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Sixers nip Pacers in OT, inch closer to postseason

Apr 22, 2012 - 3:12 AM Indianapolis, IN (Sports Network) - Jrue Holiday buried the go-ahead jumper with 31.8 seconds left in overtime and the Philadelphia 76ers snuck past the Indiana Pacers, 109-106 at Banker's Life Fieldhouse on Saturday.

Holiday finished with 17 points and seven assists, Elton Brand had a team-high 20 points and nine rebounds, Andre Iguodala added 16 points and five rebounds. Lou Williams contributed 19 points for the Sixers, who have won two straight, but didn't clinch a playoff spot because Milwaukee beat New Jersey Saturday night. The Sixers hold a three game lead over the Bucks with three to play for both teams. That includes a meeting in Milwaukee on Wednesday.

Thaddeus Young donated 15 points in the victory.

David West poured in a game and season-high 32 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, Paul George had 16 points and seven rebounds, while Tyler Hansbrough added 17 points off the bench for Indiana, which had its seven-game winning streak snapped.

Williams got the Sixers off to a flying start in the overtime period, converting a four-point play after getting fouled on a three-pointer to put Philadelphia up 102-98.

West drained a layup and jumper and Roy Hibbert followed with two free throws to give the Pacers a 104-102 advantage.

Williams then sank a deep three-pointer to make it 105-104 before West came right back on the next Pacers possession with a fadeaway jumper to make it 106-105 in favor of Indiana.

Holiday then drained the go-ahead shot -- an 11-foot running jumper -- to give the Sixers a 107-106 edge.

George Hill missed a three-pointer on the other end and Holiday corralled the loose ball and took it the other way for a runout slam to give the Sixers a three-point lead.

Danny Granger missed a three-pointer with 3.8 seconds on the clock to seal the win for Philadelphia.

"I couldn't be more proud of our guys," Sixers head coach Doug Collins said. "It would have been a shame if we had lost this game because we played so well."

The game remained close early, as Philadelphia held a 15-14 lead with 6 1/2 minutes to play in the opening quarter, but the Sixers then put together an 8-2 flurry to take a 23-16 lead on a jumper by Brand with just over five minutes left in the stanza.

A pair of free throws by Hibbert cut the deficit to four, but the Sixers kept coming and ripped off an 11-4 burst to lead 34-23 after the first quarter.

Williams buried an 18-foot jumper to give the Sixers their largest lead of the half at 13, but then the Pacers began to battle back.

Indiana closed the first half with a 16-3 run and Hill's jumper in the final second gave the Pacers a 54-53 lead at the break.

Trailing by one early in the third quarter, the Sixers ran off a 12-1 run to jump out to a 67-57 lead with just over seven minutes to play in the quarter.

Iguodala buried a deep three to give the Sixers their largest lead of the quarter, 75-63, but again the Pacers used a late surge -- an 11-4 run -- to cut the deficit to five. Williams nailed a step-back jumper with four seconds left on the clock to take a 81-74 lead into the fourth quarter.

Philadelphia led for most of the final quarter until West put home a tip-in to tie the game at 96 with 2:28 to play.

Young dropped two free throws to put the Sixers up 98-96 with 48.2 seconds left, but West nailed a jumper on Indiana's next touch to tie it at 98.

Granger put up a deep two-pointer from just inside the arc at the buzzer, but it hit the front of the rim to send the game to overtime.

"That was a heck of a basketball game, playoff type atmosphere," Pacers head coach Frank Vogel said. "Philly made some really tough shots at the end of regulation and overtime. It was a hard-fought game at both ends."

Game Notes

Philadelphia improved to 1-8 in games decided by four or fewer points this season...Philadelphia shot 44 percent from the floor and just 6-of-18 from three-point range, while Indiana shot 43 percent from the field and 3-of-12 from three-point range...The Pacers got the better of the play on the glass, outrebounding the Sixers, 50-48.