The Sixers headed into Atlanta on Saturday after what may have possibly been their worst lost of the season against the Charlotte Bobcats. Fortunately, Evan Turner and company got back to playing solid team basketball the way they have over the last few weeks.
Apr 5, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers small forward Evan Turner (12) works against Atlanta Hawks small forward DeShawn Stevenson (92) during the first half at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
The Sixers set the tone from the very beginning, scoring 40 points in the first quarter, and shooting 16-of-22 through the first twelve minutes. The win against the Hawks marks Philly’s fourth win in five games.
Here are the player grades:
Evan Turner – 38 minutes, 24 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, +15 – A
Turner shot 9-of-15 from the field and 3-of-4 from beyond the arc in route to a double-double performance. He led the team in scoring and made good decisions all-around. This was what we expected of Evan Turner when the Sixers took him with the second-overall pick in the draft.
Spencer Hawes – 38 minutes, 19 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, +11 – B+
Spencer Hawes continued his recent stretch of great play. He added another double-double while being a play-maker and facilitator from the center position as well.
Thaddeus Young – 37 minutes, 14 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, +14 – B+
Thaddeus Young was all over the glass on both ends of the court, adding 5 offensive rebounds and 8 defensive. He was also super efficient offensively, going 6-of-9 from the floor.
Damien Wilkins – 33 minutes, 16 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, +11 – B
Wilkins was very impressive in the win over the Hawks. He contributed in just about every way possible; scoring, rebounding, play-making, defensively. Wilkins was very efficient, making 5-of-8 shots including making all four of his free throws and 2-of-3 from three-point land.
Jrue Holiday – 42 minutes, 9 points, 3 rebounds, 8 assists, +5 – D
The Sixers’ lone All-Star struggled again after having his worst offensive performance of his career two nights ago. He shot a mere 3-of-14 from the field, and made just 3-of-6 free throw attempts. The Sixers were just plus-five with Jrue on the court, the lowest of any starter.
Justin Holiday – 7 minutes, 4 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, +2 – C
While not overly impressive, Jrue’s older brother had an alright debut for the Sixers. He wasn’t incredibly efficient, just 2-of-6 from the field, but didn’t force any bad shots or make bad decisions. While his effort at the defensive end will serve him well for the remainder of the season under Doug Collins, it’s hard to tell exactly what he will bring to the table after just seven minutes.
Nick Young – 14 minutes, 8 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, -9 – C-
Nick Young shot just 2-of-7 in his fourteen minutes off the bench, but added 8 points.
Lavoy Allen – 13 minutes, 4 points, 1 assist, 1 block, +2 – D+
Lavoy played thirteen minutes off the bench and failed to add a single rebound. He did, however, add 4 points and a block while the team was plus-two with him on the court.
Royal Ivey – 13 minutes, 3 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, -4 – D
The Sixers’ back-up point guard woes are much noted, and last night showed why. Royal added just 3 points in 13 minutes, and shot two total shots, both three-pointers.
Arnett Moultrie – 6 minutes, 0 points, 0 rebounds, 0 assists – D
Arnett Moultrie played just six minutes, and failed to add a stat other than a personal foul. While it’s hard to give him knock him in a game where he played just six minutes, this is a game that Sixers’ fans would have liked to see him be aggressive to the point that Doug Collins wouldn’t want to take him off the court.
While the trip to Atlanta was a success, there are still many concerns for the Sixers. The bench added just 19 points on just 6-of-17 shooting combined. Jrue Holiday struggled again, but it was the play of the other four starters that carried the Sixers to a 101-90 win over the Hawks.