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Turner starts, 76ers finish Celtics

Mar 8, 2012 - 4:12 AM Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Evan Turner's second start of the season was miles better than his first.

The second-year guard scored 16 of his career-high 26 points in the first half Wednesday night and the Philadelphia 76ers exploded for a 103-71 win over the Boston Celtics in the first meeting of the season between the division foes.

The Sixers scored 100 points for the second time in four games after going 19 straight without doing it. They moved to 23-17 and took a two-game lead over Boston for first place in the Atlantic Division.

The Celtics were coming off an overtime game against Houston on Tuesday and lost for the first time in six games since the All-Star break. Paul Pierce had 16 points, Brandon Bass scored 12 and Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen combined for just 10. Rajon Rondo scored five with eight assists.

Turner was 11-of-19 from the field after going 1-for-12 for two points in his first start of the season Monday in a loss at Milwaukee.

The Sixers played without forward Thaddeus Young, who missed the game with an upper respiratory tract infection, but six players scored in double digits for only their third victory in 11 games.

"A much, much needed win," said Sixers coach Doug Collins. "From start to finish we were in attack mode."

Elton Brand had 18 points and nine rebounds, Lou Williams scored 15 and Nikola Vucevic added 14 points and a career-high 12 boards. Andre Iguodala and Jrue Holiday both chipped in 10 points and combined for 14 assists, but Turner led the way.

He had six points during a 13-0 run near the end of the first quarter, ending it with a mid-range jumper to give the Sixers a 33-15 lead. They were up 33-17 going into the second quarter and went on a 14-0 burst to stretch their lead to 28 points.

Williams sparked the run with a three-pointer, Turner scored six during it and the Sixers ended up with a 55-33 lead at halftime. They led by as many as 31 in the third quarter and a game-high 37 late in the fourth.

The Celtics were coming off a 4-0 homestand, which ended in Tuesday's 97-92 win over the Rockets. They shot just 35 percent against the Sixers and began a stretch where they will play nine of 10 games on the road.

"We just didn't have it, honestly," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "I thought Philly played terrific. I though they played hard. They had great energy. We were really sloppy and honestly we missed a ton of open shots."

Boston is back in Boston to face Portland on Friday before heading out on an eight-game road trip that starts with back-to-back games in Los Angeles against the Lakers and Clippers on Sunday and Monday.

Turner's previous career-high was 23 points in a win at Phoenix on Dec. 29, 2010. Earlier this season, he scored 20 in a loss to Denver on Jan. 18.

"I was really happy for Evan Turner. Evan was great tonight," said Collins. "He was absolutely fabulous. He had the bounce back in his step, he had the pop in his game. He was playing confident basketball."

Game Notes

Celtics had won 13 of previous 16 meetings between the teams. They will play two more times this season...The Sixers remain home to play Utah on Friday.