Philly Sports Jabronis
By Andy Jasner, Sixers.com
THE FACT: With Wednesday’s loss, the Rockets now have gone another season without sweeping a multi-game series against the 76ers. The last time it happened was 2006-07.
THE LEAD: James Anderson and Tony Wroten had career games, leading the Philadelphia 76ers past the Houston Rockets 123-117 in a thrilling overtime battle Wednesday night at the Wells Fargo Center. Anderson scored a career-high 36 points while Wroten registered a triple-double in his first career start — 18 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. Evan Turner scored 23 points, Spencer Hawes contributed 18,Thaddeus Young had 15 and Darius Morris had 10 off the bench. The Sixers played without point guardMichael Carter-Williams because of a sore left foot. With the win, the Sixers improved to 5-4.
Jeremy Lin was sensational for the Rockets, pouring in 34 points and going 9-for-15 from 3-point territory. Lin also added 12 assists and five rebounds but committed eight turnovers. Dwight Howard added 23 points, 15 rebounds, six assists and six blocked shots while Chandler Parsons scored 22 points. Omri Casspi chipped in with 16, Patrick Beverley had 12 points, nine rebounds and five assists while Terrence Jones had 10 points and 11 rebounds. The Rockets fell to 5-4.
QUOTABLE: “It’s a blessing. I’m at a loss for words now. A lot of hard work in the gym.”
— Tony Wroten
THE STAT: The Rockets took 96 shots, 41 of which came from beyond the arc. They were 15-for-41.
TURNING POINT: The Sixers trailed 100-91 with 5:22 remaining but rallied to force overtime. From there, they were able to build on that momentum and eke out a tough win. The Rockets missed 10 consecutive shots from 4:21 of the fourth quarter to 2:21 of overtime.
HOT: Anderson was 12-for-16, including 6-for-8 on treys. He also hit all six of his free throws. Lin was 10-for-19 and 9-for-15 from 3-point land. Casspi knocked down seven of his 13 shots.
NOT: Francisco Garcia was 0-for-4 in 20:10 for the Rockets. Morris missed seven of his 10 shots for the Sixers.
GOOD MOVE: Anderson was scorching hot early and the Sixers kept running offense through him. It paid off.
BAD MOVE: The Rockets could have gone inside more often. They took 41 treys and 25 free throws.
INSIDE THE ARENA: There was quite a bit of buzz for this matchup against the Rockets. Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels and his wife Heidi were honored on the court during the game for their charitable work and they received a nice ovation.
QUOTABLE II: “He’s ready to break out.”
— Sixers coach Brett Brown on Anderson
NOTABLE: According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Wroten is the first player since 1970-71 to earn a triple-double in his first career start. … Rockets guard James Harden missed the game with a bruised left foot. Harden warmed up on the court before the game. … Carter-Williams was a late scratch with a sore left foot and he’s listed as day-to-day. … Lin tied a franchise record with nine 3-pointers. Robert Horry had nine at Cleveland on Feb. 22, 1996. … Turner eclipsed the 20-point plateau for the fifth straight game. … The Rockets have dropped three of their last four games after starting the season 4-1. … Anderson’s previous career high was 19 points. … There were 15 lead changes and 18 ties.
QUOTABLE III: “We didn’t get stops and we had lapses down the stretch.”
— Chandler Parsons
UP NEXT: For the Rockets, Thursday at New York, Saturday vs. Denver, Tuesday vs. Boston. For the Sixers, Friday at Atlanta, Saturday at New Orleans, Monday at Dallas.
