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Streaking Sixers hold off Grizzlies

Feb 12, 2009 - 6:40 AM PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- Andre Miller scored 24 points and Andre Iguodala had a strong finish in the fourth quarter to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 91-87 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday.

Miller added nine assists and a pair of steals for the 76ers (27-24), who head into the All-Star break on a four-game winning streak.

Iguodala scored on a drive to put the 76ers in front, 89-87, with 26 seconds to play. He made 1-of-2 from the line 10 seconds later to make it 90-87, and after O.J. Mayo missed a 3-pointer, Samuel Dalembert split a pair of free throws to ice the win.

"It was to finish out on a good note," Iguodala said. "We didn't play as well as we wanted to but we got the win. It's good to get the break coming back and we'll come back focused."

Hakim Warrick, who was born in Philadelphia, tied his career high with 31 points for Memphis, which saw its two-game win streak come to an end.

"We've been battling all year long. There is not a lot of quit in our team," Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said. "We were just hanging around and we knew that if we could start executing and making stops we would be OK. We just could not get a stop and extend the lead. If we could have got a four or a five-point lead. We could have played with that."

Miller scored the last four points of the third quarter and the 76ers took a 64-59 lead into the fourth. The Grizzlies fought back and went up 75-74 with six minutes to play after a 7-0 run.

Marc Gasol capped the spurt with a basket that used all of the rim. Memphis went ahead 82-78 after Gasol made the first of two free throws and the Grizzlies grabbed the rebound on the second and converted as Warrick drove for a finger roll over Dalembert, who was playing with five fouls.

"They made all the plays they needed to make down the stretch," Warrick said. "We kept our composure but (Andre) Iguodala came in. He's a big money player and he made a big money down the stretch."

Philadelphia then used a 13-5 run to close things out and finish its seven-game home stand with a 5-2 record.

"It could have easily went the other way. They outrebounded us and they outplayed us. We lucked out," Miller said. "It was a good feeling to go on a wining streak. It could have been 3-4 or 7-0. For the most part it was a decent homestand. From where we started to where we are right now it is a good thing.

"We don't have to climb too far up the hill as we did last year at the break. Hopefully that will put us in a position to where we can take advantage of that."

Iguodala scored nine of his 18 points in the fourth. After Mayo drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key to tie the game, 87-87, with 36 seconds left, Iguodala answered with a driving hoop and Dalembert came up with a key block on Warrick on the next possession.

Mayo finished with 16 and Mike Conley added 13 for Memphis, which committed 22 turnovers to just nine by Philadelphia.

"We don't have any All-Stars and we don't have any superstars as people would say. We just go out there and we get it done," Iguodala said. "Teams know that we have a good team and are coming in and giving us tough games and we're pulling them out."