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76ers Edge Hornets In Philadelphia, 96-92
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Samuel Dalembert made the go-ahead shot with 25.5 seconds remaining, as the Philadelphia 76ers edged the New Orleans Hornets, 96-92, at the Wachovia Center.
Dalembert had six points, 14 rebounds, and five blocks for the Sixers, who have won two in a row and five of eight overall. Andre Iguodala and Elton Brand each had 18 points. Iguodala also dished out eight assists.
Allen Iverson ended with 16 points for Philadelphia, which started a three- game homestand. Thaddeus Young and Lou Williams had 12 points apiece for the victors.
“We have had our ups and downs all year. This is a big win against a good team, a playoff team with a great point guard,” Young said.
Emeka Okafor finished with 20 points and 11 boards for the Hornets, who had a six-game winning streak snapped. David West donated 13 points and 13 rebounds while Chris Paul chipped in 13 points and 14 assists for New Orleans, who had won its previous four games versus the Sixers.
After West opened the fourth with a deuce, the 76ers ripped off 11 straight points. Brand ended the run with a pair of jumpers to gave Philadelphia an 86-76 margin with over seven minutes remaining.
The Hornets responded with a 9-0 burst to get within one. Marcus Thornton's basket made it an 86-85 contest with 3:54 left.
Philadelphia held a slim edge until Paul drilled a three-pointer to deadlock the tilt at 91 with 1:14 to go. The game remained tied after Iverson and Okafor each made 1-of-2 from the foul line.
Dalembert's hook from inside the paint had the Sixers ahead 94-92 with 25.5 seconds remaining. Peja Stojakovic came up short on a shot from beyond the arc, and Iguodala made a pair of free throws to make it 96-92 with 13.2 ticks left.
Paul missed a 14-foot jumper at the other end to seal the victory for Philadelphia.
"We had options. I suppose we could have gotten a better look but Peja is a great late game shooter," New Orleans head coach Jeff Bower said of Stojakovic's three-point attempt.
Ahead 13-12 late in the first quarter, the Sixers closed the period on a 14-0 run. Willie Green's trey capped the burst, giving Philadelphia 27-12 advantage after 12 minutes of action.
Down 45-30 with less than 4 1/2 minutes remaining until half, New Orleans went on a 13-1 spurt. The Hornets made a trio of three-pointers during the stretch, including a James Posey trey to get New Orleans within 46-43 with under a minute left. The 76ers led 48-43 at the break.
The Hornets scored the first six points of the third to take a 49-48 edge. However, the Sixers ripped off seven consecutive points later in the frame to build a 10-point margin. Young’s deuce had Philadelphia in front 71-61 with less than four minutes to go.
New Orleans closed the third with a burst of its own to get within 75-74 heading to the fourth.
“We battled back from double-digit deficits three times. We fought but came up a little short at the end. Give them credit. They played hard,” Bower said.
The Sixers made 22-of-27 free throws, while the Hornets went 10-of-12 from the charity stripe...Dalembert’s 12 rebounds in the first quarter set a record for most rebounds by a Philadelphia player since the Wachovia Center opened for the 1996-97 season.
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