The .500 record keeps dangling there in the Hornets' faces, teasing them, then sending them away in frustration.

It's happened time after time this season. Thursday, it faded again in the closing moments of a 93-88 loss to Philadelphia at the Charlotte Coliseum.

"We just don't quite have enough to get over that hump," coach Paul Silas said after the Hornets dipped to 18-20.

"But we do stay around. We just don't have quite enough firepower right now."

The Hornets had reason to be distracted. The team's owners announced three hours before the game they would file an application to move to New Orleans, and the possible relocation - which must get league approval in April - was the talk of the night in Coliseum hallways.

The players and coaches had other things on the minds. After winning five of their previous seven, the Hornets returned home Thursday hoping to reach the break-even point, then move on from there with a Saturday home game against Toronto. For most of a game that ebbed and flowed with 15 lead changes and 11 ties, they played well enough to pull it off.

Then came the final 1 minute, 46 seconds. That's when Lee Nailon scored the last of his 27 points, giving the Hornets an 88-87 lead. It was their last of the night.

The Sixers moved back in front on Aaron McKie's rainbow jumper from the wing, then shut out Charlotte the rest of the way. The Hornets came up empty on their last five possessions.

That spoiled an overall strong effort that put four players in double figures. David Wesley followed Nailon with 23 points. Baron Davis rang up 11 assists. P.J. Brown and reserve Jamaal Magloire combined for 22 rebounds.

Philadelphia (18-20) countered with just a little more, most of it coming from two players. Allen Iverson surpassed the 30-point mark for the third time this season against the Hornets, finishing with 33. McKie came off the bench for 22.

"It's really frustrating," Wesley said about another lost opportunity to reach .500. "We all feel it. We all can taste it. We all want it pretty bad.

"But we realize we've let some opportunities slip by. That (Philadelphia) is a good team. And for us to be at home we had the crowd we should have won."

Their last four chances to get it done this time evaporated quickly. After the Sixers moved ahead 89-88, Davis missed a baseline jumper and Eric Snow scored on the break for a 91-88 Philadelphia advantage with 1:02 left.

With 48 seconds left, Wesley came off a screen for a three-point attempt but missed.

Charlotte then got back-to-back steals, one each from Davis and Wesley. One resulted in an errant pass by Davis as he was falling down and McKie scooped up the ball. The other produced a missed Nailon baseline jumper with 11.6 seconds left.

Forced to foul immediately, the Hornets then watched as Iverson went to the line and scored the game's final two points.

"It's extremely frustrating," Davis said. "I'm kind of upset because I didn't play as well as I'm supposed to play. Every time we get close (to .500), something like this happens."

Notes

George Lynch, who was activated Tuesday after recovering from foot surgery, sat out Thursday's game with left knee tendinitis. "It was just a little tender but I think he'll be able to play Saturday," Silas said. Former Hornets forward Derrick Coleman, part of the October trade that brought Lynch to Charlotte, also missed the game because of inflammation in his left foot.