76ers 89, Bobcats 72
Lou Williams scored 17 points and Jrue Holiday added 15 as the Philadelphia 76ers crushed the visiting Charlotte Bobcats 89-72 on Friday.
Jodie Meeks added 14 points for the 76ers, who built a 47-35 advantage on the glass.
Philadelphia had been struggling on defense without center Spencer Hawes, who missed his sixth straight game with an Achilles injury. But the NBA-worst Bobcats (3-17) were unable to take advantage of the 76ers’ hole in the middle, instead spending most of their time on the perimeter.
Philadelphia had no trouble shutting down Charlotte on the outside, as starting guards Kemba Walker and Gerald Henderson combined to shoot just 7 of 24 from the floor.
The Sixers never trailed, jumping out to a 14-3 lead after three straight baskets by Holiday in the opening five minutes and cruising to a 59-37 advantage at the half. They would push it out to 77-51 at the end of the third quarter and let most of the starters take the final frame off.
Walker finished with 14 points for the Bobcats, who shot 39 percent en route to their seventh straight loss.