Philadelphia 76ers vs. Utah Jazz, New Jersey Nets vs. Charlotte Bobcats – NBA Roundup
Philadelphia 76ers 104 – Utah Jazz 91
The Philadelphia 76ers recorded a fairly comfortable win over the Utah Jazz at the Wells Fargo Center on Friday. The Sixers were in the running for most of the game and finished up 104 – 91 with a solid second half showing.
Both teams played well in the first half. The Jazz were actually just in front after the first quarter, 27 – 25, but Philadelphia came back well in the second. At halftime the score was 49 – 47 to the 76ers.
After the interval the Sixers changed gears. They had an early 6 – 0 spurt that set the tone and went on to dominate the third segment, finishing it ahead by double digits at 78 – 68. The Jazz failed to launch a counter offensive in the final 12 minutes
of the game, Philadelphia closing it out at 104 – 91.
"It's a great win for us. We have some momentum and now we have to keep building on it." Sixers forward Elton Brand said after the game.
Thaddeus Young and Louis Williams both scored 21 points coming off the bench for the Sixers. Jrue Holiday scored 16 while Evan Turner had the same number and 12 rebounds for his double-double.
The scorecard did not look pretty for the Jazz, with no single player making a big impact. Paul Millsap top scored with 15 and he had 9 rebounds. Al Jefferson and Derrick Favors were also noticeable, netting 14 points each.
New Jersey Nets 83 – Charlotte Bobcats 74
The New Jersey beat the Charlotte Bobcats at the Time Warner Cable Arena in a game that was close for large periods. The Nets used some late muscle to outgun the Bobcats, finishing 83 – 74.
New Jersey started the game in aggressive fashion, a 15 – 4 burst from jump ball putting them in control. They ended the first quarter up at 23 – 15. Charlotte played better in the second period and cut down the lead by half time to 39 – 35.
The Bobcats continued their good work after the interval. They matched up well with the Nets and positioned themselves for a surge in the final period, ending the third just behind at 60 – 59.
The Nets though blew them away at the start of the fourth stanza, and the Bobcats couldn’t recover, bowing out at 83 – 74.
"We played hard out there. We could have hung our heads and said woe is me. But we didn't. Defensively we picked it up and played great tonight. We knew where we needed to step it up and were able to get a good win on the road." Avery Johnson, the Nets head
coach, boasted after the game.
Kris Humphries led the Nets with 20 points and 15 rebounds. Star point guard Deron Williams went out of the game with an injury but Anthony Morrow stepped up, scoring 17.
Corey Maggette played well for the Bobcats, scoring 19 points and he had 7 rebounds.
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