Philadelphia 76ers Avoid Record-tying 0-18 Start by Finally Winning A Game For the First Time in 231 Days

The Philadelphia 76ers finally won a game, more than a month into the NBA season, snapping a 0-17 start and narrowly avoiding the perils of history, in the worst way. Thanks to a near triple-double (20 points, nine rebounds, nine assists) by Michael Carter-Williams and 17 points from Robert Covington the 76ers topped the Minnesota Timberwolves 85-77 Tuesday night for their first win in an astounding 231 days.

That number is jaw-dropping, but it was almost a lot worse. The 76ers won the last two games of the 2013–2014 season and still finished with an awful 19–63 record. Before Wednesday they hadn't won since beating the Miami Heat 100-87 on April 16, according to ESPN.

How would coach Brett Brown, whose career coaching record improved to 20-80 with the victory, celebrate?

"Cart wheels, somersaults, great dinner with my family," Brown told ESPN. "Hug my players. Really, salute the fans."

Brown would have become just the fifth coach to lose more than 80 of his first 100 games if the 76ers would have lost Wednesday. With the win, they avoided tying the 2009-2010 New Jersey Nets, whose 0-18 start that season is the worst in NBA history. The Nets finished 12-70 that season.

Yahoo! Sports reports that the 76ers didn't played particularly well Wednesday, despite the win. They shot just 39 percent from the field and scored just nine second quarter points.

They also defeated a Timberwolves team without injured players Ricky Rubio and Nikola Pekovic.

But a win is a win.

As a reward, Philadelphia next has to play the Oklahoma City Thunder — and reigning NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant — on Friday, so its safe to assume this winning thing doesn't turn into a nasty little habit.

And if the 76ers still want to chase history, there's always the 1970-1971 Cleveland Cavs, which started the season 1-27.

Allen Iverson is happy to see his 76ers get their first win of the season. pic.twitter.com/s1nSb2nyQD

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 4, 2014