Sixers win despite Brand leaving with shoulder injury

PHILADELPHIA -- With the exception of Andre Miller, the Philadelphia 76ers didn't get much production from their starters.

On Wednesday night, it didn't matter.

Lou Williams matched his career high with 25 points in a reserve role, Miller added 19, and the Philadelphia 76ers overcame the loss of forward Elton Brand to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 93-88. Brand dislocated his right shoulder with 7:23 left in the third quarter after landing on Milwaukee's Luc Mbah a Moute.

Marreese Speights tied his career high with 12 points, and Thaddeus Young had 10 to help the Sixers improve to 11-14 overall and 2-0 under interim coach Tony DiLeo. DiLeo replaced the fired Maurice Cheeks on Saturday.

Luke Ridnour and Charlie Bell scored 14 points each for Milwaukee, and Mbah a Moute added 13. Richard Jefferson and Charlie Villanueva had 11 apiece. The loss ended the Bucks' two-game winning streak.

"Lou did a phenomenal job when we needed a big basket," DiLeo said.

Thanks in large part to Williams, the Sixers' backups outscored Milwaukee's bench, 49-38. Philadelphia's reserves also outscored the 76ers' starters, 49-44. Andre Iguodala had just four points on 2-of-14 shooting.

"We just wanted to stay aggressive, especially when you're behind," said Williams, who was 9-of-17 from the field. "That has been the job of the second team lately."

Brand had four points and six rebounds before he was injured. He entered the game averaging a team-best 16.4 points.

Brand signed a five-year, $80 million contract on July 9 after seven seasons with the Chicago Bulls and two with the Los Angeles Clippers. He was limited to only eight games last season with the Clippers because of a left Achilles' injury. Brand was scheduled to have an MRI late Wednesday night.

"It would be a big blow to our team if he is out," DiLeo said.

Even without Brand, the Bucks couldn't overcome a 10-point lead.

"We had a bunch of guys who looked like they didn't feel like playing from the opening tip," Milwaukee coach Scott Skiles said. "We were just heavy-legged, slow-footed. We couldn't get up and down the floor and had tremendous trouble guarding them. We got exactly what we deserved."

Bell's 3-pointer with 1:17 remaining in the third gave the Bucks a 73-63 advantage, their largest of the game.

The Sixers used a 21-7 run to take an 84-80 lead on a basket by Reggie Evans with 5:01 left.

Milwaukee missed its first eight field goal attempts in the fourth but hit seven of eight free throws during the drought.

"We played good for spurts," Ridnour said. "We just didn't have enough energy. We need to pick it up. It's a tough loss for us."

After the Bucks eventually tied it at 86, Williams scored six straight points to give the Sixers a 92-86 lead with 1:13 remaining.

"I was glad to see Lou come in and step up," Iguodala said.

The Bucks shot just 2-of-18 in the fourth.

"I'm bewildered by my team," Skiles said. "I've got a really bad taste in my mouth. It was a very poor all-around effort by us."

Game notes

Mbah a Moute hit a 17-foot jumper at the buzzer to give the Bucks a 53-46 lead at halftime. ... Milwaukee shot 22-of-41 -- 54 percent -- from the field in the first half. Jefferson is four points shy of 9,000 for his career.