Hot Sixers stave off pesky Pacers, to make it five straight wins

Jan 10, 2012, 5:34 GMT

Los Angeles - Andre Iguodala led six players in double figures with 20 points, Lou Williams added 13 off the bench, and the sizzling Philadelphia 76ers held off the pesky visiting Indiana Pacers, 96-86, Monday night for their fifth consecutive victory.

Thaddeus Young, Jrue Holiday and Spencer Hawes contributed 12 points apiece, while rookie Nikola Vucevic finished with 11 and eight boards off the bench for the Sixers (6-2), off to their best start since opening the 2000-01 season with 10 straight wins en route to an NBA Finals appearance.

Roy Hibbert netted 19 points, David West accumulated 15 points and 11 boards for the Pacers (6-3), who without their leading scorer forward Danny Granger (food poisoning), had their two-game winning streak snapped.

Andrea Bargnani scored 31 points, Amir Johnson had 19 with 11 rebounds, and the Toronto Raptors closed on a 20-7 run, for their 14th win in the last 15 meetings over the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves, 97-87.

Amare Stoudemire had 25 points with 12 rebounds while Carmelo Anthony scored 22, and the New York Knicks held off the visiting Charlotte Bobcats, 91-87, for their third straight win.

Boris Diaw had 19 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists to pace Charlotte, which won the first meeting last week.

Elsewhere: the Chicago Bulls charged past the visiting Detroit Pistons for the 13th consecutive time, 92-68; the visiting Atlanta Hawks won their third in a row by clipping the New Jersey Nets, 106-101; and the visiting New Orleans Hornets snapped a six-game slide by stinging the Denver Nuggets, 94-81.