SIXERS NEWS

Still looking for their first win, the Sixers welcomed the Atlanta Hawks, another of the East's elite, to the Wells Fargo center tonight. Once again they played them close but as happened so many times last season they just didn't quite have enough to win. The Sixer's defense wasn't really any better, as the Hawks shot 54% from the field and outrebounded the Sixers 46-36. The Sixers did have 9 steals though, mostly in the 2nd half and that's what enabled them to keep it close. Offensively, the Sixers were a little, if only because Andre Iguodala and Elton Brand both had big nights. Brand had 20 and 8 assists, and Iguodala had 27 big points, including 2 threes, but again they were only starters in double digits, as Doug Collins stuck with the same lineup.

Finally the Sixer bench wasn't quite as good with Evan Turner and Thad Young both having off nights, but it still proved to be an asset. Andres Nocioni and Lou Williams were both huge again. Nocioni drilled 2 threes himself and poured in 15 and Williams had 16 to bolster the Sixer's 2nd half comeback effort that fell just short. So what do the Sixer's need to change to get a win, 2 things. First their defense needs to play hard all game not just in the 2nd half as it did night. Second, young point guard Jrue Holiday needs to improve. He has just 7 assists through 2 games and is struggling with his shot, going just 3 of 11 tonight. It would also help if guys like Turner and Young could be more consistent, but more than those 2 the Sixers need Holiday to produce and become play maker they thought he would be when they drafted him.

Anyway like last the night the Sixers kept things tight for much of the first half. They actually had the lead for a while at the onset and were down by just 3 after 1 quarter of play. As late as the final 3 minutes of the 2nd quarter they were within 4 points of the lead. Then Atlanta turned it on for a bit and took a 10 point lead into the half. This time the Sixers did not let the game get away from them in the 3rd quarter. Instead they played Atlanta even and went into the 4th quarter still down 10. Once again they took command in the 4th, outscoring Altanta 27-20. Unfortunately it was too little too late again. A Nocioni jumper with about a minute left cut the lead to 2 before Josh Smith answered with a 3 to push it back to 5. Still, a couple of missed free throws by Joe Johnson kept the Sixers in it, and Nocioni had a look at a 3 to tie it at the buzzer but Smith blocked it to preserve the 104-101 Hawk's victory.