• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

76ers open home schedule vs. Pistons

Jan 6, 2012 - 6:31 PM (Sports Network) - On the heels of a successful five-game road trip to start their season, the Philadelphia 76ers become the final NBA team to open the home portion of their schedule this evening when they host the Detroit Pistons at Wells Fargo Center

The Sixers ensured themselves of a winning trip on Wednesday in New Orleans, as Jrue Holiday scored 14 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter and Philadelphia overcame a double-digit first-half deficit to take down the Hornets, 101-93.

Evan Turner added 21 points, six rebounds and four assists off the bench for the 76ers, who at 3-2 hold a percentage-points lead in the Atlantic Division and will now play 18 of their next 22 at home.

"We hope home is going to be very good to us," Sixers head coach Doug Collins said. "We've got eight games in 11 days, seven of them at home, with a train trip to New York. We've got to come home and build on what we've done. I told the guys, we've gone out on the road and won three games. Chicago has four road wins, Miami has three and we have three."

It was the second straight game that the Sixers battled back from a double- digit deficit to post a win. In fact, Philadelphia leads the Eastern Conference in fourth quarter scoring, netting 29.8 points in the final stanza.

"When you looked at the fourth quarter we had nine points off turnovers, we had four for the game. We had eight fast break points, we had five in that quarter. If you look at the hustle points, we were minus 22 in the first half and we finished the second half plus two. So our energy level picked up, we had some guys come off the bench and do a great job," Collins said.

The Sixers, though, have dropped three of their last four home openers.

Detroit, meanwhile, had a two-game winning streak stopped on Wednesday against Chicago, falling to the Bulls, 99-83.

Greg Monroe had 19 points and 13 rebounds in defeat. Jonas Jerebko added 13 points and Damien Wilkins and Will Bynum both finished with 10 for the Pistons, who have dropped four of six to start the season.

"Of course we wanted a third win and we didn't get it so it's very disappointing," said Jerebko. "We just have to go back to practices and work on it. We know we can beat these guys."

If Detroit plans to get back to its winning ways, it will have to do so without the services of guards Ben Gordon (personal reasons) and Rodney Stuckey (strained left groin), who have both been ruled out of tonight's contest.

The Pistons could get themselves back on track tonight, as they have won three of the last four overall meetings with the Sixers. Detroit has also had some success in the City of Brotherly Love, where it has won eight of 11 and prevailed in 10 of its last 14 visits.