Saturday night was the type of game Sixers management envisioned during the offseason: a 98-91 victory over a playoff contender, led by a 7-footer through which to funnel the offense, control the glass, and defend the paint. Unfortunately for Philadelphia fans, Andrew Bynum never took the court in a Sixers uniform; but for one night at least, Spencer Hawes did his best impersonation of an elite NBA center. Hawes scored 18 points, 16 rebounds, 8 assists, and 7 blocks in what will be Exhibit A for his agent in any future contract negotiations. It was a historic performance, as only Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan and David Robinson have put up games with at least those numbers since 1985. Every positive facet of Hawes’ game was on display and cranked up to max; when he’s hitting his mid-range shot and finding Thad Young with quick passes from the high post, it becomes a little clearer why teams are fascinated by his potential. For one game, that potential became reality and it was a joy to watch for Sixers fans.
After a close battle throughout the first three quarters, Philadelphia pulled ahead with a 19-4 run to begin the fourth. The Pacers may have ran out of gas on their second game of a back-to-back. The other star of the game for the Sixers was Jrue Holiday, who continued his stupendous play this week with a game-high 27 points and 12 assists. When Holiday plays up to his all-star capability like he did tonight, the Sixers can hang with any team in the league. On occasions where he gets help from a big man like he received from Hawes, the team can do more than hang with them.
For the Pacers, Paul George and Roy Hibbert each had double-doubles, with 18 points, 14 rebounds, and 8 assists, and 25 points and 10 rebounds, respectively. However, despite the nice counting numbers, Philadelphia actually did a nice job shutting them down, as they shot just 15-43 (34.9%) from the field. Following the win, the Sixers will continue their successful homestand against the Blazers Monday night. If they play then the way they played tonight and all week, I like their chances to keep the wins coming.
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