Jodie Meeks

Through five games, Jodie Meeks had been the one 76er who had gotten into a game but really hadn't made his presence felt. Can't say that anymore. Meeks, who before Friday's home opener had made just 9 of 29 shots from the field, caught fire and scored all but four of his season-high 21 points in the fourth quarter as the Sixers christened the home portion of their season with a 96-73 romp over the Detroit Pistons at the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers, who play 17 of their next 21 games at home, have won three in a row and improved to 4-2. Meeks was 7 for 12 against the Pistons.

Forward Andre Iguodala missed his second straight game Tuesday night as he continues to be plagued with patellar tendinitis in his left knee. Against the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers, and also for the second consecutive game, Jodie Meeks took Iguodala's place in the lineup. "He came in [to the shootaround Tuesday morning], got some treatment, got on the bike to warm up a little bit, and then we were doing our walk-through and he went back and got some more treatment," said coach Doug Collins.

Following a beyond-dismal showing against the Washington Wizards, 76ers coach Doug Collins said he had "no idea" how his team would respond to the embarrassment. The Sixers did not make a resounding turnaround against the Atlanta Hawks, but they overcame another sluggish start and with a fourth-quarter surge triumphed, 95-90, before an announced crowd of 19,714 at the Wells Fargo Center. Elton Brand led the way with a season-high 25 points. He shot 10 for 12 from the field and 5 for 6 from the line.

The bones of Wednesday night's 105-100 win by the 76ers over the Atlanta Hawks at the Wells Fargo Center were even more impressive than the outward flash. A quick glance will show you the sparkle of that final quarter: the three-pointers by shooting guard Jodie Meeks, the slashing to the rim by combo guard Lou Williams, the pop-from-the-floor energy of Thaddeus Young. All of this dazzling second-half basketball was nicely wrapped in a 33-11 run during which the Sixers deftly navigated away from the cliff - they trailed by 11 points late in the third quarter - and pushed themselves past the flailing Hawks.

LOS ANGELES - Doug Collins fought for his guys, then his guys fought for the win. With their coach banished from the court, ejected in the first half for arguing for his team, the 76ers proceeded to stomp on the supremely athletic Los Angeles Clippers. The Sixers won, 104-94, on Wednesday night at the Staples Center. At halftime, everyone seemed prepped for an action-packed second half, two teams jazzed after a physical and demonstrative second quarter. Instead, the Sixers outscored the Clippers by 30-19 in the third quarter and looked, at various times during that game-changing stretch, quite pleased with themselves.

76ers Notes The 76ers' game against the visiting New Jersey Nets on Saturday was their fourth in five nights, including a 99-90 loss at Miami on Friday that was the team's third straight. "You as a coach, you always worry about that," Sixers coach Doug Collins said about playing frequently and not tasting success. "When you wake up and you're tired, you hope the guys feel better than I do right now. "I think our guys are pretty resilient. And I hope that I try to give them that mentality.

As the curtain rose in the room some 30 feet above the 76ers' practice court at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, media members went to the window to get a glance of what Sixers fans have been waiting to see for more than a month. There on the court was center Spencer Hawes, planting hard on his left foot with no hesitancy or apprehension, and running through sets at the team's Tuesday practice as the Sixers (25-17) made ready for Wednesday's game at Indiana. Hawes, who has missed 27 of the last 28 games with a strained left Achilles' tendon, is expected to be in the starting lineup for the first time since he played on Feb. 6 in the Sixers' 95-90 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers at the Wells Fargo Center.

CHICAGO - The 76ers got two points from their starting shooting guard in Saturday's 103-91 loss to the Chicago Bulls in Game 1. After a dismal seven minutes and 29 seconds of play in the first quarter that included a miss on a wide-open jump shot, a bad turnover, and an even-worse foul of a jump shooter, coach Doug Collins pulled Jodie Meeks and kept him on the bench for most of the remainder of the game. Evan Turner took most of the minutes, and Collins said after the game that his team needs the type of playmaking ability that Turner possesses.

CHICAGO - The 76ers got two points from their starting shooting guard in Saturday's 103-91 loss to the Chicago Bulls in Game 1. After a dismal 7 minutes and 29 seconds of play in the first quarter that included a miss on a wide-open jump shot, a bad turnover and an even-worse foul of a jump shooter, coach Doug Collins pulled Jodie Meeks and kept him on the bench for most of the remainder of the game. Evan Turner took most of the minutes and coach Doug Collins said after the game that his team needs the type of playmaking ability that Turner possesses.

Doug Collins couldn't have asked for a more fitting backdrop. Moments after watching his 76ers play a spirited scrimmage at St. Joseph's Hagan Arena that required an overtime period to settle, the coach discussed a favorite topic: spacing on the floor for his shooters. Behind him, newly acquired sharpshooter Jason Richardson launched three-pointers, getting in some extra practice at training camp. One key to the offense is having a big man capable of commanding a double team, drawing would-be perimeter defenders away from good shooters who are capable of making opponents pay. In center Andrew Bynum, the Sixers feel they have that covered.