PHILADELPHIA — Andre Iguodala wasn't bothered by his first five misses from 3-point territory.
So he went to his favorite spot on the floor for his sixth attempt.
Elton Brand scored 26 points, and
Iguodala had 25 points, eight rebounds and eight assists to help the
Philadelphia 76ers rally for a 106-103 overtime victory over the
Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night.
Iguodala's clutch 3-pointer from the top of the key gave the Sixers a 101-98 lead they would not relinquish.
"That area has been good for me this year," Iguodala said.
Willie Green added 15 points in place
of Allen Iverson, while Lou Williams had 14, and Samuel Dalembert
finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds for the Sixers (17-31), who
have won two in a row. They are still just 8-16 at home.
"It was a big win for the team," Green said. "We hope to carry the momentum into the next two road games."
Iverson missed the game because one
of his children is ill. The All-Star guard is expected back Friday
night at New Orleans. In 25 games since returning to the Sixers,
Iverson has averaged 14.4 points.
Derrick Rose scored 13 of his 30
points in the fourth quarter and overtime, and Luol Deng and John
Salmons had 17 each for the Bulls (23-24), who had their five-game road
winning streak snapped. Those five wins came against teams with winning
records, which set an NBA record.
"We didn't have the energy we've had
in past road games," Salmons said. "We have to make sure we stay
focused from beginning to end."
Kirk Hinrich added 13 points, and Tyrus Thomas had 12 for Chicago.
"Give Philadelphia credit," Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said. "They made some shots at the end."
Rose hit two free throws to tie it at 98 with 1:41 left in overtime.
"We should have put this game away when we had a chance," Rose said.
On Philadelphia's next possession,
Iguodala hit his huge 3-pointer. After a miss by Rose, Green connected
on a short jumper for a 103-98 lead with 50.8 seconds remaining.
The Sixers pulled away from there for a rare victory at the Wachovia Center.
"It's a big win in overtime," Brand said. "It's like role reversal from playing these guys at the beginning of the year."
Iguodala had a chance to put the
Sixers ahead with 6.7 seconds left in regulation, but he converted the
first free throw and missed the second, tying it at 94. Brand then
missed a short jumper from the baseline.
Rose had one last shot for Chicago and his 18-footer from the baseline fell short, forcing overtime.
Notes
Sixers C Samuel Dalembert
said he plans to visit his home country of Haiti during the All-Star
break. It will be Dalembert's second trip since the devastating
earthquake in Haiti. … Deng had 11 rebounds for Chicago. …
Seldom-used Sixers G Royal Ivey played for the first time since Dec.
31, 2009, at Los Angeles against the Clippers. Ivey scored three points
in 7 minutes.