Augustin Attacks

The Bobcats nixed the Sixers by three on Thursday night after Philadelphia rallied from an eight point deficit in the final quarter. Charlotte pulled out a 100-97 victory at Time Warner Cable Arena to snap a two game skid. The Bobcats rode D.J. Augustin’s career high 31 point performance in slipping past less- than-mediocre Philadelphia. The 76ers and Bobcats are both owners of 17 wins, with Philly possessing one more loss than the 24 loss Charlotte club. The Sixers sit in third place in the Atlantic behind Boston and New York with little hope of reaching the post-season. Ailing Charlotte is all but out of the playoff hunt, clinging to fourth place in the Southeast.
Charlotte scored 30 first quarter points in a commandeering opening session. Augustin paced the home team with 14 first quarter points, including three from beyond the arc. The diminutive point guard added 11 buckets in the second quarter, hitting a perfect 5-of-5 from the field on uncontested drives through the lane. Augustin dished out a game high eight assists in handing the Sixers their fourth lost in six games. Thaddeus Young contributed 21 points off the bench and Andre Iguodala added 19 for Philly, who trailed by six at halftime.
Iguodala had five rebounds and five assists in the loss but missed a shot off the rim in the final 11 seconds as the Bobcats held on to win. Philadelphia took the lead twice during the second half. Philly scored a quick six to open the third quarter, aided by a pair of Elton Brand jumpers. Brand finished with a game high, 10 rebounds and poured in a dozen points. Young gave the visitors a one-point edge off his own rebound with 1:52 left in the fourth. The Bobcats answered back with two of Gerald Henderson’s 11 points. Henderson then drained a 19-footer with 26 seconds to increase the Bobcat lead to three. Brand’s tip-in with just over seven ticks remaining cut the deficit to 98-95 after Iguodala’s miss. But Augustin sunk both shots from the line to put Charlotte on top by five. Nazr Mohammed played 20 minutes for Charlotte and scored 15 points. Jrue Holiday led the 76ers with seven assists and finished with 13 points in defeat.

Parting Points: The Yankees signed Andruw Jones. Seriously, Yankees?

Andre Agassi was elected to the Tennis Hall of Fame.