Philadelphia, PA – The 76ers got Doug Collins his 400th NBA coaching win and kept their place atop the Atlantic Division.
Elton Brand scored 20 points, Lou Williams had 19 off the bench and the Sixers used a dominant third quarter to take control in a 99-86 win over the Boston Celtics on Friday night.
Six Philadelphia players scored in double digits and Brand got 14 of his 20 in the third quarter, when the Sixers outscored the Celtics 37-17 to overcome a six-point deficit at halftime.
Jrue Holiday added 15 points, Andre Iguodala scored 14 and Spencer Hawes and Thaddeus Young both had 12 in the win, which extended Philadelphia's lead to 1 1/2 games over Boston atop the Atlantic.
Celtics guard Mickael Pietrus left the game on a stretcher after falling on his back in the second quarter.
Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett had 20 points apiece to lead Boston and Brandon Bass scored 18. Rajon Rondo had 17 assists and six points in the loss, which dropped Boston to 4-4 at the end of an eight-game road trip.
