Iguodala, Young lead 76ers past Bulls

The naysayers have wondered what will happen once the 76ers stopped playing, night after night, the patsies that populate the NBA.

It would appear that they have their answer, at least for now.

With the sound system booming "Here Come Your Sixers," the team's theme song from a more successful era, when Julius Erving and present coach Doug Collins played at the now-demolished Spectrum, the still-shorthanded Sixers added the Central Division-leading Chicago Bulls to their mantelpiece. They easily defeated the best team in the Eastern Conference, 98-82, at the Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday night.

The Sixers (16-6) outscored the Bulls 26-11 in the third quarter, blowing open what had been a close game to lead by 20 at the start of the fourth.

The Bulls (18-6) are the best rebounding team in the league, but the Sixers won the rebounding duel, 43-37.

And unlike their previous game, when they blew a big lead against Orlando and let the Magic creep back before putting them away, the Sixers never allowed the Bulls to get any closer than 12 points.

"That was a tremendous game our guys played," Collins said after the Sixers won for the fourth time in a row. "Defensively we were so good. When you play against Derrick Rose you have to do everything in your power to try and keep him away from the basket and out of the paint."

So convincing was the Sixers win that Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau didn't bother to play Rose and most of the other starters in the fourth quarter. Collins speculated that this was because Rose was sick. It was more likely because of the way the Sixers dismantled the Bulls in the third.

The Sixers held the Bulls to just three field goals the entire period and led 75-55 at the start of the fourth quarter. Andre Iguodala, who along with Thaddeus Young led five Sixers in double-figures scoring with 19 points, threw down a wicked, one-handed slam dunk over former Sixers Kyle Korver in the quarter. He also faked a behind-the-back pass and then fed Jrue Holiday (17 points, five assists) for a jumper that sent the 18,325 fans into a frenzy.

Iguodala left the court to a standing ovation with 1:55 left in the quarter and with the Sixers leading by 16.

"It felt good," Iguodala, who also had nine rebounds, said of the ovation. "But I'm happy for my teammates. They are playing with a lot of confidence right now. It's good to beat a team like this, but we've got to get right back to it and get ready for Miami on Friday."