The Sixers did better without their coach than the Pistons did without their top players in last night's 101-94 win over Detroit at the Wachovia Center.

Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks left the game early in the fourth quarter with flulike symptoms. Assistant Jimmy Lynam guided the Sixers the rest of the way.

"That is why we have a coaching staff, and players and others have to step in and get the job done," said point guard Andre Miller, who scored just six points but had a game-high nine assists. "Collectively, we stepped in and did it."

The Sixers (40-38) remain in sixth place in the Eastern Conference playoff race, one game behind fifth-seeded Washington and one ahead of seventh-place Toronto with four games left.

Cheeks spoke at the postgame news conference but appeared weak. His team was the opposite.

In the first three games this season against the Pistons, the Sixers totaled 26 fastbreak points. Last night, they outscored the Pistons, 29-7, in that category.

With the No. 2 seed locked up, Pistons coach Flip Saunders has decided to give his regulars more of a rest at the end of the season, especially at the ends of games. Last night, no one on the Pistons played as much as 30 minutes.

The only starter to play in the fourth quarter was Tayshaun Prince, and he appeared for only 49 seconds of the period. Coatesville's Richard Hamilton missed the game with a sore left hip. Chauncey Billups led Detroit (55-23) with 18 points.

Even Cheeks understood that the teams had different priorities, especially with the Sixers looking to move up in the standings.

"They didn't play all their guys. They rested guys and are pretty much locked in to where they are going," Cheeks said. "Rip Hamilton didn't play, and different guys played spot minutes, so it's not like guys played 35, 40 minutes."

That does not mean the Sixers will give back the win.

Andre Iguodala had one of his typical all-around games with 25 points, five rebounds, six assists and five steals in more than 42 minutes.

"I definitely want to be solid on both ends of the court," Iguodala said.

The Sixers also received 20 points and 13 rebounds from Samuel Dalembert. The team is 4-2 when Dalembert has scored 20 or more points this season.

"When I'm scoring, it makes everybody's job easier because teams aren't able to leave me and double somebody else," Dalembert said.

Sixers guard Willie Green scored 15 points, Lou Williams added 12, and Jason Smith scored eight.

Leading by eight entering the fourth quarter, the Sixers began the period with a 7-1 burst, getting a basket from Smith, two free throws from Williams, and a three-pointer from Iguodala. That gave the Sixers breathing room while their coach exited for the locker room.

More photos at http://go.philly.

com/photos.

at 856-779-3225 or mnarducci@phillynews.com.

Read his blog at http://go.philly.com/deepsixer.