Shorthanded 76ers Stop Pistons

Larry Brown looked at his makeshift lineup and wondered. "How are we going to score," Brown said.

With Allen Iverson, Aaron McKie and Tyrone Hill sidelined with injuries, Philadelphia still beat the Detroit Pistons 90-84 Wednesday night.

The Sixers had lost seven of their last 10 games and five straight on the road.

"This was a huge win for us," said Dikembe Mutombo, who had 21 points and 16 rebounds. "We went in with eight guys and we fought hard after our big loss (100-85 Tuesday at Toronto)."

George Lynch scored 18. Eric Snow added 15 points and seven assists. He made a steal and a basket when the Sixers were clinging to a two-point lead in the final minutes.

"This is the way we won games early in the year on the road," Brown said. "We fought to get stops at the end of the game and different guys stepped up to make big plays. That`s a big win for us, especially as short-handed as we were."

Those who came to see the NBA`s top two scorers left disappointed.

Iverson sat out with a bruised tailbone and the Pistons` Jerry Stackhouse was ejected with 16 minutes left.

Iverson is averaging a league-best 31.2 points and Stackhouse scores 30 a game. Stackhouse had 14 points on 5-of-19 shots, a day after scoring an NBA season-high and team-record 57 points in a win at Chicago.

"So much for the big matchup between Iverson and Stackhouse," Detroit coach George Irvine said. "By the end of the game, they might have been in the back having a beer."

Philadelphia went on a 16-7 run and took a 71-57 lead into the fourth quarter after Stackhouse drew his second technical with 4:03 left in the third.

"What I`ve got to say would cost too much," Stackhouse said.

The Pistons cut their deficit to two points twice -- with 3:18 and 1:35 left -- but each time the Sixers made key stops and baskets.

The Sixers` Kevin Ollie made an 18-foot shot with 32.9 seconds left to seal the win.

When was the last time Ollie, who is averaging 3.4 points a game, made such an important shot?

"A long time ago," he said. "I was probably back in the CBA."

Detroit reserve Dana Barros scored 16 points. Joe Smith added 12 points and eight rebounds.

Hill was out with a back sprain and McKie with a sprained right knee.

Iverson said he didn`t know if he would play in Philadelphia`s next game, against Cleveland on Friday at home.

The Sixers led 21-17 and 43-41 after two quarters.

Notes:
Sixers coach Larry Brown tied former Philadelphia coach Gene Shue, who is ninth among the NBA`s all-time winningest coaches, with 784 wins. ... Philadelphia is 11-9 since trading for Mutombo, who had 17 points and 13 rebounds in his Sixers debut against Detroit on Feb. 23. ... Michigan coach Tommy Amaker, who left Seton Hall last week, watched the game from a baseline seat next to Detroit owner Bill Davidson. ... Stackhouse is 41 points from breaking Dave Bing`s single-season team scoring record of 2,213 points. The former Piston set the record in 1971.

(Copyright 2001 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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Author: 6 ABC - Action News (AP)