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Sixers still seek 1st home win, host Charlotte

Dec 19, 2014 - 2:39 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Philadelphia 76ers are still searching for their first win at home and will close out a three-game residency Friday night versus the Charlotte Hornets at Wells Fargo Center.

The 76ers are 0-13 in south Philly and have lost four in a row, including the first two tests on this current stay. In a 105-87 setback to the Boston Celtics on Monday, Nerlens Noel had 19 points and both Robert Covington and Michael Carter-Williams provided 13 points.

"Nerlens was the shining light. This was his best offensive game," Sixers head coach Brett Brown said.

Philadelphia made 35.5 percent from the floor and turned the ball over 23 times, leading to 32 Boston points. The Sixers are turning the ball over an NBA-worst 17.8 times a game.

Covington has started the past three games and is averaging 19.0 points and 7.0 rebounds in that time for Philadelphia, which is six home losses away from matching the 1993-94 Dallas Mavericks (0-19) for the worst home start in league history.

The Sixers, who sit last with 91.3 ppg and a 41.1 field goal percentage, were 10-31 at home last season and lost 26 of their last 30 contests at Wells Fargo Center.

After entertaining the Hornets, Philly will start a lengthy seven-game trek Sunday at Orlando, followed by stops in Miami, Portland, Utah, Golden State, Phoenix and Los Angeles (Clippers).

Charlotte has lost four in a row and 14 of the last 16 games, including Wednesday's 111-106 setback to the Phoenix Suns. Al Jefferson led the hosts with 28 points and 10 rebounds, while Kemba Walker scored 27 points. Walker is averaging 22.5 ppg in his last four games.

The Hornets scored 61 points in the first half and made 46.5 percent for the game.

"It started when they went small in the second quarter," Hornets coach Steve Clifford said of his team's loss. "The last three minutes they outworked us and we couldn't keep up."

Gary Neal had 13 off the bench and Lance Stephenson was limited to seven points in 25 minutes. Stephenson is expected to miss Friday's game with a pelvis injury suffered in the third quarter. He came back in the fourth.

Charlotte is committing the fewest turnovers in the league at 11.0 and had seven in the loss to the Suns.

The Hornets will try to stop a six-game road losing streak Friday and are only 1-10 away from The Hive this season. They will play the first of three meetings with the 76ers and went 3-1 against them last season. The Sixers have lost four of the last five in this series after winning six straight.

Carter-Williams averaged 21.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists in the three meetings last season, while Jefferson posted 23.0 points and 10.5 boards. Walker posted an average of 17.3 ppg against the 76ers.