"Nik Vucevic made his second straight start for the Sixers on Friday against Atlanta with Spencer Hawes sidelined with a strained left Achilles.

Vucevic was was limited to 12 minutes in his first NBA start in Wednesday's loss to Denver not because of his own efforts, but because the matchup was so unfavorable with the more agile and quick Danilo Gallinari and Al Harrington playing in the frontcourt. Still, the rookie made the most of his time on the floor, leaving a good impression on his head coach.

"Nik is mature, he really is," Doug Collins said. "I felt bad the other night because he should have been able to get a few more minutes. His play justified him getting more, but the lineups that George (Karl) used in the second half prevented him from being out there. But our guys like him, they trust him. Our coaches like him, they trust him.

"He plays at a real nice rhythm and has a nice demeanor about himself. He doesn't get too upset about himself one way or another. The other night I thought he was aggressive and I thought he helped us get off to a really good start.""