Samuel Dalembert learned Friday that an uncle, a carpenter feared dead in his home country Haiti, was alive. His godfather finally contacted Dalembert's relatives.
Dalembert felt some personal peace that family members in his home country were alive. But hearing the first-hand accounts of the extreme death and destruction in earthquake-ravaged Port-au-Prince has left the NBA's only Haitian wanting to help his countrymen so much more.
"I feel much better, but still my heart is for those who lost their loved ones," he said.
The Philadelphia 76ers center finds 48 minutes of distraction each night on the court. Dalembert made a $100,00 donation to help relief efforts, then had 17 points and 12 rebounds to lift the Sixers to a 98-86 win over the Sacramento Kings on Friday night.
"I'm trying to do my best and contribute," a reserved Dalembert said of the relief effort. "The Philadelphia people responded. Everybody everywhere responded. That's a really good feeling. We're a nation of good hearts."
Dalembert taped a public service announcement for UNICEF encouraging fans to support the relief efforts in his home country. His donation went to UNICEF.
"I know, at a time like this, times are tough in our own home. But you find a good heart to help us out," he told the crowd before the game. "Everything is accepted. Don't feel like anything is too small to help out."
The Philly fans responded. The Sixers said in the third quarter they raised more than $30,000 at the UNICEF table on the concourse during Friday's game. Dalembert pledged to match the amount of money donated by Sixers fans.
"As soon as the game starts, my mind is basically on the game," he said. "I try to not think about anything. The game is a good distraction."
Dalembert made all seven of his shots and had three blocks.
Thaddeus Young scored 20 points for the Sixers and Allen Iverson had 17. The Sixers hit a pair of 3-pointers during a 10-0 run in the fourth quarter that turned a tight game into a comfortable victory in front of one of their largest crowds of the season.
The Sixers are a modest 3-2 since team president Ed Stefanski refused to guarantee coach Eddie Jordan would last the season. They could be headed toward their usual pattern of getting off to a miserable start before regrouping in January and February and sneaking into the playoffs.
Jason Thompson had 19 points and 16 rebounds for the Kings. Kevin Martin scored 19 points in his first game after missing the past 32 with a wrist injury. Martin was injured Nov. 2 when he collided with Iverson, then with Memphis.
The game marked a homecoming for Kings guard Tyreke Evans, of nearby Chester, Pa. He was a McDonald's All-American out of American Christian and a two-time state player of the year.
One of the league's top rookies, Evans failed to impress his hometown crowd, scoring 14 points. He missed 10 of 13 shots from the floor and made all eight free throws. He had hundreds of fans waiting for him near the Kings bench after the game.
"I was glad for people to see me play for the first time," he said. "I was probably thinking about it a little too much out there."
Elton Brand -- who was benched for entire fourth quarters a month ago -- scored 14 points for the Sixers and continued to find success in his role as an $80 million reserve. Dalembert and Brand combined to make their first 10 shots from the floor, the kind of production the Sixers envisioned they'd see more out of the frontcourt.
"I'm glad to be out there and contribute to winning," Brand said. "That's what hurt the most, losing and not being out there. Being out there trying to help, you feel good about yourself."
Andre Iguodala, who sprained his right ankle in the first quarter and briefly left the game, started the fourth-quarter run with a 3-pointer, then sank two free throws the next time down. Lou Williams capped the small but decisive spurt with another 3 that turned a one-point lead into an 11-point edge.
Iguodala, who said his ankle was bothering him "quite a lot," scored 12 points and had 10 rebounds.
Dalembert has long been the most-maligned Sixer because of his erratic production for such a bloated contract. He's enjoying one of his finest seasons and had his eighth double-double of the season.
"Sam's been anchoring us the whole year," Iguodala said."
Game notes
The 76ers held a moment of silence for late R&B singer Teddy Pendergrass, who died Wednesday. ... The Comcast-Spectacor Foundation made a $10,000 donation to UNICEF, and Comcast-Spectacor -- which owns the 76ers and Philadelphia Flyers -- planned to air public service announcements. ... The Sixers held the Kings to a season-low 37 percent shooting. ... Iguodala had his fifth double-double.
ed stefanski 在 pennyccw Youtube 的最讚貼文
Protecting double-digit leads has been especially maddening for the Philadelphia 76ers this season.
This time, they just got mad.
Andre Iguodala and Elton Brand scored 18 points each, Allen Iverson added 16 and the 76ers snapped a four-game home losing streak with a 96-92 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Monday night.
"We were a little angry and I thought it helped us," said Brand, who fouled out. "We played with a purpose in the fourth quarter. I think this win will give us a nice boost of confidence."
Thaddeus Young and Lou Williams added 12 points each and Samuel Dalembert had six points, 14 rebounds and five blocks for the Sixers, who had lost nine of 10 at home.
Dalembert had 12 rebounds in the first quarter, the most in one quarter by a Philadelphia player since the Wachovia Center opened for the 1996-97 season.
"Sam's been playing pretty well pretty much all season," Philadelphia coach Eddie Jordan said. "We're happy about the things he's giving us. It just seems like he's getting more and more aggressive each game."
Dalembert entered the game tied for fourth in the league in blocked shots (2.17) with Atlanta's Josh Smith.
"I'm confident in my teammates, so I just go out there and give everything," Dalembert said.
Emeka Okafor had 20 points and 11 rebounds, David West added 13 points and 13 rebounds and Chris Paul had 13 points and 14 assists for the Hornets, whose season-best six-game winning streak was snapped.
New Orleans lost on the road for the first time in four games since Jan. 1.
"We battled back three times," Hornets coach Jeff Bower said. "It was very difficult to fight back and come up short."
With the score tied at 92, Iguodala started to drive and then passed to Dalembert, who hit a short hook from the baseline with 25.5 seconds left.
"The man stepped up and my initial reaction was to throw it to the open man," said Iguodala, who added eight assists and five rebounds.
Peja Stojakovic misfired on a 3-point attempt and Iguodala converted two free throws for a 96-92 lead with 13.2 seconds left.
"It's my shot," Stojakovic said. "I thought I had a good look, but Iguodala came flying at me."
Brand hit a 15-foot jumper to give the Sixers a 91-88 lead with 2:12 remaining before Paul responded with a clutch 3-pointer to tie it at 91 with 1:14 left.
Iverson connected on one of two free throws for a 92-91 lead with 57 seconds to go.
Okafor made one of two free throws with 42.6 seconds left to tie the game again.
An 11-0 run in the fourth by Philadelphia pushed its lead to 86-76 with 7:43 remaining.
But the Sixers have had trouble holding double-digit leads all season and watched the Hornets come right back with a 9-0 run to close within 86-85 with 3:54 left.
"We kept our poise," Brand said.
The Sixers led by as many as 16 points in the first half, but the Hornets responded with a late 13-1 run to get within 46-43.
Philadelphia led 48-43 at halftime.
Before the game, the Hornets traded center Hilton Armstrong and cash considerations to Sacramento for a conditional second-round draft pick in 2016. Armstrong was the 12th overall selection in the 2006 draft.
Additionally, New Orleans guard Darren Collison was a late scratch with a bruised right knee.
Game notes
Jordan said "It doesn't bother me" that 76ers president Ed Stefanski refused to say the embattled first-year coach would last the remainder of the season. Asked on Friday to review Jordan, Stefanski said, "I'm not happy with anything." Jordan said they spoke over the weekend, but wanted to keep the conversation private. ... Jordan said he's hoping regular treatment will improve Iverson's arthritic left knee. "If we manage it correctly, and he's diligent with his rehab and his workouts, it will get better," he said. ... Paul was charged with a technical foul with 9:35 left in regulation.
ed stefanski 在 pennyccw Youtube 的最讚貼文
The 76ers might want to go into halftime behind if they want to turn their season around.
Playing with a big lead has only led to big losses -- and has coach Eddie Jordan's job on the rocks. Chris Bosh and the Raptors were only the latest team to rally from a double-digit deficit and beat Philadelphia.
Bosh made the go-ahead three-point play with 8.4 seconds left and had 29 points and nine rebounds to lead Toronto to a 108-106 victory over the 76ers on Friday night.
Andrea Bargnani scored 23 points to help the Raptors rally from a 13-point hole and win their third straight.
The Sixers have led by 10-plus points in each of their last three losses and are 7-8 this season when they hold a double-digit lead at any point.
The 76ers wasted an 18-point lead in a loss to Gilbert Arenas and the Wizards on Tuesday. They watched an 11-point halftime lead evaporate against the Raptors in the third quarter.
"We're jumping out and holding leads and we just can't hold them," guard Allen Iverson said. "We play well for a while and then it seems we just lose focus."
Bosh was fouled by Sixers center Samuel Dalembert on a drive to the basket and made the twisting, off-balance layup. He sank the free throw for a 108-106 lead.
Lou Williams' last-chance 3-pointer was off the mark, dropping the Sixers to 4-12 at home.
"We fight to the end, but for whatever reason, it never happens," Williams said.
Before the game, Sixers team president Ed Stefanski refused to say Jordan's job was safe for the rest of the season with the team off to a 10-25 start.
Andre Iguodala fell just shy of a triple-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. Thaddeus Young had 18 points and 13 rebounds, Williams scored 23 points and Iverson had a season-high 22. Sixers forward Elton Brand missed the game with a stomach virus.
Young's driving layup late in the fourth rolled off the front of the rim, but a charging Dalembert was there for the dunk that gave the Sixers a 106-105 lead.
Bosh finished off the Sixers from the inside after the Raptors rallied from the outside.
"Sam is a good defender," Bosh said of the winner. "I just had to size him up and see what he was going to do."
The Raptors, who have made a 3-pointer in 897 straight games, hit their first ones of the game in the third on back-to-back 3s from Jarrett Jack and Bargnani that sliced the deficit under 10.
Marco Belinelli capped an 11-3 run with his first 3 of the game that tied it at 83.
Jrue Holiday's baseline jumper helped send the Sixers into the fourth with a small lead.
It didn't last long.
The only surprise was how long it took the Raptors to start making 3s after an 0-for-5 first half. The Sixers are last in the NBA in 3-point defense, allowing teams to shoot a whopping 42 percent against them.
The Raptors finished 5 for 15 from long range -- but each one in the second half did in the Sixers.
It's losses like this one that have Stefanski refusing to endorse Jordan. But Stefanski held the entire organization accountable for a slide that has left the Sixers with the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference.
"It's not just the head coach," Stefanski said before tip-off. "It's the coaches, the players and myself. No one is happy here."
Stefanski, who has yet to turn the Sixers into contenders in 2-plus seasons as president and general manager, took some of the blame for the woeful start.
"If you're looking at the record, I haven't done a real good job so far," he said.
Jordan might be running out of time to get the Sixers turned around.
"We're not getting the job done and we're going to have to get it done," Stefanski said.