suffering a strained back last Saturday, adding 12 points and eight rebounds in 29 minutes. Roy Hibbert picked up 19 points in the loss for the Pacers, shooting 7-for-12 from the field and picking up eight rebounds.

For more 76ers coverage, visit our team page as well as SB Nation blog Liberty Ballers.

While their offensive game has been clicking, the Philadelphia 76ers are
enjoying their best start in 11 seasons behind a stifling defensive display.

The Indiana Pacers have also experienced plenty of early season success by
clamping down on their opponents.

Points could be at a premium as the Pacers visit a 76ers team seeking a
fifth consecutive victory for the first time in almost two years Monday night.

Off to its best start since winning its first 10 games in 2000-01,
Philadelphia (5-2) ranks near the top of the league with 100.9 points per
contest. The 76ers, however, have been even more impressive defending their end
of the court, where they’re surrendering a league-low average of 85.6 points.

Philadelphia’s defensive prowess was on full display during Saturday’s 97-62
rout of Toronto. The Raptors’ point total was the lowest in the 15-year history
of the Wells Fargo Center and the second-lowest by an opponent since the start
of the 1985-86 season.

“It’s all about playing defense. We know we can score. It’s all about how we
react and how we respond on defense,” forward Elton Brand told the team’s
official website.

The 76ers, who haven’t won five in a row since Jan. 31-Feb. 9, 2010, have
outscored opponents by an average of 23.5 points during their run.

Keeping things going, though, likely won’t be easy with a Pacers team
allowing an average of 89.3 points – among the top five in the NBA – coming to
town.

On the offense end, meanwhile, Indiana’s frontcourt could prove difficult to
slow down if center Spencer Hawes can’t go.

Hawes, posting 12.6 points and a 76ers-best 10.6 boards per game, played
only two minutes after halftime Saturday because of a strained back. He is
uncertain to play in this one.

“We’ve got Indiana coming in, who plays power basketball with (Roy) Hibbert,
David West and (Tyler) Hansbrough – big strong team, so we’re hoping that he’ll
be back,” coach Doug Collins said.

The Pacers (6-2) are coming off a one-sided victory of their own, defeating
Charlotte 99-77 on Saturday. Indiana limited the Bobcats to just 32.6 shooting -
the lowest mark by an opponent in more than two years.

“It says a lot about our team because it was a grind-it-out game against a
veteran team,” forward Danny Granger said. “We grinded them out, we put our
defense out there and played to the best of our ability. Those are the kind of
games you have to win.

“I think we’ve got a mark on our back now. We’re not going to be able to
sneak up on too many people anymore. They realize that we are a good team, and
we’re here to stay. It makes it all the more important for us to come to play.”

Granger, scoring a team-best 14.9 points per game despite shooting a woeful
30.7 percent, is one of seven players on the roster averaging double figures.

“We’ve got eight guys, maybe nine that could probably start on other NBA
teams,” he said. “That’s a lot of depth. I’d like to say we have more depth than
most teams.”

Indiana, which split four meetings with Philadelphia last season, has taken
seven of 10 road matchups in this series – including a 111-103 victory Jan. 11
behind 27 points from Granger.

PHILADELPHIA, Mich. (AP) – Spencer Hawes had 16 points and 14 rebounds, Jodie Meeks scored 21 points, and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Detroit Pistons 96-73 on Friday night.

In front of Hall of Famer Julius Erving and their new owners, the Sixers dominated the fourth quarter to win their home opener. Majority owner Joshua Harris and CEO Adam Aron promised sweeping changes to the fan experience, slashing ticket prices, revamping the lighting, and even mingling with fans for more feedback.

The biggest change, though, is at center, where Hawes has suddenly morphed from accessory piece to regular double-double threat. He had a crowd of nearly 20,000 fans chanting his name in the third quarter after a string of big shots and dominated a short-handed Pistons team on the boards.
   
Meeks scored nine points in 54 seconds in the fourth to stretch the lead to 16 and put it out of reach.

Greg Monroe had 22 points for the Pistons. Ben Gordon was absent because of personal reasons and Rodney Stuckey sat out with a sore groin.

Detroit Pistons vs. Philadelphia
76ers

When: 7 p.m. Friday

Where: Wells Fargo Center,
Philadelphia

Records: Detroit 2-4 (fourth in
Central); Philadelphia 3-2 (first in Atlantic)

Pistons probable starters:
Tayshaun Prince, 6-9, 215 (Kentucky); Jonas Jerebko, 6-10, 231
(Angelico Biella, Sweden); Greg Monroe, 6-11, 250 (Georgetown);
Austin Daye, 6-11, 200 (Gonzaga); Brandon Knight, 6-3, 189
(Kentucky).

76ers probable starters: Spencer
Hawes, 7-1, 245 (Washington); Elton Brand, 6-9, 254 (Duke); Andre
Iguodala, 6-6, 207 (Arizona); Jodie Meeks, 6-4, 208 (Kentucky); Jrue
Holiday, 6-4, 180 (UCLA).

Last game: The Pistons trailed by
double-digit margins throughout the second half of Wednesday’s 99-83
loss to Chicago. Jrue Holiday scored 14 of his 23 points in the
fourth quarter of the 76ers’ 101-93 win at New Orleans, also
Wednesday.

Fast facts: Knight gets his
first NBA start in place of Rodney Stuckey (groin), and Daye steps
into the starting lineup for Ben Gordon (absent for personal reason)
… Philadelphia is the last team in the NBA to play its home opener
after starting the season with five road games. … Every other team
in the league has played at home at least twice. … The 76ers’
leading scorer, guard Lou Williams (18.2 ppg), has not started a game
this year. … The 76ers took two out of three games against the
Pistons last year, including a 104-100 win in the April 13 season
finale here. … The 76ers rank second in the league in scoring
differential (plus-9.8 ppg), third in field-goal percentage (98.2)
and fourth in scoring average (102.6 ppg). … The Pistons share the
league lead in free-throw percentage (81.0), but rank 28 th in
scoring average (86.8 ppg).

Frank-ly speaking: “We’ll
probably stay out there and stretch a little bit. We’re probably
looking at a five-minute, six-minute window. It’s not like you’re
going to get intimidated. Julius ain’t playing tonight.” –
Lawrence Frank, on pre-game ceremonies for the 76ers’ home opener,
which are expected to include a Julius Erving appearance.

The Philadelphia 76ers picked up their first win of the 2011-12 season. They did it in impressive fashion by blowing out the Phoenix Suns 103-83. Philadelphia is now 1-1 and had momentum going. They still have three more games in this road trip and all are winnable. In beating the Suns, the 76ers once again used their depth and spread the ball around. The team had six players score between 12 and 15 points. As a 76ers fan, I enjoy the balance of this team. Still, some players put in a little more than others. Here are three standout players for the 76ers in the win over the Suns.

Evan Turner

Turner probably should have shot the ball more. He missed just three of his nine field goal attempts and finished with 12 points. After spending the offseason working on his shot, it seems clear that Turner has improved in that area. He was also great on defense. Turner finished with seven rebounds and a steal. He stayed aggressive for the 29 minutes he played. He still has room to improve but he looks like a much better player in his second season.

Andre Iguodala

Iguodala could have shot the ball more as well. He made five of his seven field goal attempts and hit all three of his shots from beyond the arc. Iguodala also had four rebounds, four steals, and six assists. He was all over the floor in this game. I would argue that he was better in this one than he was in the opener. Iguodala is playing at the pace this team needs. I hope that continues.

Spencer Hawes

Hawes narrowly missed a triple double in the season opener. In this game, he fell one point shy of a double double. Hawes had nine points and 11 rebounds in the win. He has been a rebounding machine in the first two games and that is what the 76ers need him to be. The scoring is just a bonus. Through two games, Hawes is looking like a bargain. He is playing the position better and doing the things he is supposed to be doing.

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The Philadelphia 76ers rebounded nicely after dropping their season opener. Philadelphia put together a dominant effort as they crushed the Phoenix Suns 103-83. The game was never even that close. The 76ers dominated from wire to wire and looked every bit like the team a lot of people expect them to be. As a 76ers fan, I’m glad the team is now 1-1. Hopefully, this win will carry over into the next three games. It would be nice for the 76ers to conclude their road trip with a 4-1 record.

There were six players on the team that scored in double figures. Jrue Holiday, Andre Iguodala, and Thaddeus Young each had 15 to lead the 76ers. Evan Turner, Jodie Meeks, and Lou Williams all scored at least 12 points. As a team, the 76ers shout 48 percent and were on point in the second half. Spencer Hawes only had nine points but he grabbed 11 rebounds. It was another strong game for the center. Rookie Nikola Vucevic saw his first action. He contributed six points and six rebounds in the game.

As a team, the 76ers did everything right in this game. They won the rebound battle. They won the turnover battle. They controlled the ball. Even though Phoenix is a down team, this is still an impressive win for the 76ers. These are the kinds of games they didn’t win before Doug Collins arrived. Now, the team knows how to put things together. That’s a sign of maturity. The 76ers are only going to get better throughout the season.

The 76ers play on consecutive nights coming up. They face the Utah Jazz on December 30 and the Golden State Warriors on December 31. Both of those games should be winnable. It will be interesting to see how Collins works the rotations knowing that the team has games on consecutive nights. I suspect we will see the deeper parts of the bench in one or both of those games. But as long as the core players continue their strong start, the 76ers will have no problem winning these games.

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