For the better part of his third season with the 76ers (4-33), Brett Brown has focused on trying to help his youthful team meet the challenge of, as he puts it, “walking down games.” Thanks to the clutch contributions of a pair of veterans recently integrated into the roster, the Sixers managed to deliver a close-out fourth-quarter performance in their 109-99 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves (12-23) Monday at The Center. The win marked the Sixers’ third in their past six games.Leading by three points with just over seven minutes remaining in regulation, the Sixers ratcheted up their intensity. Ninth-year power forward Carl Landry, the most experienced active Sixer, muscled his way to the offensive glass for an authoritative rebound, and subsequently punched in two points. The aggressive, determined sequence set the tone for a pivotal juncture during which the Sixers relied on timely two-way play to outscore Minnesota 12-4, and put the game out of reach. Over the course of that stretch, the Sixers recorded three of their 10 blocked shots, forced two turnovers, and converted six of their nine field goal attempts. As a result, their margin grew to 12 points with 67 seconds to go, leaving the Timberwolves too little time to dent a deficit that large. Ish Smith, now in his sixth NBA season, paced the Sixers with 21 points (9-16 fg) and 11 assists, registering his second double-double since re-joining the team. He now has seven double-doubles overall this campaign. Smith, who made his Sixers debut December 26th, and Landry, whose first appearance came on December 23rd, teamed up to generate 16 of the Sixers’ 29 points in the final frame. Landry tallied a season-high-tying 16 points overall. The Sixers also received a boost from rookie forward Richaun Holmes’ 17 points (7-10 fg). Landry and Holmes fuel a bench effort that accounted for 61 points in all.Minnesota was led by Shabazz Muhammed, who posted 20 points. Karl-Anthony Towns, the number one overall selection in the 2015 NBA Draft, was limited to eight points and six rebounds, again plagued by foul trouble, as he was in his first meeting versus the Sixers in November. Andrew Wiggins scored 16 points.
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