Brand powers Sixers past Pacers

INDIANAPOLIS - After last night's 107-97 victory over the Indiana Pacers, 76ers coach Eddie Jordan did something he rarely has done this season.

He praised Elton Brand.

Jordan, delivering nothing backhanded, said Brand has returned to pre-injury form. The Sixers' coach, standing outside his team's locker room, said Brand is now the player that Sixers general manager Ed Stefanski thought - no, knew - Brand was when he signed him to a five-year, $80 million contract in July 2008.

"We know where he is now . . .," Jordan said of his power forward, who missed most of the previous two seasons with injuries. "He just had to get his feet under him. We've all been in the league long enough to know you milk a guy like that."

Jordan's declaration came minutes after Brand scored 23 points against the below-average Pacers, shooting 9 for 21 from the field, grabbing eight rebounds, and dishing for a season-high four assists.

The Sixers improved to 15-28. The Pacers, led by Danny Granger, who scored 22 points, slipped to 15-29.

The Sixers are on the cusp of a season-long winning streak.

Although the victory wasn't as impressive as Friday night's home win over Dallas, the Sixers have won back-to-back games for the fourth time this season.

A second victory over the Pacers, whom they play again tomorrow night at the Wachovia Center, will create somewhat of an actual winning streak rather than just a coincidence of NBA scheduling.

"We were taking this game very, very seriously," Brand said. "The standings, they were a half-game ahead of us, so we needed to leapfrog them. It's halfway through the season; we're actually looking at the standings now."

Last night at Conseco Fieldhouse, the Sixers gave the ball to Brand, got a few outside jumpers from Allen Iverson, and received an off-the-bench spark from Thaddeus Young.

They built a second-half lead of as many as 16 points. As is customary, the Pacers slashed that lead to 88-83 in the fourth quarter, but the Sixers responded with an 11-0 burst.

Young scored 22 points, Iverson 17.

The game was the second with Jordan's new starting lineup of rookie Jrue Holiday, Iverson, Andre Iguodala, Brand, and Samuel Dalembert - Young and Lou Williams now are coming off the bench. On Friday night, Young and Williams combined for 33 points; last night they teamed for 36.

"That's part of the formula for a good NBA player and a good NBA team: talent, toughness, experience and character," Jordan said. "And their character shows how important that can be."

In the first few minutes, the Sixers should have built a double-digit lead. The Pacers had a bunch of turnovers - they finished with 21 - and a bunch of missed shots - they finished shooting 44.7 percent - and looked as if they were still in warm-ups.

The Sixers won this game by forcing those 21 turnovers, committing just 10, and grabbing 16 offensive rebounds.

And they won by giving the ball to Brand, whose return to form has been officially confirmed by Jordan.