Brand powers Sixers to victory over Bulls

THIS TIME, 76ers fans were happy to watch their team play more than the usually allotted time.

The Sixers turned in a fine all-around performance on the offensive end and won their second consecutive game with a 106-103 overtime victory against the Chicago Bulls at the Wachovia Center last night.

Elton Brand paced the Sixers with 26 points, nine rebounds and three blocks in 39 tough minutes, and Andre Iguodala sliced and diced his way to 25 points, while still managing to grab eight rebounds and deal eight assists.

The duo offset a magnificent performance by Bulls second-year guard Derrick Rose, who finished with 30 points and nine assists.

For Brand, it was another performance reminiscent of his glory days, when he was a consistent 20-point, 10-rebound player.

Lately, when the scowl goes on, the old numbers are practically expected. And it goes a long way into helping the rest of the offense flow around him.

"It means a lot," Brand said of his offensive contributions. "Coach [Eddie Jordan] is calling my plays and he is milking me if I am hot. We keep going [inside] and keep going [inside] and I'll keep producing. I have a lot of confidence in the guys to make the right plays. Even with a double team, we have guys who can score also. You can play me one-on-one, but I am going to get to the line or I'll feel like I can hit a bucket on just about anybody."

It's been a while since that confidence has truly been there for Brand, as he has spent the past 2 years rehabilitating from season-ending injuries - first, a torn Achilles' tendon, then a separated shoulder. His tree-trunk legs seem springy, and his bullish upper body whacks more people in one game than Tony Soprano did in six seasons.

"He is certainly doing a good job of getting us off to a good start," Iguodala said. "He is making a lot of baskets for us late in the game. They are doubling him and it is giving us open looks."

Brand never will be confused with Magic Johnson for his passing ability, or his willingness to give it up, but he did make a fine dish in overtime that helped the Sixers (17-31) hold off a Bulls team that had won nine of 12.

With the score tied, 98-98, Brand got the ball out of trouble and found Iguodala for a wide-open three that gave the Sixers the lead for good with 1 minute, 19 seconds left in overtime.

"That big three I had in overtime, he dumped it off and I got a great look,'' Iguodala said. "It is really a plus when he plays that way."

Rose almost single-handedly pulled it out for Chicago, continuously creating havoc with his drives to the basket. At one point in the fourth quarter, Jordan inserted Royal Ivey to try to contain Rose. Ivey hadn't even played in a game since New Year's Eve, and the only reason he was activated was because Allen Iverson was excused due to an illness to one of his children.

Ivey put his time in on Rose, even committing a couple fouls to thwart his progress. But his biggest contribution came when, with the shot clock about to expire, he hit a 26-foot trey that gave the Sixers an 84-81 lead midway through the fourth quarter.

The shot, and the playing time, surprised even Ivey.

"When he called on me, that's what basketball is about," Ivey said. "It's a professional sport, and I'm a pro . . . ready when they call your name.

"I wasn't shocked. At the same time, I was shocked. I hadn't played in a month. [Jordan] did it because we needed some energy, a couple defensive stops. He just told me to go in there and get 'em riled up, get the blood flowing, get people moving, kinda make it chaotic. That's what I tried to do."

And Brand and Iguodala, who scored 20 or more points in the same game for the first time this season, did much of the rest.

Willie Green, who started in Iverson's place, contributed 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting, and Lou Williams added 14 off the bench. Sam Dalembert collected his third straight double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds.

Luol Deng and John Salmons complemented Rose with 17 points each; Kirk Hinrich added 13 and Tyrus Thomas chipped in 12.

"To beat a good Chicago team that has been hot, that's a big win for us," Green said. "Any time that you can come down the stretch and get stops that will allow us to be able to win a game is huge.

"The only thing we could have done better was make some free throws."

The Sixers did finish just 11-for-19 (57.9 percent) from the stripe, but more than made up for it by hitting 45-for-86 (52.3 percent) from the floor. That helped them hand the Bulls their first loss in five overtime games this season and their first road loss in six games.

So it took a little more than the allotted 48 minutes. No one with a rooting interest in the Sixers seemed to mind.