The Sixers are trying to adjust to playing without Elton Brand after adjusting to playing with him for the first six weeks of the season. In another two weeks or so, they'll probably be adjusting again—this time to Brand's return from a dislocated right shoulder.

Brand said that he's making progress in strength and range of motion and is hoping to be back practicing in another five to seven days.

While he has been shooting and working on his conditioning, it will be interesting to see how it goes the first time he scrimmages with contact. That's something he is looking forward to.

"The true test is the contact," Brand said. "Actually playing defense, putting that arm out there and taking contact, is the big mental step."

The Sixers are 3-6...

All the 76ers needed to finally beat a team from Texas was to fly out of the Lone Star State and head home. Once back in Philadelphia, Andre Iguodala took over. Iguodala tied his season high with 28 points and the reeling 76ers returned home from a dreadful road trip to beat the Houston Rockets 104-96 on Tuesday night.

Tony Parker has quick feet. And a quick mind, too. Parker got an offensive rebound with 0.9 seconds left, turned and hit a high-arching 15-footer at the buzzer and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Philadelphia 76ers 108-106 on Saturday night after blowing an early 21-point lead. Parker finished with 15 points and 10 assists to help the Spurs win for seventh time in eight games and rebound from a...

The Dallas Mavericks are good at finishing. Now they must figure out how to get off to better starts. Dirk Nowitzki had a 16-point fourth quarter and scored 31 points, Jason Terry added 21 and the Mavericks rallied from another deficit for a 96-86 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night. Erick Dampier had 10 points and 14 rebounds for the Mavericks, who've won six of seven and were...

The reward for the Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Clippers, two teams riding four-game losing streaks, was that somebody had to win. Andre Iguodala had 28 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, and the 76ers closed out the year with a 100-92 victory Wednesday night. "This was a must-win, especially from a morale standpoint going into Dallas," Iguodala said.

Charles Barkley was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol early Wednesday. An officer with a task force that targets drunken driving saw the former NBA star run a stop sign about 1:30 a.m., Gilbert police Lt. Eric Shuhandler said. Barkley was in Scottsdale's Old Town area, a trendy spot in the Phoenix area.

Utah's power players are hurting, and Deron Williams has been for most of the season. Williams got out of bed Monday feeling his best and made sure the reeling Philadelphia 76ers knew it. He scored 27 points to help the short-handed Jazz beat Philadelphia 112-95. "It's probably the first time all season I've felt 100 percent, or close to it," Williams said.

The Denver Nuggets played most of the game disinterested in anyone or anything that wasn't standing within a step of the 3-point line. Odd, then, that they won it with a backboard-shaking dunk from a big guy, Kenyon Martin, who spent most of Friday night acting as though he was one of Denver's many shooting guards.