Iguodala, 76ers Beat Clippers 106-80

[March 04, 2008]  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Andre Iguodala scored 18 points, five of his teammates also scored in double figures, and the Philadelphia 76ers avoided a letdown after their upset win at Phoenix by routing the Los Angeles Clippers 106-80 on Monday night.

Samuel Dalembert had 12 points and 12 rebounds, helping Philadelphia win for the 10th time in 13 games. The 76ers, trying to earn their first playoff berth since 2005, are a game ahead of eighth-place New Jersey and two ahead of ninth-place Atlanta in the Eastern Conference.

Andre Miller had eight assists and six points against his former team.

Rookie Al Thornton had 20 points for the Clippers, who have dropped six straight and are one shy of their longest losing streak this season. They committed 18 turnovers, which Philadelphia converted into 27 points. Eight of the Clippers' last 11 losses have been by double-digits.

The Sixers shot 57 percent in the first half and led 54-42 at intermission. Iguodala's 3-pointer gave them a 50-38 lead with 1:52 left in the second quarter, and they maintained their double-digit margin the rest of the way -- leading by as many as with 27 after opening the fourth quarter with a 10-2 spurt.

Reserve Lou Williams scored 16 points and eight assists, including a 3-point buzzer-beater that gave Philadelphia a 73-59 after three quarters.

Los Angeles forward Tim Thomas missed his second straight game because of a groin strain. Including the season-long injuries to Elton Brand and Shaun Livingston and a season-ending knee injury to reserve center Paul Davis, the Clippers are up to a league-high 206 man-games lost to injury or illness. Coach Mike Dunleavy used his 25th different starting lineup against the 76ers.

Notes: Thornton played 43 minutes in his 15th NBA start. The rookie from Florida State is averaging 14.1 points, 31.7 minutes and 43.4 percent from the field in those games. "We start him every opportunity we get," Dunleavy said. "I mean, it wouldn't have been fair to start him Saturday against Rasheed Wallace. We don't want to put him in bad matchups, because we want to keep building his confidence. So we'll manage that as we go." ... The victory was Maurice Cheeks' 100th as 76ers coach, against 124 losses. His overall record in the NBA is 262-263. ... Philadelphia had lost four straight at the Clippers.

[Associated Press]

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