The 76ers are on the run.

They run in the open court, run up the points and are running all the way into the playoffs.

Andre Miller hit all the right targets and had a season-high 18 assists, Lou Williams scored 23 points and Philadelphia romped again, this time in a 121-99 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night.

"We're just trying to continue to play the way we've been playing," coach Maurice Cheeks said.

That fast-paced, push the ball for easy baskets style of play helped the Sixers outscore the Bulls 30-2 in fast-break points en route to their 19th victory in their last 24 games.

"These young guys can get up and down, so it makes my job easier just to throw the ball ahead and let them make a play," Miller said.

Philadelphia -- 18-30 on Feb. 4 and seemingly out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture -- somehow has the fifth seed in its reach. The Sixers (37-35) are two games over .500 for the first time all season, have won 11 of 12 at home and are 11-2 in March to charge up the East standings.

Up ahead, catching the Wizards. The Sixers play at Washington on April 12.

"That's the consensus in the locker room that we kind of want them to lose," Williams said. "We've got one more game against them so we've got to go out and get that game. Right now, we're focusing on how we're playing and we're playing great basketball and we want to continue to do that."

Miller again led the way, even on a night when he made only two baskets. His 18 assists were only three shy of matching the franchise record held by Cheeks (1982) and Wilt Chamberlain (1968). In the first quarter, Miller fired an overhead pass to a streaking Andre Iguodala in the lane and the swingman finished with a thunderous one-handed dunk.

Thaddeus Young quickly followed with a left-handed layup in transition and the crowd erupted heading into a timeout. It was only late in the first quarter, but the rout was already on and the fans were rocking the Wachovia Center.

The Sixers, who spent most of the season near the bottom of the attendance standings, played in front of their fifth straight crowd of at least 18,000 fans.

Iguodala scored 21 points and Young had 20.

"Any time you have a positive vibe, I think good things are going to happen," Williams said.

How's this for good vibrations: The Sixers made only 32 percent of their 3-pointers for the season yet went 11-for-25 against the Bulls. Williams and Rodney Carney were a combined 9-for-13.

"On different nights, we are capable," Cheeks said. "But it's not what we do, it's not what we are."

The Sixers keep finding new ways to win and they got this one without much scoring from Miller and Samuel Dalembert. When the Sixers led 48-33 in the second quarter, Dalembert was scoreless and Miller had one free throw. The only blemish came on Iguodala's performance from the free-throw line, a miserable 3-for-9 effort.

The Sixers went on an 11-0 run to lead 65-49 at the break.

Thabo Sefolosha led the Bulls with 20 points, Kirk Hinrich had 18 and Andres Nocioni 16.

Drew Gooden, who scored a season-high 31 points and matched a season best with 16 rebounds in the Bulls' 103-94 victory over Atlanta on Tuesday night, was held to two points and eight rebounds.

"We were a little bit slow in everything we did," Bulls coach Jim Boylan said. "It looked like we were stuck in mud."

The Bulls rallied a bit in the third and cut the deficit to eight points twice, each time on Hinrich's baskets.

Carney answered with a 3-pointer, Williams hit a 3 and the Sixers romped in the fourth, falling three points shy of matching their season-high point total.

"We just don't focus all the time, especially at the defensive end," said Bulls forward Joakim Noah.

Game notes

The 76ers won the season series for the first time since 2003-04. ... The Sixers are assured of their best March since they went 13-3 in 1984. ... The Sixers never trailed in a game for the fourth time this season.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Andre Miller scored 28 points and the 76ers spoiled Allen Iverson's return to Philadelphia by beating the Denver Nuggets 115-113 Wednesday night.

Iverson, playing in Philly for the first time since being traded to Denver in December 2006, led all scorers with 32 points and added eight assists.

But the 76ers made the big plays down the stretch.

Samuel Dalembert scored the decisive basket with 32.9 second remaining. When Andre Iguodala lost possession of the ball over his head as he fell, Dalembert was there to grab it and turned for a lay-in.

Denver squandered a number of chances to tie in the final seconds. Iverson missed a jumper and Marcus Camby missed on a follow.

Iguodala emerged from a scrum, moved past half court and heaved the ball skyward in celebration.

Iguodala scored 21 points, Dalembert added 17 points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shots, including four in the last quarter. Willie Green added 16 points and Rodney Carney 11.

Carmelo Anthony scored 26 points, Kenyon Martin added 22 and Anthony Carter 12 for the Nuggets, who are scrambling for a playoff spot in the tough Western Conference.

The loss spoiled what Iverson had hoped would be a positive return to Philadelphia, where he spent the first 10-plus seasons of his career. And he didn't disappoint the fans that cheered his every drive, pull-up jumper and no-look passes for a decade.

On Wednesday, however, he had to settle for a rousing ovation and no victory.

All eyes were on Iverson when he trotted out for pregame warmups. The ovation from a jam-packed Wachovia Center crowd grew, and then Iverson made his way to center court, where he dropped down and kissed the 76ers logo.

The affection between the former 76ers MVP and the fans intensified throughout the pregame.

When Iverson was introduced, the fans showered him with raucous applause and a lengthy standing ovation. He worked the crowd by putting his hand to his ear and turning to each corner of the arena as the roar grew louder. The applause was only cut short by the introduction of the rest of the Denver lineup.

Just before the game started, Iverson trotted down the sideline to the Sixers' bench and embraced former coach Maurice Cheeks, the first time the two got together since he was traded 15 months before.

Iverson's impact was immediate as he fed Anthony for a game-opening 3-pointer and scored his first points on a 14-foot jumper at the 6:32 mark of the first quarter.

The Nuggets rallied from a seven-point halftime deficit with a 10-point run to open the third quarter.

Iverson, who had 12 points and five assists in the first half, added nine points in Denver's third-quarter

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Imagine if Philadelphia called a play or two for Thaddeus Young.

The rookie scored 22 points, Samuel Dalembert added 18 points and 10 rebounds, and the Philadelphia 76ers coasted to a 119-97 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday.

"He scored 20-plus points and we didn't run one play for him," said Philadelphia coach Maurice Cheeks, after his team improved to 12-3 since Feb. 5. "That's the way he plays. Thaddeus has been playing that way since we put him in there."

Young was 8-of-11 from the floor and made all six free throws, helping Philadelphia shoot a season-high 60.3 percent.

"Anybody can step up," Young said. "We're not ball hogs."

Andre Miller added 16 points and nine assists for Philadelphia, which played the first of five games in seven days. The 76ers' fourth straight win moved them within one-half game of idle Washington in the Eastern Conference.

"I think our defense has been getting better than it has been," Cheeks said. "We try to create a lot of offense from our defense and we did that tonight, and the night before. That's one of the reasons for our surge."

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Samuel Dalembert had 22 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to their eighth straight home victory, 117-83 over the Seattle SuperSonics on Friday night.

Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young added 18 points apiece for Philadelphia, which has won three straight overall and 11 of its last 14 games to move into seventh place in the Eastern Conference.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Mike Dunleavy didn't get to coach Andre Miller during the point guard's only season with the Clippers, which makes Miller's success with the Philadelphia 76ers that much more difficult for the Staples Center faithful to swallow.

Andre Iguodala scored 18 points, Samuel Dalembert had 12 points and 12 rebounds, and the 76ers avoided a letdown after their upset win at Phoenix by routing the Clippers 106-80 on Monday night.

The New England Patriots and Randy Moss are finalizing terms on a three year, $27 million deal, according to a source.

The two sides are currently in the process of reviewing contract details, the source told ESPN's Chris Mortensen.

On Friday, Moss started to listen to offers from other teams. On Saturday, he explored possibilities with other franchises and even discussed the possibility of reuniting with his former Vikings teammate, Daunte Culpepper, on another team.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen and John Clayton contributed to this report.

Nothing happened down at the NovaCare Complex yesterday, and as of last night, no visits were scheduled for today.

From that, we can probably conclude that the Eagles achieved their top two free-agent goals when they signed cornerback Asante Samuel on Friday and defensive end Chris Clemons on Saturday.

However, their fans' top goal - a true No. 1 wide receiver - remains unmet, with most of the top names removed from the available pool over the weekend. Bernard Berrian is now a Minnesota Viking, Donté Stallworth a Cleveland Brown. Andre' Davis re-signed with the Texans.

It's intriguing that Randy Moss has not reached the expected deal to stay with the Patriots, but the Birds have not been mentioned in Moss speculation. Their previous experience with a certain behaviorally challenged receiver might make them reluctant to pursue the man who caught 23 Tom Brady touchdown passes last season.

A source close to free-agent wideout Javon Walker disputed an Internet report yesterday that said the Eagles were no longer interested in Walker's services. The source said the Eagles, like other teams, might be leery of making a large financial commitment to Walker, who is coming off his third knee procedure in 3 years. Walker tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the 2005 opener with Green Bay, came back to catch 69 passes for 1,084 yards in 2006, then went down three games into the 2007 season, returning to play in five of the last six, but catching just seven passes in those five games. He is said to be healthy now. The Broncos cut him to avoid paying a $5.4 million roster bonus tomorrow.

It seems plausible that an Eagles move for a wide receiver would be linked to trading cornerback Lito Sheppard, whose departure became likely when Samuel signed. In case you haven't been near an Internet message board or within hearing range of sports-talk radio lately, many Eagles fans think trading Sheppard to Arizona in a package for Cardinals wideout Larry Fitzgerald would be a neat idea.

Fitzgerald (6-3, 224) is 24. He caught 100 passes in 15 games last season, for 1,409 yards and 10 TDs. That's quite a lot. But not surprisingly, the Cards aren't eager to deal Fitzgerald. If they're considering it at all, it's because they unwisely agreed to a contract with incentives they probably didn't expect Fitzgerald to meet, which will give him a ridiculous $16.5 million cap figure this year. Arizona doesn't have much cap room. If it can't get Fitzgerald to agree on a restructuring of his deal very soon, the team will have to trade him, more or less to field a team next season, although general manager Rod Graves denied that last week when he spoke to reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine.

In fact, Graves said the Cards would not trade Fitzgerald, and at every turn, Fitzgerald has talked of how much he wants to stay in Arizona. "I think we're getting real close," Fitzgerald told ESPN.com a few days ago. "The Cardinals [are] where I want to be. I hear they want to keep me. Like I said earlier, I love Arizona. I like my coaching staff. I think we'll be successful for years to come and I want to be a part of that."

The Eagles talked to teams about Sheppard over the weekend - a Washington Post report said they even talked to the division-rival Redskins - and it would be a surprise if the Birds let the situation fester very long. If a week or 2 goes by without a trade of the two-time Pro Bowl corner who dislikes his contract, it would seem fair to wonder whether the Eagles might have misread the market. But with Drayton Florence signing with Jacksonville over the weekend, at this point, a team that wants a starting-quality corner isn't going to find one in free agency.

Andre Iguodala scored 32 points and the Philadelphia 76ers held on to beat the Suns in Phoenix for the first time in six years, 119-114 on Saturday night.

Brandan Wright got Golden State off to a quick start by eclipsing his career high in scoring before the end of the first quarter

"I just want a chance to be able to win and get back to the Super Bowl and that's why I picked the Philadelphia Eagles," Samuel said. "I came here with an open mind. everybody treated me like I belong here, like I'm wanted."

In a word, NFL.com's Vic Carucci calls Samuel a "difference-maker."

The addition of Samuel certainly signals that the team is anything but satisfied with its 8-8 finish in 2007. The move should also help a defense that ranked last in the NFL in turnovers created in 2007.

But Samuel, who is fresh off his first Pro Bowl, is about more than just interceptions.

A ballhawk, he has a knack for being in the right position at the right time. In 2007, Samuel tied for third in the NFL with 17 passes defensed, a year after leading the league with 24 passes defensed in 2006.

Head coach Andy Reid and defensive coordinator Jim Johnson believe the addition of Samuel -- teamed with Lito Sheppard, Sheldon Brown and Brian Dawkins -- will help the team compete against the exceptional receivers in the NFC East, including the Cowboys' Terrell Owens and the Giants' Plaxico Burress.

WE MOVED TO THE 7thSPOT LETS PLAYBALL

76ers' OT Win Sends Heat to 11th Straight Loss

Andre Iguodala scored 24 points and converted a key three-point play as the Philadelphia 76ers scored the final 10 points in overtime and sent the Miami Heat to their 11th straight loss, 101-96 on Saturday night.

Original Story: http://www.nba.com/games/20080223/PHIMIA/r...

WE MIGHT LOCK THE 8th SPOT DOWN TIME TO GET FOCUS

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP)â€"Ryan Howard won his salary arbitration case against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday when he was awarded $10 million, the highest figure given a victorious player.

The 2006 NL MVP, who had been offered $7 million by the Phillies, became the first player to win in six arbitration cases this season.

Howard tied the record for the highest salary awarded in arbitration, received by Alfonso Soriano in his losing case against the Washington Nationals in 2006. Soriano had sought $12 million.

"I'm sure he's very pleased," Phillies assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "This has been a negotiation that has been very amicable and very professional. It's just a part of the process."

Howard was expected to speak to reporters after practice. He was in an upbeat mood following the hearing Wednesday.

Howard batted .268 with 47 homers and 136 RBIs last season in what was considered a down year for him. In 2006 he had 58 homers, 149 RBIs and a .313 average, one of the best seasons by a second-year player.

The 28-year-old first baseman has less than three years service time in the majors, partly because his path was blocked by Jim Thome. An injury to Thome during the 2005 season paved the way for Howard, who had 22 homers and 63 RBIs in just 88 games to win the NL Rookie of the Year award.

The case was decided by arbitrators Stephen Goldberg, Robert Bailey and Jack Clarke. The panel listened for nearly five hours as each side presented its arguments Wednesday in St. Petersburg.

Howard was represented by his agent, Casey Close. Houston Astros president Tal Smith, who represents many teams in these cases, handled the Phillies' side.

Amaro negotiated with Close right until the hearing began, but couldn't agree on a deal. Howard can't become a free agent until after the 2011 season. It's likely the Phillies will try to sign him to a long-term contract much sooner.

"We negotiated right up to the courthouse steps with Ryan in a variety of ways and unfortunately we couldn't get it done," Amaro said.

Owners previously defeated pitchers Brian Fuentes of Colorado, Jose Valverde of Houston and Chien-Ming Wang of the New York Yankees, along with Washington infielder Felipe Lopez and Astros infielder Mark Loretta.

Two players remain in arbitration: Los Angeles Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez and New York Mets pitcher Oliver Perez.

Philadelphia hadn't gone to arbitration since defeating Travis Lee in 2001 and had been 7-0 in arbitration decisions.