The Indiana Pacers will try to stop a nine-game road losing streak tonight in the City of Brotherly Love, as they take on the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center.
(Sports Network) – The Indiana Pacers will try to stop a nine-game road losing streak tonight in the City of Brotherly Love, as they take on the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center.
Indiana hasn’t won on the road since Nov. 30 at Sacramento and is just 5-11 away from Conseco Fieldhouse this season. It has lost three straight overall and six of the last seven games, including Saturday’s 108-93 setback at Atlanta.
Danny Granger scored 16 points, Darren Collison added 13 and both Tyler Hansbrough and Paul George finished with 10 points for the Pacers.
“The Hawks are a really good basketball team,” Pacers head coach Jim O’Brien said. “They are a terrifically talented basketball team, and they are just a little too much for us to handle right now.”
Indiana lost its seventh straight at Philips Arena and is winless in the past nine meetings with the Hawks.
Philadelphia is hoping to get forward Andre Iguodala back in the lineup tonight after he’s missed seven straight games with a sore Achilles’. Iguodala is averaging 14.2 points per game this season for the Sixers, who are 3-4 in the former first-round pick’s recent absence.
The 76ers will begin a three-game homestand tonight versus the Pacers, Bucks and Bobcats, and are 10-6 in south Philly this season. They had a two-game winning streak halted in Saturday’s 112-109 overtime loss in Detroit, as Elton Brand finished with 17 points and 14 rebounds in defeat. Jrue Holiday added 15 points and 12 assists for the Sixers, who stumbled at the start of overtime and were outscored, 13-10, in the extra period.
“Our guys have been through a lot. We played Monday in New Orleans at the end of a trip, two in Philly and then this game tonight back-to-back,” said 76ers head coach Doug Collins. “It’s a shame we couldn’t put the finishing touches on it.”
Rookie Evan Turner netted 19 points off the bench and Lou Williams added 14 in a reserve role. The two are a big reason why Philadelphia’s bench is averaging 42.2 points in the last six contests after averaging 27.5 points in the previous 10 games. Brand has posted 10 double-doubles in his last 19 games for the Sixers, winners in nine of their last 11 at home. The Sixers are 0-3 in overtime this season and 0-7 in games decided by four or fewer points.
Sixers forward Andres Nocioni is questionable for tonight with a fractured/dislocated right middle finger. Nocioni is averaging 12.3 points and 7.8 rebounds in his last six games and had five against the Pistons. He originally suffered the injury in Friday’s home win over Chicago.
Indiana and Philadelphia have split two matchups this season, with each team holding serve as the host. The Pacers have won six of nine at the Sixers.
© 2011 The Sports Network
That’s all for today.
