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After tough stretch, 76ers host Bobcats

Jan 9, 2009 - 11:46 AM Charlotte (13-23) at Philadelphia (15-20) 7:00 p.m. EST

PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- After a difficult stretch on the road, the Philadelphia 76ers are happy to be back home.

The 76ers go for their third straight win on Friday when they host the Charlotte Bobcats.

Philadelphia, which will play five of its next seven games at home, owns a 3-6 record over its last nine games, seven of which have come on the road.

Five of those losses occurred during a season-high, six-game road trip that started with defeats to the defending champion Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets, who currently own second place in the West, and ended with consecutive setbacks to the third-place San Antonio Spurs and fifth-place Dallas Mavericks.

The 76ers finished the tough stretch strong, earning an eight-point home victory against the Houston Rockets before forging a 110-105 triumph over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday.

Andre Miller, who shoots lower than 21 percent from beyond the arc for his career, drilled a 3-pointer in the final minute to help seal the victory mere seconds after Luke Ridnour hit a three of his own to pull the Bucks within one.

Miller finished with a game-high 28 points, nine rebounds and six assists, including a 10-for--11 effort from the free-throw line.

While Philadelphia is 7-12 on the road, it is 8-8 at home and will took move above .500 at the Wachovia Center against the Bobcats, who were throttled by the Cleveland Cavaliers one night after earning a shocking victory against the Celtics.

Charlotte outscored Boston, 17-9, in overtime en route to an eight-point victory on Tuesday. The momentum did not last as the Bobcats dropped a 111-81 decision to the Cavaliers on Wednesday.