Augustin comes up big as B'Cats top Sixers

D.J. Augustin poured in a career-high 31 points, including 25 in the first half, and the Charlotte Bobcats snapped a two-game skid against Philadelphia, topping the 76ers 100-97 at Time Warner Cable Arena.

Augustin also dished out a game-high eight assists for the Bobcats, who have won two straight on the heels of a three-game skid.

"It was probably the most impressive thing I've seen so far with this club," Bobcats coach Paul Silas said of Augustin's first half. "I expect that kind of play from him all the time."

Gerald Henderson scored nine of his 11 points in the fourth quarter, and Nazr Mohammed added 15 points and seven rebounds for Charlotte, which announced mid-game that forward Tyrus Thomas will miss up to eight weeks with a lateral meniscus tear in his left knee.

Thaddeus Young led the Sixers with 21 points and Andre Iguodala contributed 19 points, but missed a crucial jumper in the final seconds for Philadelphia, which has dropped two straight.

"We just gotta get the team to learn how to play the game in certain situations," Iguodala said of the Sixers late-game struggles. "Late in games we gotta continue to know how to close out a game."

Henderson's jumper with 56.4 seconds remaining gave the Bobcats a 94-91 lead. After a Sixers timeout, Iguodala was fouled in the act of shooting a three- pointer, but missed the third free throw to leave the Sixers a point behind. Henderson grabbed the rebound and widened the Bobcats' advantage to 96-93 with a basket from the right side with 26 ticks remaining.

Williams leads Sixers over Bobcats in OT

Lou Williams finished with 23 points, including a three-pointer to send the game into overtime, and the Philadelphia 76ers topped the Charlotte Bobcats, 96-92, at the Wells Fargo Center.

Elton Brand notched a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds, while Andre Iguodala netted 16 points to go along with 10 rebounds and six assists for the Sixers, who won their first overtime game of the season and capped a three-game home stand at 2-1.

Jrue Holiday and Marreese Speights each supplied 10 points for the victors.

"Lou Williams was great in the second half," Sixers coach Doug Collins said. "Second [close] game in a row that we have won that we had not won all season long. It is huge growth for our team."

Boris Diaw finished with a triple-double scoring 25 while grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing out 11 assists for Charlotte, which has dropped three straight. Kwame Brown and Stephen Jackson both scored 15 and Brown grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds in defeat.

"We expected to win," Brown said. "We know we've got to chase balls off the three-point shot but we had a mental lapse and we didn't win."

Iggy makes return, Sixers fall flat to Pacers

Danny Granger finished with a game-high 27 points, and the Indiana Pacers survived a late Philadelphia surge to top the Sixers, 111-103, at Wells Fargo Center.

Darren Collison notched a double-double with 21 points and 13 assists for the Pacers, who snapped a nine-game road losing streak. Mike Dunleavy finished with 20 points and Tyler Hansbrough added 12 points and nine rebounds for Indiana.

Jrue Holiday led a balanced Sixers attack with 19 points and eight assists. Elton Brand added 18 points and both Evan Turner and Marreese Speights finished with 14 points in reserve roles for Philadelphia, which has dropped two in a row.

Sixers forward Andre Iguodala made his return to the team after missing seven games with an injured right Achilles. He finished with seven assists, but went 0-for-7 from the field and scored his only point in 33 minutes on a free throw.

"Needless to say, we were in an uphill struggle the whole night. We came out incredibly flat," Sixers coach Doug Collins said.

James leads Heat to OT victory in Rip-City

"I know I don't usually put non-Sixers games here but this game was great; LeBron has now officially a closer"

LeBron James scored a game-high 44 points, including a deep three-pointer with 16.3 seconds remaining in overtime, as the Miami Heat topped the Portland Trail Blazers, 107-100, at the Rose Garden.

Dwyane Wade added 34 points and Chris Bosh finished with 18 points for Miami, which stretched its road winning-streak to 13 games and have won 21 of 22 overall. James grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds to go along with six assists in the win.

LaMarcus Aldridge led Portland with 31 points and 14 rebounds, but committed a costly turnover in the closing seconds of overtime to allow Miami to seal the victory.

Nicolas Batum added 22 points and Wesley Matthews scored 14 to go along with five assists for the Blazers, who had an eight-game home winning streak snapped. Marcus Camby grabbed 14 rebounds in the loss.

The game went into the overtime period tied at 93. Miami opened the extra period on a 7-2 run, capped by a James triple with 2:12 left. Aldridge made three of four from the line -- surrounding a pair of James free throws -- and Bosh connected on a long jumper with 1:08 remaining to put Miami up 104-98.

After Batum missed a tip-in and driving layup, he connected on a short jump- shot inside the final minute to trim the deficit to four, 104-100. After a Wade miss, Aldridge had the rebound with 37.6 seconds remaining, but was called for traveling as he reached midcourt.

James then knocked down a deep three with 16.3 seconds left to put the game away for good.

Back on track: Sixers return home with topping of Washington

Jrue Holiday and Lou Williams both finished with 26 points as the Philadelphia 76ers topped the Washington Wizards, 109-97, at the Wells Fargo Center. 

Elton Brand added 17 points and Andres Nocioni notched a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds for Philadelphia, which returned home after an eight- game road trip. 

Thaddeus Young contributed 11 points in a reserve role for the Sixers, who topped Washington for the first time since winning four straight during the 2008-09 season. 

"Needless to say, it is nice to beat Washington," Sixers coach Doug Collins said. "Our guys would not lose that game, and I was very proud of them for that." 

Nick Young led the Wizards with 21 points. Rookie John Wall finished with 18 points and 14 assists and Rashard Lewis added a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds for Washington, which has yet to win a game on the road this season (0-17).


"We've got to make clutch plays in clutch situations as far as on the road," Wizards coach Flip Saunders said. "Our margin of error is not that much." 

Hornets Nest: Sixers fall in NOLA to complete road trip

David West scored 17 points, Chris Paul added 15 and five assists and the New Orleans Hornets held off a late Philadelphia surge to top the 76ers, 84-77.

Emeka Okafor added 13 points and eight rebounds, while former Sixer Willie Green finished with 11 points in a reserve role for New Orleans, which has won three straight.

"We needed to get this one," West said. "We have a tough stretch of games coming up. It's about continuing what we've been doing and trying to put some wins together."

Elton Brand led a balanced Philadelphia attack with 14 points and 10 rebounds and Andres Nocioni supplied 13 points and seven boards. Marreese Speights and Jrue Holiday both finished with 12 points and six rebounds for the shorthanded Sixers, who finished an eight-game road trip at 3-5.

Philadelphia played without starting center Spencer Hawes (mid-back strain) and starting small forward Andre Iguodala, who will miss three more games with tendinitis in his right Achilles.

New Orleans led 77-64 midway through the fourth quarter, but Brand made two free throws to start an 11-1 Sixers run that he capped with a short layup to make it a one-possession game entering the final three minutes.

West connected on a putback layup at 2:44 to build a five-point advantage for New Orleans, and after Philadelphia missed its next five shots, Evan Turner put the game at 80-77 after two free throws with 39.7 remaining.