Tuesday, December 11, 2007
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76ers Roll Past Rockets for 3rd Straight

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[December 11, 2007]  PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Andre Iguodala and the suddenly successful Philadelphia 76ers gave one of the largest crowds of the season their money's worth for once. Iguodala scored 16 points, Andre Miller had 17 points and 12 assists and the Sixers led by as many as 31 points in a 100-88 victory over the Houston Rockets on Monday night.

Not even Ed Stefanski, hired last week as team president and general manager, could have predicted a turnaround quite like this. The Sixers are on a three-game winning streak for the first time this season and used all sorts of new and unique lineups to throw off the Rockets.

Willie Green scored 20 points for the Sixers.

The Sixers took advantage of a scheduling break to go on their first winning streak. The first two wins were against the New York Knicks, and the road-weary Rockets were playing their second game in two days after losing at Toronto.

Tracy McGrady scored 12 points before leaving the game in the second half with a sprained right ankle. Bonzi Wells scored 24 points, Luther Head had 18 and Yao Ming 12. The Rockets played without Rafer Alston, out with a groin injury.

Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks said he planned to stick with his new game plan of expanding the rotation, an idea that blossomed shortly after Stefanski was hired, and most everyone played at least 10 minutes.

Yes, the score was one reason for the bloated minutes for subs like Rodney Carney. But rookies like Thaddeus Young and Jason Smith received substantial playing time in the first half and helped the Sixers take an early double-digit lead that was never really threatened.

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The Rockets opened the fourth quarter on a 15-2 run that was about two quarters too late. They cut the deficit to 10 points with 1:50 left, but it really didn't matter at that point to the Sixers.

Samuel Dalembert set the tone early with his stiff rejection of a shot by McGrady that Iguodala quickly converted into a thunderous dunk on the other end.

The Sixers had another one for the highlight reel when Young surprised Yao and stripped him of the ball under the basket, passed the ball out to Miller who hit Kyle Korver for an open 3. That capped a 15-2 run and helped the Sixers take a 56-42 lead into halftime.

Miller swiped the ball midway through the third and dished to Iguodala, who went the length of the court for a breakaway, one-handed pump slam that electrified a rare enthusiastic crowd.

Notes: Sixers G Lou Williams (toe) sat out and was listed as day to day. ... Rockets coach Rick Adelman said he wasn't going to rush Alston, their fourth-leading scorer, back into the lineup. "We want him for long run," Adelman said. "We don't need him to hurt it again." ... The Sixers won for only the second time in their last 11 games against Houston and snapped a four-game losing streak at home to the Rockets.

[Associated Press; By DAN GELSTON]

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