76ers 77, Hornets 62

Jrue Holiday had 14 points and 12 assists, and the Philadelphia 76ers held New Orleans to its lowest point total ever in a 77-62 victory over the Hornets on Wednesday night. Evan Turner also scored 14, and Thaddeus Young and Lavoy Allen each added 12 points for the Sixers, who dominated the second half defensively. The Hornets committed 14 of their 24 turnovers after halftime and scored only 25 points during the final two quarters. Young also grabbed 10 rebounds. Al-Farouq Aminu was the only Hornets player to score in double figures with 10 points to go with a career-high 16 rebounds. Ryan Anderson grabbed 10 rebounds and 7-foot reserve Jason Smith blocked five shots. The Hornets, who lost for the first time in three games, played without first-round draft choices Anthony Davis and Austin Rivers. Davis was not cleared to return from a recent concussion and Rivers had a sprained finger on his left hand. The team's previous low was 63 points in a 2009 playoff loss to Denver. The Sixers finished with a 30-20 advantage in the paint and scored 26 points off Hornets turnovers, which was more than enough to offset Philadelphia's 4-of-22 3-point shooting or the Sixers' inability to get to the foul line, where they attempted only five free throws. Spencer Hawes finished with 11 points and three of the 76ers' six blocked shots. Philadelphia also outshot New Orleans 41.7 percent (35 of 84) to 33.3 percent (23 of 69). New Orleans was the more aggressive team on defense in the first half, forcing 14 turnovers and taking a 37-36 lead into the locker room despite shooting only 37.8 percent (14 of 37) through the opening two quarters. Smith's eight early points on 3-for-3 shooting and a pair of free throws helped the Hornets keep pace to that point. In the third quarter, however, the Sixers took much better care of the ball, turning it over only once, and buckled down on defense. New Orleans struggled with the pressure, shooting 4 of 15 (26.7 percent) and turning the ball over eight times in the period as Philadelphia blocked four shots and surged to a double-digit lead. The 76ers opened the second half on a 10-0 run fueled by a pair of jumpers by Allen to go ahead 46-37. Allen added a 17-foot jumper late in the quarter to make it 57-46. New Orleans continued to struggle offensively in the final period, falling behind by as many as 23 points when Dorell Wright's back-to-back 3-pointers made it 77-54. Notes: The Hornets announced that G Eric Gordon, who is expected to miss the first four to six weeks of the season with a sore right knee, will undergo an ''intensive'' and ''personalized'' rehabilitation program away from the club in Los Angeles. ... The Sixers did not attempt a free throw in the first half. ... Veteran Sixers guard Jason Richardson remains sidelined with a sprained left ankle. Turner started in the backcourt with Holiday. ... Hornets 2012 second-round draft pick Darius Miller got his first career start with Rivers out.