Evans' board work carries Nets past 76ers
PHILADELPHIA -- Veteran forward Reggie Evans, playing a home-away-from-home game Tuesday night, grabbed a career-high 23 rebounds to spark the Brooklyn Nets to a 109-89 rout of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Evans, who has played for six teams in his 11 seasons, spent 2007-08 and '08-09 with the Sixers. His previous career high of 22 rebounds also came in the Wells Fargo Center, on Nov. 24, 2010.
"With me playing here those two years, I still kind of know the building -- know the fans, know all the people that work here," he said.
Evans, who scored just two points, had the highest board total in the building this season. His total fell one shy of the floor record, and Evans helped Brooklyn enjoy a 50-32 rebounding advantage.
"Do I feel like I'll get every one?" he said. "It all depends. When you're in the zone, you're in the zone. You don't get all of them. You get the majority of all of them."
Deron Williams had 22 points for the Nets (20-15), who won their fourth straight. Brooklyn backup center Andray Blatche, who according to a New York Times report was questioned by police (but not charged) in an investigation of a sexual assault at a Philadelphia hotel earlier in the day, added 20 points.
Joe Johnson had 15 points and Brook Lopez 13 for Brooklyn, which won its fourth consecutive game and improved to 6-1 under P.J. Carlesimo. The interim coach replaced the fired Avery Johnson on Dec. 27.
Jrue Holiday scored 19 points to pace Philadelphia, which dropped its fourth straight, its third in a row by 20 points or more. The Sixers, who were playing their first home game since Dec. 21, also fell for the sixth time in seven games. They went 2-6 on an eight-game road trip.
"I thought they were clearly running on empty as a result of the trip," Carlesimo said of the Sixers.
Philadelphia (15-21) wasn't eager to use that as an excuse. Coach Doug Collins said he didn't feel compelled to say anything to his team after the game.
"I let them speak," he said.
Forward Thaddeus Young was among those who did so.
"I told them, 'After the season, I don't want to go home,'" he said. "I want to go to the playoffs. We're not even a contending team right now."
Brooklyn's Gerald Wallace notched 10 of his 11 points in the third quarter, when the Nets outscored the Sixers 35-14 to extend a 48-47 halftime lead to 83-61. Williams added nine points in the period, which saw Brooklyn equal the highest total by a Philadelphia opponent in a third quarter this year. The Nets also limited the Sixers to their lowest total in that period.
Evans, who began the game averaging 8.3 rebounds, had seven of his boards in the pivotal third quarter. Neither he nor any of the Nets' other starters played in the fourth quarter, when Brooklyn led by as many as 26 points.
Williams had 13 points in the first half, which saw the Nets claim a 48-47 lead. Holiday and Spencer Hawes countered with 12 points for the Sixers, who shot 50 percent from the field before the break, compared to 38.1 percent for Brooklyn. Evans had 16 of his rebounds in the first half, when Brooklyn had a 25-19 edge on the boards.
Hawes finished with 14 points for the Sixers.
Philadelphia wound up shooting 48.1 percent. Brooklyn hit 48.2 percent from the floor overall.
NOTES: Carlesimo had no comment before the game when asked about the Times report. Blatche was not available for comment before or after the game. ... The Sixers signed rookie guard Maalik Wayns to a 10-day contract, two days after cutting him. Wayns scored five points in nine minutes. ... Nets guard Jerry Stackhouse, an ex-Sixer, was not with the team because of personal reasons, but forward Kris Humphries returned after missing the previous two with an ankle sprain. Humphries scored two points and grabbed three rebounds in 10 minutes. ... Sixers center Kwame Brown also missed the game for personal reasons.
