The Sixers felt pretty good about themselves after having to come from behind to beat 20-win Minnesota at home. They talked about the game showing the Sixers' progress heading into the final three weeks of the regular season.
The Sixers knew the game would be difficult after going 3-2 on a five-game, seven-day West Coast trip. They had Tuesday off before facing the Timberwolves Wednesday. After a 37-point first half, the Sixers were able to score 59 after the break to win by eight points. "It definitely does (show our maturity)," said Sixers head coach Tony DiLeo. "It's a sign that the team is coming together. We know this wasn't like a typical game where you're home for a couple days and you've got your rest and your rhythm, so we just said, 'Find a way to win.'"
But the Sixers' progress was stunted, at least temporarily, in a 100-95 home loss to the Bobcats. That dropped the Sixers from a fifth-place tie with the Heat to sixth in the Eastern Conference with 11 games remaining. Finishing fifth would allow them to avoid the Cavaliers, Celtics and Magic in the first round of the playoffs.
Most distressing was that the Sixers were outworked by Charlotte, which is trying to get the eighth and final spot in the East. If that keeps happening, the Sixers can say goodbye to the fifth seed. The Sixers had better come out with more energy Sunday, when they visit the No. 7 Pistons, before returning home for three more, starting with the fourth-seeded Hawks on Tuesday.
BOBCATS 100, SIXERS 95: The Sixers had their three-game win streak snapped because they were out-rebounded 41-23, allowed Charlotte to shoot .514 from the field and only hit .308 of their three-pointers. The Sixers scored a season-low 10 points in the second quarter.
Andre Iguodala paced the Sixers (37-34) with a game-high 25 points. Thaddeus Young added 21 points and seven rebounds, making him the only Sixer with more than four boards. Young also led the Sixers in assists with four.
