Celtics take on banged-up 76ers

Philadelphia, PA (Basketball News) - The injury-plagued Philadelphia 76ers will go for their second straight win tonight when they welcome Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics to the Wachovia Center for an Atlantic Division battle.

Philadelphia posted an 81-75 win over the Toronto Raptors at the Air Canada Centre on Wednesday.

Marc Jackson scored 23 points and Aaron McKie added 21 to lead the Sixers over Toronto.

Eric Snow collected 18 points, eight assists and six boards and Kenny Thomas contributed 12 points and 13 rebounds for Philadelphia, which halted a two- game losing streak.

The 76ers played the Raptors without starters Allen Iverson (right knee contusion), Derrick Coleman (strained left knee) and Glenn Robinson (injured left ankle).

Iverson’s streak of 110 straight games played was snapped against Toronto. He hurt his knee in the first quarter of last Friday’s game against San Antonio and played through the pain in the next two games against Cleveland and Houston.

In addition, Philadelphia’s Samuel Dalembert was forced to leave Wednesday’s game in the third quarter with a strained left hamstring.

Iverson, Coleman and Dalembert are all questionable for tonight’s contest, while Robinson is doubtful.

Philadelphia is 2-3 at home.

The Celtics were defeated by the New Orleans Hornets, 81-73, on Wednesday at FleetCenter.

Pierce scored 23 points for the Celtics, who have dropped two straight and three of their last four contests. Vin Baker netted 12 points in the setback.

Mike James posted 10 points, as Boston dropped to 9-21 in the last 30 meetings with the Hornets.

Boston is 2-3 as the visitor this season.

In 2002-03, the teams split four meetings as each club won once on its homecourt and took once as the visitor.

Overall, the 76ers have won two of the last three meetings. Philadelphia has been victorious in 11 of 14 and 14 of the last 18 contests between the two squads.

Boston leads the all-time series, 127-96.