Brand and Sixers beat Bobcats

The 76ers nearly ruined Elton Brand's comeback performance.

After leading since the first quarter, the Sixers fell behind late and then snatched back the lead with 3.9 seconds left, defeating the Charlotte Bobcats, 86-84, tonight at the Wachovia Center.

The Sixers scored the final bucket on a fastbreak layup by Lou Williams. Andre Iguodala made a nice, full-speed dish to Williams after rebounding a missed three-pointer by the Bobcats' Boris Diaw.

Brand might not have been the star of tonight's win - that title went to Iguodala, who scored 25 points - but he was auditioning for the role.

That's something the Sixers had been unable to say so far this season.

On a night when coach Eddie Jordan had considered benching him, Brand played his most active game of the season, finishing with 19 points, 11 rebounds, 6 blocks, 3 steals, and 2 assists. He also played a season-high 41 minutes.

It was Brand's first double-double since Dec. 12, 2008.

The Sixers improved to 5-6; Charlotte dropped to 3-8.

Charlotte's newly-acquired swingman, Stephen Jackson, scored 26 points, including a trey with 2 minutes, 10 seconds left that gave Charlotte its first lead since the game's opening quarter.

The victory probably was not as easy as it should have been, but this early in the season, as the Sixers search for some semblance of flow, a win incorporating Brand represented a big step.

With 10:04 remaining in the second quarter, Brand left the game for the first time. And for the first time this season, a polite applause accompanied Brand on his walk toward the bench.

Brand's first 14 minutes tonight were, without question, his most productive of the season: 10 points on 5-for-7 shooting, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists.

Brand finished the half with 12 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 blocks, and 2 assists.

In a season that has seen Brand look as rusty as an old Chevy, tonight he seemed inspired and active.

Jordan kept Brand in the starting lineup tonight, but his pregame reasoning seemed less about on-court production and more about offering patience to his struggling power forward.

"We've done some soul searching about rotations and lineups," Jordan said before the game. "But we're going with the same lineup."

Jordan said he discussed the decision with his assistant coaches as well as Brand.

"We know he's struggling," Jordan said. "But we've come to agreement that it's a process for him to get his legs under him. We still see more bursts of energy and more flashes of his offensive post moves, his facing-the-basket moves. We have to be patient, and patience is when you think you've had enough, you've got to hold on a little longer. So that's what we're doing."

Added Jordan: "We want him to feel good about himself."

Brand's halftime total was a bucket more than the highest Bobcat, Jackson, who finished the half with 10 points.

The Sixers led at the half, 52-43. The Bobcats committed 11 turnovers, off of which the Sixers scored 15 points. Charlotte also took 12 fewer shots.

Contact staff writer Kate Fagan at 856-779-3844 or kfagan@phillynews.com.