Sixers run past cold-shooting Hornets

PHILADELPHIA (AP)

The Philadelphia Sixers started scoring early and just kept going.

Andre Iguodala and Lou Williams led a first-half run that catapulted the 76ers to an 88-70 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Sunday for their fifth win in seven games.

Williams finished with 17 points, Elton Brand had 15 points and 13 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season, and Iguodala had 16 points and 10 assists.

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''We just trying to find a good rhythm,'' said Iguodala, who had his fourth double-double. ''The guys are starting to believe in themselves. As long as we continue to play the right style of basketball, we'll have success.''

Chris Paul scored 25 points for New Orleans and David West had nine.

The Sixers took charge with a 17-2 run that began with 1:21 left in the first quarter and lasted until there was 5:07 to go in the second, with Iguodala and Williams each scoring seven points during the spurt.

The Hornets, losers of 8 of 11, shot just 14 percent from the floor in the first half and didn't make a field goal in a span that lasted 8:14, from a Marcus Thornton jumper to bucket by Paul. New Orleans missed 13 straight field goals at one point during the drought.

''It's a mixture of us recognizing that they're struggling on the offensive end and being aggressive as well,'' Williams said. ''And not allowing them to get a rhythm, not allowing them to get back in the game.''

New Orleans' 23 first-half points and 10 in the second quarter were season lows. They shot 30.4 percent for the game.

''I don't even catch myself looking at the score,'' Paul said. ''When you're out there playing, it's about the next possession. How can we get a stop and how can we score. We weren't making shots. We kept settling for outside jump shots instead of attacking the basket. It's been like that for a while.''

New Orleans hasn't scored 100 points since Nov. 19, a stretch of 12 games. The Hornets are 6-9 after starting the season 8-0.

The Hornets' season-low scoring output is also the fewest points allowed by Philadelphia since the Milwaukee Bucks scored 69 on Jan. 30, 2008.

''Give them credit,'' Hornets coach Monty Williams said. ''They switched, they're active and athletic. But we missed a lot of point-blank shots, and we missed a lot of free throws.''

The Sixers continued to dominate in the second half, going up 80-53 on Thaddeus Young's dunk midway through the fourth quarter.

The win helped Philadelphia rebound from a 102-101 loss to the Boston Celtics on Thursday, when Kevin Garnett won the game on a last-second layup.

The Sixers had 24 assists to New Orleans' four, a statistic that pleased Sixers coach Doug Collins.

''We're moving the ball once again and our defense has been terrific,'' he said. ''I told the guys we have a heck of a week, (with four games), and that we had to get started today. We did it, and I am very happy about that.''

NOTES: Philadelphia recalled rookie Craig Brackins from their NBA Development League affiliate, the Springfield Armor. He played five games there, averaging 17.2 points and 8.6 rebounds in 37.4 minutes a game. ... Seven of Philadelphia's eight wins have been by 10 or more points. ... Jarrett Jack played in his 312th consecutive game, the second-longest active NBA streak, behind the Los Angeles Lakers' Derek Fisher.

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