Clippers fall apart in final minutes as 76ers end four-game skid

LOS ANGELES -- The reward for the Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Clippers, two teams riding four-game losing streaks, was that somebody had to win.

Andre Iguodala had 28 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, and the 76ers closed out the year with a 100-92 victory Wednesday night.

"This was a must-win, especially from a morale standpoint going into Dallas," Iguodala said.

Al Thornton scored 24 points for the Clippers, who lost their fifth in a row.

The pairing of Elton Brand's former and current teams lost its luster with Brand not making the trip. The former Clippers star is out for a month with a dislocated right shoulder.

Brand beat the Clippers in their first meeting in Philadelphia on a last-second shot.

This time, a combination of players did in the Clippers. Thaddeus Young added 20 points for the 76ers and Andre Miller had 15 points and nine assists against his former team.

"We showed resilience," said 76ers interim coach Tony DiLeo, who is 4-4 since taking over from the fired Maurice Cheeks. "We have had some tough losses where we played well. The defense was good in the fourth quarter, and we played strong down the stretch."

Eric Gordon added 21 points and Marcus Camby had 16 points and 17 rebounds for the Clippers, who fell apart after tying the game with 3 1/2 minutes remaining. They were outscored 14-6 from there.

Some fans chanted "Fire Dunleavy" in the closing minute, referring to Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy.

"Not one of my better nights," Clippers owner Donald T. Sterling said afterward. "I don't take losing well."

The Clippers trailed 79-74 before Thornton and Camby combined to score 12 in a row and tie the game at 86 with 3 1/2 minutes remaining.

Then came the miscues. Baron Davis, who finished with 11 points and eight assists, missed a jumper and threw the ball away. Davis hit a late 3-pointer that drew the Clippers within four, but it wasn't enough.

"We had 18 turnovers and they scored 25 points off that," Thornton said. "That's the game right there. This game is about closing out and us taking care of the ball."

The Clippers led by eight points in the third quarter, which ended with the 76ers ahead 69-65.

Philadelphia stretched its lead to 76-70 early in the final quarter, helped by five consecutive points by Royal Ivey.

"We just didn't do a good job of seeing the ball and gave up easy baskets," Dunleavy said. "There's a lot of good play out there for us, but there were a lot of mental errors."

Neither team led by more than five in the first half, when Dunleavy picked up a technical foul for the third consecutive game.

"I'm trying to protect my players," he said. "I see something I don't think is right. When I get them (technicals), I'm right."

Game notes
The 76ers improved to 1-3 on their season-high, six-game road trip, with Dallas and San Antonio remaining. ... Thornton's halfcourt shot at the third-quarter buzzer went over the top of the basket, bounced around and then dropped into the basket, eliciting a loud reaction from the crowd, but it was disallowed.