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Saturday, Mar. 17 8:30pm ET
Without Iverson, Sixers fall in Milwaukee

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MILWAUKEE (AP) – Tim Thomas helped make up for the absence of Sam Cassell. The Philadelphia 76ers didn't have anyone who covered for the loss of Allen Iverson.

Tim Thomas
Tim Thomas came off the bench for the Bucks and scored 22 points against the 76ers, his former team.

Thomas scored 22 points, including nine in the fourth quarter, to spark the Bucks to an 87-78 victory over the 76ers on Staruday night.

Ray Allen had 20 points and 10 assists and Glenn Robinson added 20 points as the Bucks spoiled the 76ers' start of a four-game trip. Lindsey Hunter started for the injured Cassell, who was out with a hip injury suffered in the home loss to Seattle on Thursday night.

Philadelphia, with the NBA's best road record, has lost two in a row. This one happened with Philadelphia's coach and best player absent.

76ers coach Larry Brown, 60, is scheduled to miss the first two games of the trip to undergo medical tests. He is suffering from acid reflux and a hiatal hernia, disorders of the stomach and esophagus.

Iverson, who played in the loss to Sacramento on Friday night after missing one game with a left hip pointer, remained in Philadelphia to get treatment for the injury.

"Allen's obviously a big part of this team, but this group has been very good at facing adversity all year," Randy Ayers, the 76ers acting coach said. "We tried to step it up tonight, but we just couldn't get the job done."

Aaron McKie had 23 points and 10 assists starting in place of Iverson and Tyrone Hill added 13 points and 10 rebounds, but the 76ers couldn't stop Thomas in the fourth.

It also helped that the Bucks forced the 76ers into shooting 37.5 percent during the fourth.

"We played a very strong defensive game, especially in the second half," Bucks coach George Karl said. "That's usually Philadelphia's formula to be successful. But tonight we did our job."

Karl was disappointed with his team's lack of defensive effort in the loss to Seattle two days earlier. Then he had to face the unknown impact of what Cassell's absence would mean to a team that had lost five of nine games since beating the Sixers on Jan. 26 in Philadelphia.

"Without Sam, we knew it was going to be a tight game, a fourth-quarter game," Karl said.

There were nine lead changes before the Bucks went ahead for the last time on 3-pointer by Allen late in the third. The Bucks didn't finally put the Sixers away until Thomas stepped up in the final period.

He started the fourth with a free throw, a jump shot and a layup which increased a slim lead to seven. The 76ers refused to fold and pulled to 75-74 on Eric Snow's basket with 5:12 left.

Robinson hit a 3-pointer to stop Philadelphia's last charge. Then Thomas helped seal the victory when he put in a missed 3-pointer by Allen with 3:45 left.

Ayers said the Bucks simply outhustled his team.

"They beat us to loose balls and had more second chance opportunities," he said.

The Bucks got a lift from Rafer Alston, who took over at times for Hunter who was less than 100 percent with a thigh bruise suffered Tuesday night at Toronto.

"You have to give Rafer a lot of credit," Karl said. "He played a very professional, big-time game. He played well defensively on their points."

Alston had four points and tied his season-high with eight assists.

McKie scored the last nine points of the second quarter as the 76ers, who led by 14 in the first, regained the lead 43-41 at the half.

Game notes
The Bucks made just two of their first 13 shots and finished 8-of-21 from the floor in the first quarter. ... The Bucks are 1-3 without Cassell. Lindsey Hunter started three of the four in place of Cassell. ... It was announced as the ninth sellout and seventh since Jan. 13 for the Bucks, who had just three last season. However, seats were vacant in the upper bowl. ... The 76ers are 3-1 this season without Iverson. ... The Bucks are 2-1 in the four-game series. Previously, each had won on the other's homecourt. ... Bucks forward Jason Caffey bruised his right forearm in the first quarter and did not return.

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Sixers will be without Brown, Iverson for part of road trip


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 Tim Thomas gets it back from Rafer Alston for a score.
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