Sixers Notes: Ailing Hawes out Wednesday, iffy for Friday

NEW YORK - For the first few weeks of the season, it has been the 76ers' catching opponents minus one of their key players.

Against Sacramento on Tuesday, the Kings were without leading scorer Marcus Thornton. When the Sixers played Golden State on New Year's Eve, the Warriors were missing top scorer Monte Ellis. Indiana was without Danny Granger, its leading scorer, and there have been other notable absentees along the way.

On Wednesday, in their first game against the New York Knicks, the Sixers found out what it's like to be without a key player. Center Spencer Hawes, who was out the entire second half of Tuesday's win over Sacramento, missed Wednesday's game at Madison Square Garden with a strained lower back.

Hawes is listed as day-to-day. He was a game-time decision Wednesday and also will be a game-time decision when the Sixers host the Washington Wizards on Friday at the Wells Fargo Center.

In his place, the Sixers started 13-year veteran Tony Battie. Battie has played sporadically this season and before Wednesday had appeared in just two games. He has played a total of 11 minutes this season.

"I'll be ready when I'm called on," Battie said on Tuesday. "Guys have been stepping up for us. Now I've got to get in there and be ready."

Hawes, averaging 11.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per game, has been the Sixers' most improved player. However, Hawes, who said he thought he first injured his back against Detroit over the weekend, had seen his productivity slip recently. After averaging 11.8 rebounds through the team's first six games, Hawes grabbed just 11 rebounds in the last three.

Sixers coach Doug Collins decided to go with Battie as the starter instead of rookie Nikola Vucevic because he knows that the veteran is used to the rigors of the NBA. Last season, he appeared in 38 games and averaged 2.6 points and 2.6 rebounds in just under 10 minutes.

"Guys are going to have to pick it up if Spencer can't go," forward Elton Brand said right after Tuesday's game. "It's going to be like that. There is no way teams are going to be able to get through this season without suffering injuries. Spencer has been playing well for us."