LEAD: Hot Sixers hold off pesky Pacers, make it five straight wins

By Paul Levine Jan 10, 2012, 6:46 GMT

Los Angeles - Without any superstars, the surprising Philadelphia 76ers are relying on quickness, balance, a deep bench and an NBA-best defence as a recipe for their early season success.

Andre Iguodala led six players in double figures with 20 points Lou Williams added 13 and the host Sixers held off the pesky Indiana Pacers, 96-86, Monday night for their fifth consecutive victory.

'It was a good victory for us,' Igoudala said. 'We got up but they just kept coming after us.'

With a 6-2 record, the Sixers sit atop the Atlantic Division, and are off to their best start since opening the 2000-01 campaign with 10 straight wins en route to an NBA Finals appearance.

Thaddeus Young, Jrue Holiday and Spencer Hawes scored 12 points apiece for Philadelphia, while rookie Nikola Vucevic added a lift off the bench with a career-high 11 points and eight rebounds.

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

'We just have got to stop with the slow starts,' Hibbert said. 'We can't let teams get ahead of us and rely on our bench to get us back in the game.'

The Sixers raced out to a 10-point halftime lead that ballooned to 69-54 on Vucevic's three-pointer. The Pacers, however, wouldn't quit.

Indiana closed to within 90-84 on Hibbert's layup with just over two minutes remaining. The Sixers responded, though.

Young hit a left-handed runner, following a steal by Williams, Igoudala drained a 15-foot jumper for a 90-84 advantage. Holiday added two free throws and the Sixers had their first five-game streak since January 31 through February 9, 2010.

'I thought our execution coming down the stretch was great,' Sixers head coach Doug Collins said.

Elsewhere: Toronto Raptors 97, Minnesota Timberwolves 87: Italy's Andrea Bargnani scored 31 points, Amir Johnson had 19 with 11 rebounds, and the Raptors closed the game on a 20-7 run, to beat the visiting Timberwolves for the 14th time in the last 15 meetings.

JJ Barea led Minnesota with 16 points off the bench, while Kevin Love collected 13 points and 14 rebounds.

New York Knicks 91, Charlotte Bobcats 87: Amar'e Stoudemire had 25 points with 13 rebounds, while Carmelo Anthony scored 22, including the tie-breaking basket with 2 minutes 30 seconds remaining and the Knicks held off the visiting Bobcats for their third straight win.

Boris Diaw had 19 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists for the Bobcats, who have dropped three in a row.

Atlanta Hawks 106, New Jersey Nets 101: Josh Smith scored 26 points, Joe Johnson added 22, and visiting Hawks clipped the Nets for their third straight victory since the triple overtime loss to Miami last Thursday.

Anthony Morrow scored 20 points while Deron Williams had 15 points with 14 assists for the Nets (2-8) who have dropped all three meetings to the Hawks this season.

Chicago Bulls 92, Detroit Pistons 68: Carlos Boozer scored 23 points, reigning league most valuable player Derrick added 22 with eight assists, and the Bulls (8-2) pounded the visiting Pistons for their best start since opening the 1996-97 season at 12-0.

New Orleans Hornets 94, Denver Nuggets 81: Reserve Carl Landry scored 21 points, Chris Kaman added 20, and the Hornets stung the host Nuggets, to stop a six-game slide.

Italy's Danilo Gallinari and Ty Lawson had 15 points apiece for Denver, which won at New Orleans last Friday.