Sixers Roll Past Nuggets, 114-102
DENVER (AP) — Evan Turner scored 23 points and Thaddeus Young added 17, helping the Philadelphia 76ers beat the slumping Denver Nuggets 114-102 on Wednesday night.
The Sixers had seven different players score in double figures en route to their second straight win away from home. Philadelphia halted a 13-game road losing streak in Los Angeles against the Lakers over the weekend.
J.J. Hickson had 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Nuggets, who dropped their eighth game in a row. It's the team's longest skid since losing the final eight games of the 2002-03 season.
Denver also has lost some of its Mile High mystique under first-year coach Brian Shaw, losing a fifth straight at Pepsi Center. The Nuggets were a franchise-best 38-3 at home last season.
Stretching their lead to as many as 16 early in the fourth quarter, the Sixers cruised from there while improving to 3-13 on the road, which remains one of the worst marks in the league.
There was a brief moment when the game could have changed course, when Young was called for a clear path violation after a steal by Ty Lawson with 4:51 remaining. The speedy Nuggets point guard made 1 of 2 free throws to make it a 10-point game and they also had the ball out of bounds. But Wilson Chandler's 3-point attempt clanged off the rim.
Turner ended any lingering suspense with a turnaround jumper with just over 3 minutes to go.
Michael Carter-Williams had 16 points, nine rebounds and six assists for Philadelphia. He entered the game averaging 17.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists. The only rookie to average at least that many was Magic Johnson in 1979-80.
Falling behind by as many as nine to open the game, the 76ers picked up their tempo in the second quarter to take a 68-56 lead at halftime. Before the game, Sixers coach Brett Brown said he planned to push the pace even in the thin air. His team did, too, frequently beating the Nuggets down the floor.
The Nuggets trudged off the court at intermission to a smattering of boos from a crowd that's not accustomed to losing at home.
Randy Foye was back in the starting lineup after surrendering his spot to Jordan Hamilton the last three games. Foye has been struggling with his shot, his defense and not "making plays for his teammates," Shaw explained before the game. Foye wound up with 14 points on 6-of-17 shooting.
Shaw's reserves have struggled lately, too, which was why he shook up his rotation against the Sixers. Quincy Miller was the first player off the bench, not Hamilton. Evan Fournier and Nate Robinson also received playing time ahead of Andre Miller, who didn't get into the game.
The Nuggets' reserves entered the game third in points per game (41.9) and first in rebounding (19.4).
NOTES: The 68 first-half points were a season high for Philadelphia. ... Young had his streak of scoring 25 or more halted at four games. ... Sixers C Spencer Hawes (first quarter) and Nuggets F Kenneth Faried (third quarter) received technical fouls. ... Lawson had 11 assists.
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