76ers general manager Ed Stefanski insists that he won't decide on interim coach Tony DiLeo's future until after the season.

The team, which was 9-14 when they fired Maurice Cheeks, is 28-20 under DiLeo and are battling the Heat for the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.

Allen Iverson was back in uniform for the Detroit Pistons on Sunday against his former team, the Philadelphia Sixers, the Associated Press is reporting.

Iverson came off the bench after missing the last 16 games with a back injury and finished with 8 points in 21 minutes.  The Pistons won the game 101-97.

76ers general manager Ed Stefanski defended the signing of Elton Brand in Wednesday's Philadelphia Inquirer.

"The majority of people around here were for it," Stefanski said of the signing last summer. "Has he been injured often in the last few years? Yes. But is he injury-prone? No. That's a freak accident to come down on your shoulder. We're anxious to see what happens when we put him back in the lineup. We don't feel it was a mistake."

Stefanski went on to deny that the team considered trading Brand prior to his season-ending shoulder injury.

"No. That never happened," he said.

Andre Iguodala hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to push the 76ers past the Lakers in an epic game on Tuesday night in Los Angeles.

- Atlanta 119, Sacramento 97

Team FIC Differential: Hawks +30.3, Kings -30.3

The Hawks (40-28) closed out Tuesday night?s game with a 16-point fourth quarter edge against the Kings (14-53). Al Horford starred with 32 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists, Josh Smith posted 21 points and 10 boards, and Joe Johnson added 20 points and 5 dimes. Atlanta hit 55% of their shots and outrebounded Sacramento, who shots just 39% from the field, by 19. Kevin Martin scored 31 points on 7-for-14 shooting, Jason Thompson tallied 13 and 8 rebounds, and Andres Nocioni contributed 11 points on 4-for-7 shooting from the floor.

Game FIC Scores

AL Horford, Atlanta ? 26.0

Kevin Martin, Sacramento ? 20.4

Josh Smith, Atlanta ? 19.8

Andres Nocioni, Sacramento ? 12.8

- Cleveland 97, Orlando 93

Team FIC Differential: Cavaliers +1.9, Magic -1.9

The Cavaliers (54-13) used a strong fourth quarter to knock off the Magic (49-18) at Quicken Loans Arena. LeBron James exploded for 42 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists, Anderson Varejao tallied 12 points and 8 boards, and Maurice Williams turned in 21 points on 9-for-20 shooting. Cleveland attempted three more free throws than Orlando and held a 7-point edge in the fourth. Rafer Alston led with 23 points, Dwight Howard posted 13 points and 15 rebounds, and Hedo Turkoglu chipped in 16 points, 7 assists and 6 boards in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

LeBron James, Cleveland ? 35.0

Dwight Howard, Orlando ? 21.4

Rafer Alston, Orlando ? 17.5

Anderson Varejao, Cleveland ? 11.3

- Chicago 127, Boston 121

Team FIC Differential: Bulls +13.0, Celtics -13.0

The Bulls (31-17) won a hard-fought game against the Celtics (50-18) on Tuesday night. John Salmons starred with 38 points on 14-for-20 shooting, Brad Miller posted 21 points and 14 rebounds, and Derrick Rose put up 11 points and 8 assists. Chicago shot 53% from the field and attempted 14 more foul shots than Boston. Paul Pierce led with 37 points and 7 rebounds, Kendrick Perkins tallied 14 points and 10 boards, and Rajon Rondo filled the stat sheet with 26 points, 10 assists and 5 rebounds.

Game FIC Scores

Brad Miller, Chicago ? 25.8

John Salmons, Chicago ? 23.1

Rajon Rondo, Boston ? 21.9

Paul Pierce, Boston ? 18.0

- Dallas 103, Detroit 101

Team FIC Differential: Mavericks +7.5, Pistons -7.5

The Mavericks (41-27) held off a furious charge by the Pistons (33-33) to record a victory at American Airlines Center. Dirk Nowitzki scored 30 points on 12-for-20 shooting, Erick Dampier tallied 16 points and 13 rebounds, and Jason Terry added 18 points off the bench. Dallas hit 56% of their shots, while Detroit won the rebounding battle by 10. Tayshaun Prince led with 28 points and 7 rebounds, Rodney Stuckey posted 17 points and 7 assists, and Will Bynum contributed 19 points in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Erick Dampier, Dallas ? 19.0

Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas ? 17.0

Tayshaun Prince, Detroit ? 16.1

Arron Afflalo, Detroit ? 11.5

- San Antonio 93, Minnesota 86

Team FIC Differential: Spurs +26.5, Timberwolves -26.5

The Spurs (45-22) rebounded from a tough loss on Monday with a win against the Timberwolves (20-47) on Tuesday night. Tony Parker led with 24 points and 6 assists, Kurt Thomas posted 10 points and 10 rebounds, and Roger Mason Jr. scored 15 points on 5-for-11 shooting. San Antonio made just 42% of their shots, but turned the ball over only seven times against Minnesota. Kevin Love starred with 17 points and 19 rebounds, Sebastian Telfair tallied 17 points and 5 assists, and Mike Miller turned in 15 points and 6 boards in a reserve role.

Game FIC Scores

Kevin Love, Minnesota ? 19.4

Kurt Thomas, San Antonio ? 17.5

Tony Parker, San Antonio ? 14.2

Sebastian Telfair, Minnesota ? 10.0

- Utah 103, Washington 88

Team FIC Differential: Jazz +28.0, Wizards -28.0

The Jazz (42-26) built an early lead and never looked back against the Wizards (16-52) at Energy Solutions Arena. Mehmet Okur had 13 points and 6 rebounds, Carlos Boozer tallied 13 points and 15 boards, and Deron Williams chipped in 12 points and 8 assists. Utah held Washington to 35% shooting, while converting 50% of their own shots. Antawn Jamison led with 13 points and 10 rebounds, Andray Blatche posted 9 points and 13 boards, and Nick Young scored 14 points on 4-for-10 shooting in the defeat.

Game FIC Scores

Carlos Boozer, Utah ? 15.4

Darius Songaila, Washington ? 13.2

Ronnie Brewer, Utah ? 11.2

Antawn Jamison, Washington ? 8.2

- Golden State 127, L.A. Clippers 120

Team FIC Differential: Warriors +24.6, Clippers -24.6

The Warriors (24-43) hit 53% of their shots en route to a narrow win over the Clippers (16-51) on Tuesday night. Monta Ellis led with 29 points and 6 assists, Corey Maggette posted 21 points and 7 rebounds, and Kelenna Azubuike put up 16 points, 9 boards and 7 dimes. Golden State went 7-for-14 from three-point land, while holding Los Angeles to 41% shooting from the floor. Baron Davis had 29 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds, Zach Randolph tallied 20 points and 11 boards, and Marcus Camby turned in 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Clips.

Game FIC Scores

Monta Ellis, Golden State ? 20.9

Baron Davis, Los Angeles ? 20.9

Kelenna Azubuike, Golden State ? 17.8

Al Thornton, Los Angeles ? 13.1

- Philadelphia 94, L.A. Lakers 93

Team FIC Differential: 76ers +4.8, Lakers -4.8

Andre Iguodala hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to give the 76ers (34-31) a stunning win over the Lakers (53-14) at the Staples Center. Iguodala scored 25 points, Thaddeus Young tallied 14 points and 7 rebounds, and Louis Williams added 14 points and 6 assists. Los Angeles hit 50% of their shots, but turned the ball over 18 times against Philadelphia. Pau Gasol led with 25 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists, Lamar Odom posted 14 points and 11 boards, while Kobe Bryant struggled with 11 points on 5-for-15 shooting.

Game FIC Scores

Pau Gasol, Los Angeles ? 24.5

Lamar Odom, Los Angeles ? 17.6

Louis Williams, Philadelphia ? 11.9

Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia ? 11.1

? RealGM calculates the Floor Impact Counter using the following formula: (Points + .75 Defensive Rebounds + Offensive Rebounds + Steals + Assists + Blocks - .75 Field Goal Attempts - .375 Free Throw Attempts - Turnovers - .5 Personal Fouls)

( )'s indicate a negative FIC score.

It is also used to rank players and to determine their ?Reina Value.?
Click here to view the player rankings with the Reina Value for the current season

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia District Attorney's office has announced that the will not be investigating Memphis guard Marko Jaric, who was accused of sexual assault by a Philadelphia woman when the team visited the city for a game Feb. 11.

"The allegations lack prosecutorial merit," said Cathie Abookire, director of communications for the District Attorney's office.

"Persons in Marko's position are often the target of malicious statements and it is not unusual for the police to be asked to investigate," Castor said in a statement. "However, these allegations were proved to be completely false, and while Marko is extremely unsettled by these accusations, he is happy that the law enforcement authorities have cleared him of any criminal conduct and the issue can now be put to rest."

A Grizzlies spokesman told the Memphis Commercial Appeal Thursday night that the team was aware of the investigation. The paper also reported that a few days after playing with Grizzlies against the Sixers on Feb. 11, Jaric married longtime girlfriend and Brazilian supermodel Adriana Lima during the NBA's All-Star Weekend.

76ers reserve Lou Williams has given validity to rumors that Allen Iverson is unhappy playing with the Pistons.

Williams, appearing on WMMR's Preston & Steve morning show in Philadelphia on Thursday, said his belief is that Iverson doesn't want to be in Detroit.

Earlier in the interview, Williams referred to Iverson as a "big brother" and said that he remains in contact with his former teammate.

The Philadelphia 76ers will close the doors on the Wachovia Spectrum tonight when they play against the Chicago Bulls in the last ever game at the stadium, the Philadelphia Daily News is reporting.

The Spectrum was the Sixers' home from 1967 to '96, including the 1982-83 NBA championship season.

Wednesday's action in the NBA was close to a full slate, and, believe it or not, the playoff race in the Eastern Conference got even tighter.

- Atlanta 100, Utah 93

Team FIC Differential: Hawks +22.3, Jazz -22.3

The Hawks (37-28) defeated the Jazz (41-24) on Wednesday night to end the team?s twelve-game winning streak. Joe Johnson led with 31 points and 9 assists, Josh Smith posted 22 points and 12 rebounds, and Al Horford added 13 points and 12 boards. Atlanta hit 50% of their shots and attempted 18 more free throws than Utah. Deron Williams starred with 20 points and 9 assists, Mehmet Okur tallied 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Paul Millsap contributed 16 points and 9 boards in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Josh Smith, Atlanta ? 22.1

Joe Johnson, Atlanta ? 20.5

Paul Millsap, Utah ? 14.5

Deron Williams, Utah ? 13.5

- Orlando 107, Chicago 79

Team FIC Differential: Magic +55.1, Bulls -55.1

The Magic (47-17) used a 20-point edge in the third quarter to help blow out the Bulls (29-36) at Amway Arena. Marcin Gortat led with 13 points and 15 rebounds, Dwight Howard tallied 15 points and 9 boards, and Tony Battie chipped in 18 points and 8 rebounds in the victory. Orlando outrebounded Chicago by nine, and limited the road team to 31% shooting from the floor. John Salmons had 18 points and 8 rebounds, Brad Miller posted 11 points and 6 boards, and Derrick Rose put up just 7 points and 3 assists on 2-for-12 shooting. The Magic clinched a playoff berth with the victory.

Game FIC Scores

Marcin Gortat, Orlando ? 18.2

Dwight Howard, Orlando ? 16.0

John Salmons, Chicago ? 10.2

Anthony Roberson, Chicago ? 7.8

- Philadelphia 115, Toronto 106

Team FIC Differential: 76ers +28.4, Raptors -28.4

The 76ers (31-31) withstood a late rally by the Raptors (23-42) to record a key win in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Thaddeus Young led with 29 points and 5 rebounds, Samuel Dalembert posted 19 points and 13 boards, and Louis Williams turned in 13 points and 5 assists off the bench. Philadelphia shot 56% and outrebounded Toronto by four. Andrea Bargnani starred with 21 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists, Shawn Marion tallied 18 points and 5 boards, and Chris Bosh scored 17 points on 6-for-16 shooting in defeat.

Game FIC Scores

Samuel Dalembert, Philadelphia ? 20.6

Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia ? 18.2

Andrea Bargnani, Toronto ? 12.8

Shawn Marion, Toronto ? 10.5

- New Orleans 109, Washington 98

Team FIC Differential: Hornets +19.7, Wizards -19.7

The Hornets (40-23) used a strong third quarter to knock off the Wizards (15-50) on Wednesday night. Chris Paul starred with 30 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds, Tyson Chandler tallied 11 points and 10 boards, and Rasual Butler scored 21 points on 7-for-18 shooting in the win. New Orleans hit 52% of their shots and outrebounded Washington by nine. Antawn Jamison led with 25 points and 10 rebounds, Caron Butler posted 23 points and 9 assists, and Mike James added 14 points for the Wizards, who become the first East team to lose fifty games.

Game FIC Scores

Chris Paul, New Orleans ? 35.6

Antawn Jamison, Washington ? 20.5

Dominic McGuire, Washington ? 15.3

David West, New Orleans ? 15.1

- New York 116, Detroit 111 (OT)

Team FIC Differential: Knicks -7.8, Pistons +7.8

The Knicks (27-37) forced overtime with a huge fourth quarter run and knocked off the Pistons (32-31) at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Nate Robinson led with 30 points and 6 assists, David Lee posted 16 points and 18 rebounds, and Larry Hughes contributed 22 points, 4 boards and 4 dimes in the win. New York turned the ball over just three times, allowing them to overtime Detroit?s colossal 25 rebound advantage. Richard Hamilton starred with 27 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists, Antonio McDyess tallied 21 points and 22 boards, and Rodney Stuckey turned in 23 points, 8 rebounds and 8 dimes in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Antonio McDyess, Detroit ? 27.4

David Lee, New York ? 21.6

Tayshaun Prince, Detroit ? 18.4

Nate Robinson, New York ? 16.0

- Miami 107, Boston 99

Team FIC Differential: Heat +19.9, Celtics -19.9

The Heat (35-29) used a 32-18 edge in the third quarter to knock off the Celtics (49-16) on Wednesday night. Dwyane Wade starred with 32 points and 7 assists, Jamario Moon tallied 13 points and 8 rebounds, and Mario Chalmers put up 10 points and 7 dimes in the win. Miami hit 50% of their shots and forced Boston to turn the ball over 17 times. Ray Allen led with 27 points and 5 rebounds, Leon Powe posted 23 points and 13 boards, and Kendrick Perkins added 13 points and 8 rebounds for the Celtics.

Game FIC Scores

Dwyane Wade, Miami ? 24.5

Leon Powe, Boston ? 16.2

Jamario Moon, Miami ? 15.8

Ray Allen, Boston ? 13.5

- Minnesota 104, Memphis 79

Team FIC Differential: Timberwolves +45.7, Grizzles -45.7

The Timberwolves (19-45) used strong efforts in the first and fourth quarters to defeat the Grizzles (16-47) at Target Center. Ryan Gomes led with 25 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, Kevin Love posted 19 points and 11 boards, and Mike Miller turned in 18 points and 11 rebounds in the win. Minnesota hit 48% of their shots and outrebounded Memphis by 20. O.J. Mayo had 18 points and 5 assists, Darko Milicic tallied 10 points and 10 rebounds, and Rudy Gay put up 12 points and 7 boards in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Mike Miller, Minnesota ? 19.9

Kevin Love, Minnesota ? 18.6

Marc Gasol, Memphis ? 11.0

Mike Conley, Memphis ? 11.0

- L.A. Lakers 102, Houston 96

Team FIC Differential: Lakers +16.4, Rockets -16.4

The Lakers (51-13) outscored the Rockets (42-24) by nine in the fourth quarter to comeback and win. Kobe Bryant starred with 37 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds, Pau Gasol tallied 20 points and 5 boards, and Josh Powell contributed 17 points and 9 rebounds. Houston shot 51% from the field, but turned the ball over 23 times. Von Wafer scored 20 points on 9-for-16 shooting, Yao Ming posted 16 points and 6 rebounds, and Luis Scola turned in 15 points and 9 boards for the Rockets.

Game FIC Scores

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles ? 27.0

Pau Gasol, Los Angeles ? 14.5

Yao Ming, Houston ? 12.8

Luis Scola, Houston ? 12.4

- Denver 112, Oklahoma City 99

Team FIC Differential: Nuggets +39.6, Thunder -39.6

The Nuggets (41-25) built an early lead and never looked back against the Thunder (18-47) at the Pepsi Center. Carmelo Anthony led with 22 points and 5 rebounds, Renaldo Balkman posted 14 points and 14 boards, and Linas Kleiza scored 20 points on 7-for-12 shooting off the bench. Denver made 50% of their shots, while limiting Oklahoma City to just 40% on the night. Jeff Green had 19 points and 7 rebounds, Earl Watson tallied 18 points, 7 assists and 6 boards, and Thabo Sefolosha chipped in 14 points and 9 rebounds in defeat.

Game FIC Scores

Renaldo Balkman, Denver ? 20.0

Earl Watson, Oklahoma City ? 18.3

Anthony Carter, Denver ? 17.3

Thabo Sefolosha, Oklahoma City ? 13.3

- Dallas 93, Portland 89

Team FIC Differential: Mavericks +6.1, Blazers -6.1

The Mavericks (40-25) outscored the Blazers (40-24) by 11 in the second quarter to improve their standing in the Western Conference playoff picture. Dirk Nowitzki starred with 29 points and 10 rebounds, Jason Terry tallied 24 points and 5 boards, and Jason Kidd added 7 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in the win. Dallas outrebounded Portland by five and held the Blazers to just 41% shooting. LaMarcus Aldridge had 23 points and 11 rebounds, Brandon Roy posted 22 points and 6 assists, and Travis Outlaw scored 20 points on 7-for-13 shooting off the bench.

Game FIC Scores

LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland ? 21.1

Joel Przybilla, Portland ? 20.9

Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas ? 18.6

Jason Kidd, Dallas ? 16.1

- Golden State 116, New Jersey 112

Team FIC Differential: Warriors +19.0, Nets -19.0

The Warriors (22-42) dominated the second half to comeback and defeat the Nets (28-36) at ORACLE Arena. Stephen Jackson had 29 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists, Andris Biedrins posted 10 points and 13 boards, and Corey Maggette contributed 18 points and 7 rebounds on 16-for-20 shooting from the foul line. Golden State outrebounded New Jersey by 15 and attempted 12 more free throws. Devin Harris starred with 31 points, 12 assists and 7 rebounds, Brook Lopez tallied 14 points and 6 boards, and Vince Carter scored 14 points on 5-for-18 shooting from the floor.

Game FIC Scores

Devin Harris, New Jersey ? 23.4

Andris Biedrins, Golden State ? 19.8

Stephen Jackson, Golden State ? 19.0

Brook Lopez, New Jersey ? 13.3

? RealGM calculates the Floor Impact Counter using the following formula: (Points + .75 Defensive Rebounds + Offensive Rebounds + Steals + Assists + Blocks - .75 Field Goal Attempts - .375 Free Throw Attempts - Turnovers - .5 Personal Fouls)

( )'s indicate a negative FIC score.

It is also used to rank players and to determine their ?Reina Value.?
Click here to view the player rankings with the Reina Value for the current season

Moses Malone has spent some time with Samuel Dalembert trying to impart some of his wisdom to Philadelphia's center.

"Offensive rebounding is another way to score," said Malone. "You always try to get inside position and when you do, you got to make the most of it."

Early in his career, many people discounted Malone just like critics are doing of Dalembert currently.

"I never let it bother me. You got to put all that out of your mind and stay strong as a person. I just did what I had to do," Malone said.

Dalembert isn't happy, but Malone believes he needs to channel his anger.

"I'm not comfortable," Dalembert said of his current circumstances. "I haven't been happy, but I take it like a man. When they do call my name, I go in and do my best. And when I'm not in there, I'm still cheering for my teammates. There's no time to be bitter about anything or to get upset."

"He needs to get mean," Malone said. "Think of himself as No. 1. Play hard every night. That's the only way you get better. Do not have a letdown, because I believe when you do that you let down yourself most of all."

Elton Brand is out for the season, but he is out of a sling and has begun range-of-motion exercises on his surgically-repaired shoulder.

Brand had surgery four weeks ago to repair the torn labrum in his right shoulder.

He can start dribbling and shooting in about two months, and won't be close to full strength until about three months.

"He's in great spirits," Dr. Craig Morgan said. "Elton's mentality with all his injuries is really quite positive. He's happy he doesn't have any pain. He was dying to get out of the sling."