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Streaking 76ers host desperate Bobcats

Mar 27, 2009 - 1:53 AM By Dan Pieringer Stats Writer

Charlotte (31-40) at Philadelphia (37-33) 7:00 p.m. EDT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- The Philadelphia 76ers have put together one of their best stretches of the season to help them in their battle for playoff position in the Eastern Conference.

Fighting to get into that race, the Charlotte Bobcats haven't played nearly as well.

The Sixers go for their eighth win in 10 games - and season-high fifth straight at home - Friday night when they meet the Bobcats, who are hoping to bounce back from a disheartening defeat.

With 12 games left on its regular-season schedule, Philadelphia (37-33) is in the mix for the highly coveted fifth seed in the East and an opportunity to avoid meeting Cleveland, Boston or Orlando in the first round of the playoffs.

The Sixers feel pretty good about their chances of getting that spot after winning seven of their last nine with victories over Miami, the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland in that stretch.

Thaddeus Young scored 29 and Andre Iguodala and Andre Miller added 15 apiece as Philadelphia continued its hot streak with a 96-88 home win over Minnesota on Wednesday night.

"It's going to go all the way down to the last game of the season for positioning," Miller said. "It's there. We're in position to get there. We've just got to go out there and make it happen."

The Sixers are on pace for their best finish since 2002-03 and first winning record since 2004-05. That doesn't mean nearly as much to coach Tony DiLeo as the playoff seeding.

"We're not out to finish with a winning record," DiLeo said. "We're out to get the best position we can and try to win every game. Those are things that are more important to us right now."

Charlotte (31-40) is just as desperate for wins because it's sitting in ninth place in the East.

It appeared to be in good shape to help its playoff chances after building a 20-point lead in the second quarter Wednesday night against Washington, but the Bobcats eventually fell 95-93 to a woeful Wizards team that had lost its first 14 games within the Southeast Division.

"Disgusted. Angry. Disappointed," point guard Raymond Felton said.

Gerald Wallace, who led the Bobcats with 21 points and 11 rebounds, elaborated slightly.

"We basically just gave it away," he said. "We're not in a situation where we can just give games away like that."

Charlotte was again doomed by its free-throw shooting. It was 19-for-30 (63.3 percent) from the line, including 6-for-13 (46.2) in the fourth quarter.

The Bobcats, near the bottom of the league in free-throw percentage at 74.2, were 12-for-25 (48.0) from the line in their previous game, a 108-83 loss to Indiana on Saturday. They had shot 85.3 percent while winning their previous three.

The Bobcats will likely need to take advantage of their trips to the line in order to snap a five-game losing streak in Philadelphia that includes a 93-87 defeat in their last visit to the Wachovia Center on January 9. Charlotte won the teams' first meeting 93-84 at home November 24.

Wallace, averaging 20.5 points and 8.9 rebounds while shooting 59.3 percent over his last 10 games, has been held to 8.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 41.2 percent shooting in two games against Philadelphia.