76ers surge past Suns 103-83

PHOENIX (AP) - December 28, 2011

Jrue Holiday and Thaddeus Young also scored 15 each for the Sixers, who used a 19-0 run at the beginning of the third quarter to extend a 14-point halftime lead to 67-34 with 6:44 remaining.

Ronnie Price, signed as a free agent on Dec. 13, matched a career high with 16 points, and Grant Hill and Hakim Warrick added 14 each for the Suns, who are off to a 0-2 start for the first time since 1996-97.

Philadelphia needed less than 90 seconds of the third quarter to stretch a 48-34 lead at halftime to 11 at 55-34 on Spencer Hawes' steal and dunk with 10:34 to go in the period.

The 76ers' fast start was aided by Steve Nash, who threw the ball away twice, missed a jump shot and took the blame as his teammates walked to the huddle after coach Alvin Gentry called time out.

But Philadelphia never missed a beat. Jodie Meeks made consecutive shots, Holiday made four straight free throws and added a pair of jump shots as the 76ers opened a 33-point lead.

Shannon Brown ended the Suns' quarter-long scoring drought on an 18-foot jump shot with 5:48 left in the period, drawing a sarcastic cheer from the crowd.

Nash finished 2 of 11 from the floor with one assist, six turnovers and four fouls.

Notes: The Sixers have won two straight in Phoenix for the first time since 1981-85. . Meeks, who scored three points in Philadelphia's opener at Portland, finished with nine on 4 of 6 shooting. ... Phoenix's losing streak in 1996-97 stretched to 13 games before the Suns won 40 of their last 69 to make the playoffs. . Suns forward Channing Frye had eight rebounds in eight first-quarter minutes, but sat out the entire second quarter and played only five more minutes the rest of the way. . Phoenix had two field goals over the final 5:04 of the first quarter, both by Hakim Warrick spaced nearly four minutes apart. . Sixers coach Doug Collins is 3-0 against Phoenix since taking over in Philadelphia before last season.

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