PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers played more like a playoff team than one mired in a miserable stretch of basketball.

Thaddeus Young had 26 points and 14 rebounds, Allen Iverson scored 20 points and the 76ers snapped a 12-game losing streak with a 117-101 victory over the Golden State Warriors last night.

Iverson was a rookie the last time the Sixers lost 13 straight in the 1996-97 season. He played the best game of his four-game second stint in Philadelphia to help avoid another unlucky 13-game skid on his resume.

The Sixers had all five starters and two reserves score in double digits.

"We felt like once we did get a win, it was going to be extremely hard, one of the hardest games to win," Iverson said. "It was totally opposite."

Iverson hit the 20-point mark for the second straight game a day after his having his left knee drained of fluid. Young was sensational, using an 11-of-15 effort in the first half to give the Sixers a rare comfortable lead and easy win.

"It's been working for us, but we just couldn't get the win," Young said. "It really worked tonight."

Looking for a spark, 76ers coach Eddie Jordan benched power forward Elton Brand and paired rookie Jrue Holiday in the backcourt with Iverson. Jordan's move worked: Holiday had 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

"He just put us in a good rhythm tonight and had us flowing," Iverson said.

Brand, who was previously benched in some fourth quarters, said it was hard to complain about his role after a victory. He just can't believe he's considered a bench player early in the second year of an $80 million, five-year deal.

"When you look around at other teams, yeah," Brand said. "It's like, no disrespect, but (Golden State's) Mikki Moore gets the start and I don't."

Corey Maggette led the Warriors with 24 points.

CELTICS 110, GRIZZLIES 105

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Paul Pierce scored 19 points, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo added 18 each, boosting Boston to its 11th straight victory.

Rudy Gay scored 23 points, O.J. Mayo 21 and Zach Randolph 20 for Memphis.

MAVERICKS 94, HORNETS 90

DALLAS — J.J. Barea scored a season-high 23 points and Dirk Nowitzki scored four of his season-low 10 in the final 59 seconds help Dallas hold off New Orleans.

Chris Paul had 20 points, 16 assists and five steals for the Hornets, who made it a game after coach Jeff Bower benched all his starters except Paul when his team fell behind by 21 in the first half.

TIMBERWOLVES 110, JAZZ 108

SALT LAKE CITY — Corey Brewer tied his career high with 22 points and Jonny Flynn drove for the go-ahead layup with 3 seconds left as Minnesota snapped a four-game losing streak.

Deron Williams had a season-high 38 points and added 13 assists for Utah, but his 3-pointer just before the final buzzer was off the mark.

NUGGETS 102, THUNDER 93

DENVER — Carmelo Anthony scored 31 points — his fourth straight game with at least 30 — as Denver beat Oklahoma City for the fifth straight time.

Kevin Durant led Oklahoma City with 32 points for his ninth straight game of 25 or more, the longest active streak in the NBA.

MAGIC 106, PACERS 98

ORLANDO, Fla. — Dwight Howard had 21 points and 23 rebounds, and Vince Carter, who missed the past two days of practice because of a stomach ailment, sore right knee and slight hip discomfort, added 28 points for Orlando.

Mike Dunleavy led Indiana with 26 points.

CLIPPERS 97, WIZARDS 95

LOS ANGELES — Eric Gordon matched his season high with 29 points and hit his final free throw with 11.3 seconds left, and Washington's Earl Boykins turned the ball over moments later to seal the Los Angeles' victory.

Caron Butler scored nine of his 20 points in the final 2:43 for the Wizards, including a 3-pointer with 11.8 seconds left that made it 96-95.

NOTES

Adelman outraged: Houston Rockets coach Rick Adelman criticized the NBA yesterday for setting up an "utterly ridiculous" schedule for his team that includes four back-to-back games over the next two weeks.

"We have a horrendous stretch here," Adelman said. "I don't know if the league really understands that they gave us four straight back-to-backs. It's awful."

NBA spokesman Tim Frank said in an e-mail that the league had no comment on Adelman's statements.

Ariza suspended: Houston forward Trevor Ariza was suspended for one game by the NBA after he was ejected from a game in Toronto for throwing a forearm at Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan.

The league suspended Ariza, the Rockets' second-leading scorer with a 17-point average, yesterday and he'll sit out today's game against Detroit.

"It was a heat of the moment thing," Ariza said. "I lost my cool for a second. I got my penalty and whatever I have to do, I'm just trying to move past it and move forward."