76ers, Allen dominate boards in win over Bobcats
PHILADELPHIA -- Philadelphia center Lavoy Allen grabbed a career-high 22 rebounds in the 76ers' 87-76 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Saturday night, but he hardly seemed impressed with himself.
"All I did was put my hands up, and the ball came to me," the second-year man said. "I didn't do anything special."
Sixers coach Doug Collins called Allen's play sensational while describing his team's effort as "very workmanlike." The Sixers limited Charlotte to 30.7 percent shooting, the lowest figure by a Philadelphia opponent this year, and enjoyed an uncharacteristic 60-40 rebounding advantage.
Allen, who also scored 14 points, became the first Sixer to collect 20 or more rebounds since Samuel Dalembert had 21 against New York on Jan. 13, 2010. Dalembert was also the last Sixer to combine 14 or more points and 22 or more rebounds, in a 15-point, 23-rebound game against Golden State on March 20, 2009.
"This year I haven't been rebounding the ball well," Allen said. "I had one of those games, and it was a good feeling."
Jrue Holiday scored 20 points to lead the Sixers (22-27), who won for the fourth time in five games. Spencer Hawes added 17 points and nine rebounds, and Evan Turner had 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Ramon Sessions had 20 points to lead Charlotte, which dropped its seventh straight game. The Bobcats' NBA-worst record fell to 11-39.
"We always find a way to be in games, fight our way back," Charlotte guard Gerald Henderson said. "But at this point, we just need to find ways to win."
"One of the things our young guys have to learn is how to come off a glamour game like the Lakers and come in here," Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap said, referring to the team's 100-93 home loss to Los Angeles on Friday. "The 76ers are definitely a playoff team in terms of what they did last year ... but we can't get excited for one game and not the other."
The Sixers extended a one-point halftime lead to 63-54 after three quarters as Holiday, Allen and Jeremy Pargo -- playing his first game with Philadelphia after signing a 10-day contract Thursday -- each scored six points in the quarter.
They extended their advantage to 67-54 early in the fourth quarter, only to see the Bobcats outscore them 16-8 in the next 5:24 to cut the gap to 75-70 with 5:31 to play. Sessions had seven points in that flurry.
The gap was still 77-72 with 3:14 left, but Holiday keyed a clinching 8-2 run by scoring four points and assisting on baskets by Hawes and Allen.
"It was good to close them out," Hawes said, "and take some stress off everybody at the end of the game."
Pargo finished with 12 points and six assists.
Byron Mullens had 16 points for Charlotte, and Gerald Henderon scored 13.
The Sixers led 38-37 at halftime despite shooting 37 percent from the floor. Hawes scored 11 points in the first half for the Sixers, who limited Charlotte to 31.1 percent shooting from the field.
Sessions led Charlotte with nine points in the first half.
NOTES: Collins said his team is still adjusting to life without forward Thaddeus Young, who missed his second straight game with a hamstring pull and is expected to be out at least five more games. Collins called Young "the glue of our team" and added, "Any little change we make affects our team. It knocks us out of sync. Our team is like that." Asked why, Collins said, "Just personality." ... The Bobcats, who coughed up a 20-point, third-quarter lead in losing to the Lakers on Friday, have dropped 34 losses in their past 38 games. "I know what losing does, how it can beat you down," Collins said. "This team, their spirit has remained strong." ... Charlotte's Michael Kidd-Gilchrist began the night sixth among NBA rookies in scoring (9.5) and fourth in rebounding (6.0). He managed just two points and two rebounds in the game. ... Both teams shot 2-for-16 from 3-point range.
