Brand Breaks Out as Sixers Beat Charlotte, 86-84
Elton Brand returned to his All-Star form… at least for a night. All it took was an injury to PF Marreese Speights that is expected to keep him out until January 2010.
Brand busted out of his early season slump with a ridiculous 19 point, 11 rebound, six block, three steal, two point performance, as the Sixers needed some last second magic to beat the Charlotte Bobcats 86-84 on Wednesday.
Sixers shooting guard Andre Iguodala dropping in 25 points for the Sixers, and point guard Lou Williams scored 19 (including the game-winning basket with 3.1 seconds remaining), but Brand was the clear catalyst to a Sixers’ lineup that hasn’t looked great out of the gates.
“That’s not my best,” Brand said. “I’ve still got a lot better games ahead of me. I still feel like I missed some easy shots.”
Sixers fans will take this type of performance, though, especially after Brand had started the season with career lows in points and rebounds. After coming off two season-ending surgeries the past two years, Sixers fans were beginning to wonder whether they’d ever see the 20/10 guy they paid $80 million for.
“He didn’t lobby,” Sixers coach Eddie Jordan said of Brand’s minutes. “What he did on the floor warranted playing time.”
Brand had been spending the past few fourth quarters on the bench, as Speights appeared to take his spot in the end-game lineup. But with an injury sidelining Speights for the next month or two, Brand now has a chance to return to All-Star form… for good.
