Sixers avoid second-half collapse, still fall to Rockets

PHILADELPHIA » The Sixers usual mode of operation this young season has been the second-half collapse.

When t he expected surge by Houston came Monday, though, the Sixers handled, counterpunched and battled. And while it wasn’t enough in what ultimately resulted in a 104-93 loss to the Rockets, it was perhaps a sign of progress for a team still in search of win No. 1.

The game easily could’ve gotten away from the Sixers when they opened the second half with eight turnovers in five minutes, allowing a 17-4 run by the Rockets that blew open a margin that stood at just one point at halftime.

But the Sixers managed to rally and cut the lead to three in the fourth quarter, only for the Rockets’ dominance from beyond the arc and on the boards to win out.

At the center of that effort was the marquee battle in the middle, between Dwight Howard a nd rookie Nerlens Noel. The veteran Howard, who was a game-time decision with a knee injury, had the better of the matchup according to the stat sheet’s verdict, tallying 11 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks.

But the rookie Noel more than held his own, despite g iv ing up 45 pounds to the eight-time all-star. He finished with 10 points, six steals and five assists in 30 minutes, even if his one and only rebound of the game wasn’t pulled down until 2:40 remained on the clock.

The person for whom the Si xers really had no answer was James Harden, forced to run the point Monday thanks to the absence of Patrick Beverley. Harden made his first 17 attempts from the line and finished with 35 points, nine rebounds and five assists.

The Sixers begin the season with four straight losses for the first time since the 2010-11 season, in which they started 3-13 but righted the ship to finish 41-41. The club has opened up 0-5 twice (200102 and 1997-98) since the 1972-73 season, which began with a 15-game losing streak en route to the historic 9-73 campaign. That elusive first win could stand as the first milepost on the 2014-15 Sixers’ quest for the monumental futility that some have tabbed the team for.

The culprit has been an inability to close out games. The Sixers have been within six points at halftime of each game, but they entered Tuesday night averaging a secondhalf point differential of minus-13.3 points per game. That includes an average of minus-11.3 in fourth quarters. Both averages came down Monday

Monday followed a similar pattern. The Sixers were outscored, 32-19, in the opening 12 minutes, thanks in large part to Trevor Ariza’s 14 points on 4-for-4 from the 3-point line. (Ariza, who burned the Sixers for 40 points last season with Washington, finished with 24 points on six triples.)

But led by subs Alexey Shved and KJ McDaniels (with seven points points each in the second quarter), the Rockets (4-0) required a whirling drive to the hoop by Harden in the closing seconds to lead at the break.

The initial second-half surge by the Rockets was largely self-inflicted by a Sixers team that turned the ball over 18 times. But they continued to battle.

Tony Wroten inspired a 10-0 spurt in the third quarter that got them to within four points. And they got to within three in the fourth quarter when Noel stripped Howard and went coast-to-coast for a slam with 11 minutes left to play.

But Isaiah Canaan canned three fourth-quarter triples, part of the Rockets’ 16-for-34 night from deep, to seal the win for the Rockets.

MATT SLOCUM — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Nerlens Noel blocks a dunk by James Harden during the second half of the Rockets’ 10394win over the Sixers at the Wells Fargo Center Monday night. The Sixers fell to 0-4on the season.