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76ers look to extend season-best winning streak

Mar 7, 2007 - 4:03 PM Seattle (25-35) at Philadelphia (22-38) 7:00 pm EST

PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) - In the Eastern Conference, even the Philadelphia 76ers can entertain notions of making the playoffs.

The 76ers look to extend their winning streak to five games when they take on the similarly surging Seattle SuperSonics on Wednesday.

On Sunday, Philadelphia roared back from an early 17-point deficit to defeat New Jersey, 99-86, for its season-best fourth straight win. Andre Iguodala scored 21 points and Kyle Korver and Willie Green added 20 apiece.

The Sixers have averaged 101 points during their winning streak, well above their 95.2 season norm. They have been sparked by Iguodala, an emerging star who is averaging 23.5 points during the run.

Despite a tumultuous season highlighted by the trade of franchise centerpiece Allen Iverson, Philadelphia (22-38) is six games behind eighth-place Orlando for the final playoff spot in the woeful East. At the same time, the Sixers also are just 4 1/2 games ahead of Boston, the worst team in the conference.

One of Iverson's last games with the club was a 96-90 win at Seattle on November 15, giving Philadelphia three wins in the last four meetings between the teams.

The SuperSonics also are in one of their better stretches of the season. They have won seven of their last 10 games, including Tuesday's frenetic 100-99 victory at New York.

The Sonics blew a four-point lead in the last two minutes, regained a two-point advantage on a transition 3-pointer by Rashard Lewis with 4.8 seconds left, then watched as Stephon Marbury missed a potential tying free throw with less than a second to play.

Ray Allen scored 29 points and Earl Watson added a season-high 23 for Seattle, which improved to 7-22 on the road this season.