• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Sixers sizzle on offense to down Timberwolves

Feb 13, 2011 - 12:55 PM Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Thaddeus Young led seven Philadelphia scorers in double figures with 18 points off the bench, and the 76ers started their three-game road trip with a 107-87 victory over Minnesota.

Jodie Meeks added 16 points, Andre Iguodala had 15 and Lou Williams scored 13 off the bench as the Sixers won for the sixth time in eight games to draw within two games of being .500 for the first time this season.

"A very workmanlike performance by us," said Philadelphia head coach Doug Collins.

The Timberwolves lost for the fifth time in seven games despite 16 points and 13 rebounds from Kevin Love, who collected his 40th straight double-double. Corey Brewer added 15 points and Luke Ridnour had 13 off the bench in the loss.

One night after holding the Spurs to their fewest points in almost three years in a 77-71 win on Friday, Philadelphia won this one with offense. The Sixers shot 51 percent from the field, including 57 percent in the third quarter as they built an 11-point lead going into the fourth.

Love, knowing that the Sixers had played three games in four nights, was frustrated by his team's performance.

"It wasn't the greatest offensive effort," said Love, who was 6-of-13 from the field while the Timberwolves shot 36 percent as a team. "(You figure) they're going to come out pretty tired, but they came out and played well. That was frustrating."

After Minnesota scored the first bucket of the fourth quarter, Philadelphia used a 13-4 run to put the game away.

Young sparked the burst with a layup and scored eight of his 19 points during it, including a layup and step-back jumper at the end to give the Sixers a 98-80 lead with just 5:49 left.

Philadelphia stretched its lead to 20 points twice, including the final margin.

It was a different story in the first quarter, when Minnesota led by as many as eight on the way to a 32-28 edge heading into the second. The Sixers rebounded before the half, taking an 11-point lead, and took a 54-50 advantage into the break.

"We were a little sluggish to start the game, but we started to figure out what they were doing on offense. They had a big first quarter, but after that we got a grasp of them," Collins said.

Game Notes

Philadelphia's road trip also includes visits to Memphis and Houston...The Timberwolves started a three-game homestand that also includes visits from the Trail Blazers and Clippers.