The Philadelphia 76ers snapped their 12-game losing streak with a 117-101 victory over the Golden State Warriors. The Sixers scored 36 points in the first quarter and led by as many as 18 points in the second quarter. Eddie Jordan made a switch that had Jrue Holiday starting and Elton Brand coming off the bench, which helped spark the Sixers' offense. The Warriors, the league's worst defensive team, appeared focused on heading home after a five-game road trip, allowing the Sixers to capitalize.

1. BUCKS COUNTY COURIER TIMES
WWW.COURIERTIMESNOW.COM
TUESDAY
DECEMBER 15, 2009 C
MLB Hot Stove
BUZZER BEATERS
Cardinals fall to 49ers,
fail to clinch NFC West
The Arizona Cardinals threw
away a chance to clinch a second
straight NFC West crown.
Alex Smith threw touchdown
passes after two of Arizona’s seven
Is he worth all this?
turnovers, Frank Gore ran for 167
yards and another score and the 2003 AL Cy Young 2008 AL Cy Young
San Francisco 49ers kept their Award winner Award winner
slim playoff hopes alive with a
dominant 24-9 victory Monday
night.
With a relentless defensive
attack, San Francisco forced the
Roy
sloppy Cardinals into five first-
half turnovers and kept Kurt
Warner from finding a groove.
Halladay Cliff Michael
Warner threw two interceptions
in the opening half after going
130 passes without a pick. Now,
Arizona (8-5) can still clinch the
Lee Taylor
The Phillies’
division by winning two of its No. 3 prospect
final three games.
(according to
for
Baseball Prospectus)
Italian club official
sentenced in scandal
Former Juventus chief executive
Antonio Giraudo has been sen-
tenced to three years in prison for
his role in a match-fixing scandal
that shook Italian soccer.
The ANSA and Apcom news
agencies said Monday that Giraudo
was convicted on charges of crimi-
nal association aimed at commit-
ting sports fraud by a court in
Kyle Drabek Travis
Naples, Italy.
Giraudo was one of the figures at Phils’ top pitching prospect
d’Arnaud
the center of the 2006 scandal, (according to Baseball Prospectus) The Phils’ No. 4 prospect
together with former Juventus exec- to Baseball Prospectus)
(according
utive Luciano Moggi. Moggi is also
on trial in Naples, along with other Traded to acquire Cliff Lee on July 29
defendants, on similar charges.
Giraudo was tried separately in a
fast-track trial at his request. Acquired with
Moggi and Giraudo were banned
from soccer for five years by a Cliff Lee on July 29
sports court for influencing the out-
come of matches. Both deny any Ben Francisco
wrongdoing. No. 4 outfielder Carlos Carrasco Jason Donald Lou Marson Jason Knapp
...struggled in ... struggled at ... struggled at 5.40 ERA in
Sept. with Indians Triple-A for Clev. Triple-A for Clev. Class A for Clev.
Published reports suggest the Phillies will give up the farm for Roy Halladay
Phils on brink of What’s up, Doc?
Some insight
into Roy Halladay
This time, price
is just too high
Bensalem seeks team
for boys holiday
getting Halladay ■ Best season was in
2003, when Halladay
won the 2003 AL
Cy Young. He led the
league in wins (22),
starts (36), complete
To understand what the
Phillies ought to be doing and
not doing in their attempts to
acquire Roy Halladay, the first
By KEVIN COONEY pending a finalization of a contract thing you have to do is stop
basketball tournament STAFF WRITER extension and a physical. games (9), innings
(266.0). thinking of Halladay and Cliff
Bensalem is looking for a fourth Maybe he was coming in to see the The price that the Phillies would pay Lee as two pitchers. Think of
team for its holiday boys tourna- Macy’s Christmas Light show. Perhaps the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle ■ Six-time All-star them as one.
ment. Dates are Dec. 28 and 29. he wanted to go see the Liberty Bell or Mariners is reportedly heavy — starting Confused? It’s OK. The
the National Constitution Center. ■ Has a reputation as
The other three teams are Strath with 2008 AL Cy Young winner Cliff an innings-eater, Mike concept has a two-pitchers-in-
Haven, Bristol and Bensalem. Maybe he just had a yearning for a real- Lee, who was brought to Philadelphia pitching over 200 one-ace, holy baseball mystery
ly good cheesesteak. when the Phils couldn’t swing a deal for Sielski
Interested parties should contact innings in each of the
E-mail feel to it. But hear me out.
athletic director Val Ridge at But when the Internet buzz started Halladay back at the July trade dead- last four seasons. There has been a published
around 2 o’clock that Roy Halladay msielski@
vridge@bensalemsd.org. line. report that the Phillies — i.e.,
arrived in Philadelphia with his agent Lee would head to the Mariners ■ Phillies outfielder phillyBurbs.com
Raul Ibanez has said general manager Ruben
in tow, you knew that the Toronto Blue mainly because his $9 million salary
Sports writers on book Jays ace wasn’t here for some Yuletide needed to be cleared off the books to
"He’s definitely got the Amaro Jr. and his brain trust
— are willing to part with one or more of their
best stuff that I’ve seen
signing tour sightseeing.
He was here to don the Phillies red
accommodate Halladay’s $15.75 million — I’d put him right up most precious minor-league prospects, in addi-
contract under the Phillies’ salary budg- there with Pedro tion to trading Lee in a three-way deal with
The 2009 Philadelphia Sports pinstripes. et of $140 million.
Book Holiday Signing Tour will roll [Martinez] in 1999. His Toronto and Seattle to get Halladay.
Late Monday night it appeared that Others could be moving as well. One sinker and his cutter, Pitcher Kyle Drabek and outfielders
through Bucks and Montgomery the stage was set for Halladay to finally published report had top pitching they’re going in Domonic Brown and Michael Taylor are appar-
counties this holiday season. join the Phils after a six-month dance prospect Kyle Drabek and outfielder completely opposite
Reuben Frank and Mike Sielski ently touchable for other teams now, and Amaro
that began at last season’s trade dead- Michael Taylor heading to Toronto in directions. Even if you reportedly is considering including at least one
of Calkins Newspapers, in addition line. Reports indicated that a three-team the deal. (Another report said that guess right, it doesn’t
to Jayson Stark and Sal Paolantonio in the trade. This would be exactly the wrong
deal to bring the 2003 American League Taylor could be swapped out of the mean you hit it, because thing for Amaro to do, and the reason it’s
of ESPN, Ray Didinger of Comcast Cy Young winner was almost complete he locates them so well.”
Sportsnet, Glen Macnow and Mark
See HALLADAY, Page C4 See SIELSKI, Page C4
Eckel of WIP will be signing copies
,
of their recent best-selling books and
earlier titles.
The tour includes signings at
Barnes and Noble at the Oxford
76ers center
Samuel
Dalembert (1),
Emphasis will be on
Valley Mall on Friday between 7-10
p.m. and at Barnes and Noble in
Willow Grove on Wednesday, Dec.
guard Allen
Iverson and guard
Jrue Holiday
tackling this week
23, from 6-9 p.m. finally have The Eagles were not pleased with the
In addition, Sielski will be something to
appearing Thursday from 6-8 p.m. at be happy about defense in a wild win over the Giants.
the Doylestown Bookshop in after Monday By REUBEN FRANK
Doylestown. night’s win. STAFF WRITER
MICHAEL PEREZ / PHILADELPHIA — A day after they turned an
DAILY NUMBER ASSOCIATED
PRESS
11-yard completion into a 68-yard touchdown and an
8-yard pass into a 61-yard touchdown, the Eagles
1 Number of winless Ivy
League men’s basketball
teams (Penn)
Sixers snap 12-game skid
were bracing themselves for
the ramifications.
When you can’t tackle —
whether you’re in Pop
Warner, high school or the
THE LAST WORD Eddie Jordan made a game) this season, appeared to already NFL — it’s time to bring out
the tackling dummies.
“A lot of things have gone wrong switch that had Jrue Holiday have turned their attention toward flying
when you don’t make it three years “There’s no explanation for it,” safety Quintin
home — this was the final game of a
in a row.” starting and Elton Brand Mikell said Monday afternoon at the NovaCare
five-game road trip — before tip-off, Complex, 12 hours after the Eagles came back to beat
CHICAGO BEARS COACH LOVIE SMITH coming off the bench. which the Sixers were more than willing the Giants 45-38 in East Rutherford despite a nation-
ON THE BEARS’ PLAYOFF to capitalize upon. ally televised display of woeful tackling.
ABSENCES SINCE 2006 By TOM MOORE
STAFF WRITER
They scored 36 first-quarter points, “Obviously, it’s something we have to work on. We
made 10 straight field goal attempts have this kind of game now and then. Everyone was
PHILADELPHIA — The Sixers
needed the Warriors like peanut butter during one first-half stretch en route to a
season-high 71 points at halftime (one off
Quick look tackling bad. We need to get back to basics and work
Editor: Jeff Beideman, 215-345-3076 needs jelly. on fundamentals. I anticipate a lot of that this week.”
jbeideman@phillyBurbs.com the building record of 72, set Feb. 20, SIXERS 117 Mikell and Asante Samuel failed to wrap up
Eddie Jordan’s team halted its 12-
High school editor: Brad Wilson, 215- game losing streak by rolling past Golden 2008, vs. the Knicks). The Sixers led by WARRIORS 101 Hakeem Nicks in the second quarter, turning what
345-3070 bwilson@phillyBurbs.com State 117-101 on Monday night at the as many as 18 points in the second would have been an 11-yard pass from Eli Manning
quarter, even with leading scorer Andre Next Game: into a 68-yard touchdown. And Will Witherspoon
Community editor: Angie Mountain, 215- Wachovia Center. Host Cavs, 7 p.m.
345-3065 amountain@phillyBurbs.com The Warriors, the league’s worst Iguodala missing his first 10 shots. and Sean Jones blew tackles that turned an 8-yarder
on Wednesday.
Fax: 215-949-4177 defensive team (they allow 111.4 points a See SIXERS, Page C2 TV: CSN See EAGLES, Page C5