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Iguodala, Green lift 76ers past Wizards

Jan 31, 2009 - 6:04 AM PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- Andre Iguodala and Willie Green both scored 20 points to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 104-94 victory over the Washington Wizards on Friday.

Green scored 18 of his points in the first half to help the 76ers open up a 46-39 lead at the break. Iguodala scored 14 points in the second half and was key down the stretch after the Wizards pulled within one in the fourth quarter.

Iguodala scored two straight hoops and Louis Williams made a free throw to cap an 11-2 run and give Philadelphia a 96-86 lead with 3:15 to go.

After Antawn Jamison hit a 3-pointer to make it 98-91, Iguodala answered with two straight hoops to push the lead back to 102-91 with 1:12 left.

"That was a tough game. It wasn't the prettiest or the smoothest flowing game, but we got the win," Philadelphia coach Tony DiLeo said. "I give Washington credit. After we got off to that good start, they could have just packed it in. They competed they whole way."

Jamison scored 25 points and Caron Butler added 20 for the Wizards.

"We're running out of feet to shoot off. We keep saying that we keep shooting our own foot," Washington coach Ed Tapscott said. "We have to have a better start. We have to share the ball better. We do that, we're much better team. You can't dig a 15-point hole when you are in the situation that we are in."

Green got the Sixers going in the first quarter, scoring seven points in a 10-1 run that he capped with a layup that pushed the lead to 18-8. Green later hit a 3-pointer with 2:09 left in the quarter to make it 25-12.

A jumper that made it 27-12 gave Green 16 points in the first.

The Wizards fought back in the second quarter, scoring the first 12 points to pull within 32-29 with 8:34 to go before the half on a jumper by Jamison, who scored six of the 12 points.

Philadelphia went up 57-47 on Green's only basket of the second half with 7:26 to go in the third quarter, but the Wizards clawed back.

"It was a tricky game for us because those guys can score," Green said. "They made some runs but it was good to know that we can sustain and pick up a good win. This was important win for us. In order for us to be a good team, you have to win these types of games. This was a good win for us."

Washington went on a 16-3 run to grab a 66-63 lead on back-to-back layups by Jamison and Javaris Crittenton.

Royal Ivey tied the game with a three with 1:38 to go and hit a second three with 28 seconds left in the third to give the Sixers a 71-68 lead. Lou Williams hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to push the lead to 74-70.

The 76ers were then able to hold on in the fourth to win for the 10th time in 12 games and open up a seven-game homestand on a positive note.

"That is the sign of a good team is being able to respond from runs," Iguodala said. "They scored seven or eight points and we had a lead at the half. They made a run in the second half and we were able to respond to that. It shows signs of maturity on our part."

Washington has dropped five straight.

"When you expand so much energy getting your runs, they get a late run at the end and we don't have anything left in the tank," Tapscott said. "If you take the first quarter out, we win by five. They won by five because they built that 15-point lead. We have to find out why we allowed that to happen when our starters are in the game."