(Wednesday, March 25th)

Final Score: Philadelphia 96, Minnesota 88

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Thaddeus Young continued his recent surge in production, leading the 76ers with 29 points in their 96-88 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Young has scored 20-plus points in five straight games and made 11 of Philadelphia's 34 free throws in the win. Andre Miller ended with 15 points and seven rebounds for the victors.

Andre Iguodala shot just 4-of-14 from the floor but finished with 15 points, seven boards and six assists for the Sixers, who were coming off a moderately successful 3-2 road trip and sit a half-game behind the fifth-place Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

"We showed chemistry and poise (on the recent road trip) and that carried over. When we weren't good, we hung in, we fought and found a way to win," Sixers head coach Tony DiLeo said.

Former Sixer Rodney Carney nailed seven three-pointers en route to a 21-point effort, while Craig Smith added 20 points for Minnesota, which has lost six straight overall and eight in a row as the visitor.

After three sluggish quarters, the 76ers picked up the pace in the fourth. Back-to-back makes by Royal Ivey from downtown highlighted a 16-3 run that Young capped with a layup to produce an 81-69 Sixers advantage at the midway point.

"We made our run. They made their run. It just so happened they sustained it and we couldn't make a run at the end," Carney said.

Minnesota pulled within 90-85 on a pair of Randy Foye free throws with 1:47 left. Brian Cardinal had a chance to make it a two-point game a little later, but he missed a three in the corner and Young followed with a jumper and a thunderous dunk off a Timberwolves turnover to seal the win.

"It's nice to contribute and make big shots when it counts. I'm just trying to improve game by game," Young said.

An ugly first frame ended with the T-Wolves holding a 16-14 lead, and the Sixers continued to run in place in the opening stages of the second frame, trailing 31-21 five minutes in following Minnesota's 10-2 spurt.

The visitors were up 43-37 at the break and continued to lead until Philly scored the final nine points in the third to take a 65-62 edge into the final stanza.

Game Notes

These teams had split the last 10 meetings in Philly...The Sixers have won four straight at home...Kevin Love finished with 12 points and nine rebounds for Minnesota, which s hot better from behind the arc, 44.4 percent (12- of-27), than from two-point range, 32.0 percent (16-of-50)...Philly won the battle on the glass, 41-36, and at the free throw line, 34-20.

03/25 23:47:18 ET