PHILADELPHIA — Desperate to see a victory again, Philadelphia fans wouldn’t even wait for the end, standing to cheer as time was running out in the third quarter. ADVERTISING PHILADELPHIA — Desperate to see a victory again, Philadelphia fans wouldn’t
PHILADELPHIA — Desperate to see a victory again, Philadelphia fans wouldn’t even wait for the end, standing to cheer as time was running out in the third quarter.
By then it was clear: The 76ers were going to win for the first time in two months, and they were going to do it with ease.
The 76ers snapped their NBA record-tying, 26-game losing streak, routing the Detroit Pistons 123-98 on Saturday night to avoid establishing the longest skid in U.S. major pro sports history.
“It’s not something I want to be a part of,” 76ers guard Michael Carter-Williams said, “so it’s great that we got this win.”
Carter-Williams and Thaddeus Young each scored 21 points for the 76ers, who won for the first time since beating Boston exactly two months ago and did it impressively, leading by as much as 32 points. They also ended an 18-game home losing streak, which was one shy of another NBA record.
Beaten badly a number of times during their skid, the 76ers got to experience life on the other side, ringing up a season-high 70 points in the first half.
Their 26 straight losses equaled the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers and also the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who dropped 26 straight from Sept. 12, 1976-Dec. 4, 1977.
“We were just happy to get a win,” Young said. “I don’t think it was for the streak or anything like that, we just wanted to go out there and win a basketball game and continue to just play.”
Henry Sims added 16 points for the Sixers, who hadn’t won before their home crowd since beating Charlotte on Jan. 15. Fans in the crowd of 17,438 were into it from the start and grew louder throughout, standing and cheering in the final seconds of the third and then getting up again to deliver a standing ovation for the final 45 seconds of the game.
Greg Monroe had 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Pistons, who lost for the 11th time in 13 games. Blown out a night earlier by Miami, they made the 76ers look as good as the Heat with a sloppy effort that included 18 turnovers, many after starting point guard Brandon Jennings was ejected in the first quarter.
“They came out and competed tonight. They wanted it more than we did,” Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey said.
The Sixers were expected to be among the NBA’s worst teams, though they briefly fooled everyone when they opened the season by beating Miami and Chicago during a 3-0 start. But they look nothing like that team now, having traded three of their top players before February’s trade deadline and replacing them with what coach Brett Brown said is the youngest team in league history, one that has been unprepared or perhaps just unqualified to win NBA games.
There is young talent on the roster, with Carter-Williams the possible Rookie of the Year and Nerlens Noel, still out recovering from a torn ACL, also a lottery pick in last year’s draft. Brown doesn’t question the Sixers’ plans or his decision to leave San Antonio to come coach here, insisting the team was headed in the right direction and that all this losing “will be a distant memory in September.”
“Our judgment day isn’t today and it won’t be tomorrow,” Brown said before the game. “We’re on a three to five-year plan.”
The present was finally fun on Saturday.
The 76ers opened a 10-point lead after one, capitalizing on some free throws when Jennings picked up two technical fouls arguing a call that wasn’t even against him and was ejected with 1:18 left. A 9-0 run made it 55-38 with about 5½ minutes left in the half, and when Detroit crept within 10 with 1:32 remaining, Philadelphia closed with another 9-0 spurt to open a 70-51 cushion at the break.
The 76ers extended it to 32 late in the third, and Brown pulled his five starters together with 5:13 left and a 30-point bulge. There was no visible celebration, though there was surely some relief.
“There was some emotion,” Carter-Williams said. “Of course we were happy to win again, it’s a great thing to be on the winning side.”
Notes: The Dallas Mavericks lost 19 straight home games during the 1993-94 season. … Monroe played in his 300th NBA game. … Philadelphia’s previous high was 68 points in the first half of a 114-102 victory at Denver on New Year’s Day.
CLIPPERS 118
ROCKETS 107
HOUSTON — Chris Paul had 30 points and 12 assists, Jamal Crawford added 22 points and Los Angeles clinched its franchise-record third straight playoff appearance by stopping Houston’s five game winning streak.
Houston was without injured starters Dwight Howard and Pat Beverley.
It wasn’t all good for Los Angeles. Blake Griffin left in the first quarter with back spasms and didn’t return, and Glen Davis missed the second half for disciplinary reasons after throwing a temper tantrum in the second quarter.
James Harden led the Rockets with 32 points, and Chandler Parsons had 28. DeAndre Jordan added 20 points with 12 rebounds for the Clippers, who are third in the Western Conference.
SPURS 96
PELICANS 80
SAN ANTONIO — Marco Belinelli scored 18 points and San Antonio never trailed after its opening possession to extend its winning streak to 17 games with the win over New Orleans.
Kawhi Leonard and Manu Ginobili scored 15 points each, Patty Mills added 13 and Tim Duncan had 12 points and eight rebounds.
San Antonio (57-16) extended its lead to 3½ games over Oklahoma City (53-19) for the league’s best record.
Reserve guard Brian Roberts had 18 points to lead New Orleans (32-41), which had its five-game winning streak snapped. Austin Rivers added 16 points, Tyreke Evans had 11 points and Al-Farouq Aminu had eight points and 10 rebounds.
New Orleans was without Anthony Davis, its leading scorer and rebounder. Davis is day to day after injuring his left ankle 4 minutes into the Pelicans’ victory over Utah on Friday night.
WIZARDS 101
HAWKS 97
WASHINGTON — John Wall scored 25 points, Drew Gooden had 16, and Washington inched closer to its first playoff spot since 2008 with a win over free-falling Atlanta.
Washington entered the game needing a win and a loss by the New York Knicks on Sunday to make the playoffs.
Wall scored 13 points in the last 7:16 of the third quarter and the Wizards finally escaped the pesky Hawks, who have lost six straight and 20 of 26.
Jeff Teague scored 19 points and Paul Millsap 17 for Atlanta.
Washington followed up a 13-point win over Eastern Conference leader Indiana on Friday with a win over the Hawks, who lead the Knicks by 1½ games for the final playoff berth in the East.
MAVS 103
KINGS 100
DALLAS — Dirk Nowitzki scored 19 points and Dallas avoided a potentially serious blow to its playoff hopes by rallying in the fourth quarter to beat Sacramento.
The Mavericks blew a 17-point lead and trailed by five in the fourth quarter before recovering for their 20th straight regular-season win at home against Sacramento, the longest against any opponent in franchise history.
Dallas (44-30) is in a virtual tie with Memphis (43-29) for eighth place in the Western Conference, a half-game behind Phoenix. The Mavericks have eight games left and finish the regular season at the Grizzlies.
Rudy Gay scored 30 for the Kings.
Monta Ellis had 17 points and six assists, and Sam Dalembert added 15 as Dallas avoided a second loss to a West also-ran on a franchise-record eight-game home stand that ends Tuesday night against Golden State.
HEAT 88, BUCKS 67
MILWAUKEE — Chris Bosh scored 14 points, LeBron James had 13, and short-handed Miami wrapped up its three-game trip through the Midwest with a victory over Milwaukee.
James Jones added 10 for Miami in place of star guard Dwyane Wade, sidelined a second straight game with a sore hamstring. The Heat also played without Ray Allen and Mario Chalmers.
It didn’t matter against the team with the NBA’s worst record.
The Heat led 46-29 at halftime and held the Bucks to a season low for points in a half and in a game.
John Henson had 12 points and 10 rebounds for Milwaukee.
