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Sixers pull away to down Hawks, halt skid

Dec 22, 2012 - 2:59 AM Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Evan Turner scored 12 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter, leading the Philadelphia 76ers to a 99-80 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

Thaddeus Young added 18 points, 11 rebounds and five steals for the Sixers, who snapped a five-game skid. Jason Richardson had 17 points, eight boards and seven assists, while Spencer Hawes tallied 12 points and eight rebounds.

"Thaddeus is a very proud man," Sixers coach Doug Collins said. "He was very dismayed at the end of last year. He's been arguably our best player."

Jrue Holiday donated 11 points and seven assists in his return to the lineup for Philadelphia, which has won six straight against Atlanta. He missed four games with a sprained left foot.

Josh Smith ended with 17 points and six boards for the Hawks, who have lost three of four. Kyle Korver added 11 points in the setback.

Atlanta's Lou Williams had 13 points against his former team. He spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Sixers, but signed with Atlanta in the offseason.

"I really didn't see this type of performance coming," Hawks coach Larry Drew said. "The second half we didn't bring it. We are not a very good team if we don't play with energy."

Holding a 20-18 lead with 3:18 left in the first quarter, the Sixers went on a 10-2 run. Hawes tallied five points during the spurt that Nick Young capped with a jumper to make it 30-20.

Smith stopped the flurry with a 3-pointer to get Atlanta within seven, 30-23, after 12 minutes of action.

Both teams put together multiple runs in the second period. With the score tied at 43 with 2:47 remaining, Philadelphia went on an 8-0 run. Zaza Pachulia halted the spurt with a jumper at the buzzer to get the Hawks within six at 51-45.

The Sixers started the third stanza on a 12-5 run to create some distance. Richardson tallied six points during the run that Holiday capped with a layup for a 63-50 margin with 6:28 left.

Philadelphia's edge reached 16, 72-56, on Dorell Wright's free throw with 1:16 remaining.

Williams responded for the Hawks with a personal 8-0 run, cutting the gap to 72-64.

The Sixers started the fourth quarter on a 16-5 surge to put the game away. Turner tallied 10 points during the burst that Hawes capped with a slam for an 88-69 margin.

Game Notes

Philadelphia general manager Tony DiLeo said before Friday's game that Andrew Bynum has been cleared to increase activity with his rehab plan, but there is still no timetable for his return ... Turner, who played with a sprained his left ankle, also had six assists and five rebounds ... Hawks guard Devin Harris missed his second straight game with a foot injury ... The Sixers shot 51.2 percent from the field and went 8-of-19 from beyond the arc, while the Hawks made 39.2 percent of their shots and went 9-of-25 from beyond the arc.