Philadelphia 76ers beat San Antonio Spurs 77-71
Jrue Holiday scored a game-high 27 points to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 77-71 victory over the San Antonio Spurs at the Wells Fargo Centre on Friday night. The result was Philadelphia's fourth win in their last six games.
Center Spencer Hawes had a good night as he got 13 points and eight rebounds for the Sixers, who defeated the Spurs for the four straight time at Philadelphia . Elton Brand had one of his best games of the 2010-11 season as he tied his season-high tally
of 17 rebounds in the home victory.
Tim Duncan contributed a team-high 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Spurs, who saw their four-game winning streak snapped. Gary Neal scored 11 points while DeJuan Blair ended with 14 rebounds for San Antonio. Antonio McDyess also registered 11 points and
as many rebounds for San Antonio, who were trying to become only the sixth team in NBA history to improve their record to 45-8.
Match Analysis
Philadelphia managed to win a game by scoring less than 80 points for the first time since December 2003, when they narrowly won against the Detorit Pistons 78-76. They played perhaps their best defensive game of the 2010-11 season and toppled the League’s
best team.
Sixers forward Elton Brand praised his team after the game. He said, "Defence won us this game. We got hands in their faces and made them take difficult shots. Great win for us. The Spurs are known for winning games like this, but we stuck with it defensively
and got it done."
Holiday dominated the opening quarter as he added 13 points, helping Philadelphia to take a 14-7 lead with less than seven minutes left in the first. Gary Neal provided the Spurs a spark off the bench but the 76ers managed to take a 27-22 lead into the second.
The Spurs came to life in the second quarter as they went on a 10-2 run to take a two-point lead at 44-42, capped by two free throws from Tim Duncan. Both teams got it going offensively halfway through the second and were tied 46-46 at half time.
The Spurs and the 76ers started the third quarter ice cold as both played sloppy basketball around the court. However, Philadelphia slowly began to build their lead, taking a 60-58 advantage into the final stanza.
Holiday extended his sizzling play to the fourth quarter as he hit a key three-pointer that gave Philadelphia a decisive lead at 71-67. The Spurs on the other hand fought hard as they twice cut the deficit down to two. Jrue knocked down a pair of free throws
late in the fourth to seal the home victory at 77-71.
Spurs forward Richard Jefferson appreciated Holiday's breath-taking performance after the game. He said, "Holiday was the difference-maker in the game. When he was open, he was able to knock down shots."
With this win, the Sixers improved their record to 25-28 during the current season, while the NBA leading Spurs fell to 44-9.
It is no secret that the defence has been Sixers strength during their recent run. Now it seems that the starting lineup is starting to catch up. If they can continue like this, the 76ers could start becoming a real threat.
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