Feb 28, 2011

Sixers enter the .500 Club

Jodie Meeks scored all of his 14 points in the second half, and Philadelphia held on late to top the Cleveland Cavaliers, 95-91, at Quicken Loans Arena.

Elton Brand and Lou Williams both finished with 16 points as the Sixers won their season-high fourth straight game. Jrue Holiday added 13 points while dishing out nine assists and Evan Turner added 10 points in a reserve role for Philadelphia, which is above .500 for the first time this season (30-29).

"Our bench gave us a huge lift," Brand said. "[Young] and Williams gave us a huge spark to overcome a 12-point deficit, they played with heart."

J.J. Hickson posted a game-high 22 points and 16 rebounds and Ramon Sessions added 20 points and 10 assists for Cleveland, which has dropped two of three. Antawn Jamison contributed 16 points but left the game late in the third quarter after breaking his left pinky finger.

Feb 26, 2011

Phillies top Yanks in Grapefruit League opener


Sardinha is looking to make the team as the #2 catcher
Final Score: Philadelphia 5, NY Yankees 4

Dane Sardinha's two-out, two-run single in the top of the eighth inning gave the Phillies the lead, and Philadelphia held on to top the Yankees, 5-4, in Grapefruit League action.

Sardinha finished 2-for-2 while both Pete Orr and Ross Gload knocked in a run for the Phillies, who won their fourth-straight National League East title in 2010 with a 97-65 record.

Brian Schlitter was touched for two runs on two hits in one inning of work but got the win thanks to scoreless eighth and ninth innings from Mike Zagurski and Jason Grilli, respectively.

Jorge Vazquez went 2-for-2 with a two-run homer in the seventh inning for the Yankees, who finished second the American League East in 2010 with a 95-67 record.

Eric Wordekemper allowed two runs on three hits in the eighth inning to suffer the loss.

Copyright: The Sports Network

Feb 16, 2011

Sixers enter All-Star break on high note: top Rockets

Andre Iguodala finished with 13 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists as the Philadelphia 76ers matched their entire win total for the 2009-10 season, topping the Houston Rockets, 114-105, at Toyota Center.

Philadelphia is now 27-29, a drastic improvement from their dismal 27-55 record from last season.

Jrue Holiday finished with 20 points and eight assists while both Lou Williams and Thaddeus Young finished with 19 points off the bench. The Sixers have now won three of four overall and are only the second Eastern Conference team to match or surpass their 2009-10 win total before the All-Star break (New Jersey 17).

"Our guys are in great spirits entering the break," Sixers coach Doug Collins said. "We are a good team and I tell them to remember that we are a good team."

Mauled: Sixers roughed up by Memphis

Mike Conley finished with team-high 22 points as Memphis won its fourth straight game, topping Philadelphia, 102-91, at FedEx Forum.

Zach Randolph posted 21 points with 10 rebounds and seven assists for the Grizzlies, who ended a three-game home stand with the win. Sam Young added 12 points and five boards while Rudy Gay scored 11 points before leaving the game in the second quarter.

Gay drove in the lane and was fouled by Sixers rookie Evan Turner, injuring his left shoulder in the process. Gay shot the associated free throws, but left the game afterward and did not return.

Thaddeus Young led Philadelphia with a game-high 23 points in a reserve role, and Lou Williams added 18 points, five boards and four assists as the Sixers lost in Memphis for the first time since January of 2007.

"This is one of the most aggressive teams we've played just because the lineups they put in the game are so strong," Young said. "They try to outmuscle you and out-quick you to everything. Those guys just outhustled us."