Philadelphia started the game on an 11-0 run, and led by as many as 26 points, only to see the lead cut down to as little as 7 in the middle of the fourth quarter.

Despite entering the fourth quarter with a 17 point lead, a Jeff Pendergraph lay-up with 5:37 left to play brought the Pacers within 7, igniting what was left of a sellout crowd at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Luckily for the Sixers, that layup was followed by their own six point spurt, courtesy of a Dorrell Wright three-pointer and a Damien Wilkins and-1 layup that kept the Pacers resilient effort at bay.

Although the Sixers rested most of their typical starters after the first quarter, the Pacers team they were facing was extremely depleted as well, as they prepare to face the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

The only Pacer from their typical starting lineup to play tonight was Lance Stephenson, who scored 12 points on 5-8 shooting, despite a team low +/- of (-16).

Nov 4, 2012; New York, NY, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Dorrell Wright (4) looks on against the New York Knicks during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Wright continued to make a case for himself in terms of returning next year, putting up a team-high 23 points on 8-15 shooting, including 4-8 from beyond the arc.

Evan Turner had a strong first half, at one point having a +/- of (+21), however faltered a bit in the second half and had some key turnovers that allowed the Pacers to crawl back into the game.

Jrue Holiday and Spencer Hawes started the game, but played only nine and four minutes, respectively, continuing Doug Collins’ recent trend of giving his younger players more exposure down the stretch.

In what was likely his last game as a head coach for the 76ers, and perhaps in the NBA, Doug Collins shared emotional pre-game hugs with his players and seemed more lighthearted than usual.

After the game, Collins was mum when asked about his future, simply stating, “I don’t know, I’m the coach.”

The Sixers will have their season-ending press conferences tomorrow, when the future of Doug Collins and other members of the front office are expected to be announced.

Here are tonight’s player grades, with some notes about their overall seasons:

Feb 17, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Eastern Conference guard Jrue Holiday (11) of the Philadelphia 76ers dunks against the Western Conference all-stars during the first half of the 2013 NBA All-Star Game at the Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Jrue Holiday (9 minutes, 5 points, 1 rebound, +10) Grade: A

Clearly, Jrue didn’t play past the first quarter tonight, when he was able to score five points on 2-2 shooting and somehow pull a +10. Jrue gets an A because he’s been amazing all season, and deserved the night off.  Weirdly, Doug Collins said after the game that Jrue didn’t really want to play, and therefore ET played 40 minutes.  Bizarre to hear from your all-star point guard, but it’s the last game of a meaningless season, and it’s an understatement to say Jrue has been great this year given the situation. Thank you, Jrue.

Evan Turner (40 minutes, 16 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, +11) Grade: B

Turner had an astounding first half where he found his shot rhythm, and at one point got his +/- to a remarkable (+21).  Unfortunately, the erroneous, unpredictable Evan Turner was unleashed in the fourth quarter, which helped the Pacers mount their almost-comeback.  Next year, we can only hope that Turner minimizes his alter-ego and shows us more of what we saw in tonight’s first half.  Turner’s effort is never questionable, which is a plus, however his complaining to the refs inexcusably affects his defense at times. Either way, next year will probably determine whether Turner is going to breakout or bust, and Sixers fans can only pray that it’s not the latter.

Spencer Hawes (4 minutes, 3 points, 0 rebounds, 1 block, +9) Grade: B

Really nothing to grade here, although it’s worth nothing that Spencer’s last moment of the 2012-2013 season was him fouling a flopping Hansbrough, a play which would be reviewed as a flagrant and overturned.  If there is any justice in the NBA, Hansbrough will be fined for one of the more ridiculous flops of the season season.  In any sense, it seems fitting that Hawes left after such a bizarre play. Collins said after the game that his back tightened up, but I think what kept him out was more along the lines of Jrue’s “I don’t really want to play”. I don’t know if the Sixers hold onto Hawes, but unless he magically figures out how to play consistently, the Sixers will not contend starting him at the center position.  A lot of the Sixers inconsistency begins and ends with 00.

Thaddeus Young (21 minutes, 10 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, +14) Grade: A+

A team high (+14) for Thad tonight just adds on to how tremendous he has been all season.  In the face of adversity, on a team severely lacking size and rebounding ability, Thad found a way to get it done all year long.  He is one of the lone bright spots on this roster, and his attitude and goal for next year of becoming a better leader make me optimistic he will only improve from here.  Good hustle, Thad. Always.

Damien Wilkins (36 minutes, 15 points, 2 assists, +3) Grade: B+

Wilkins has been great, considering the fact that nobody expected him to make a sliver of a difference on this team when he was acquired.  He had a big and-1 play today, and has been a much-needed veteran presence on a very broken offense.  Despite all that, Damien Wilkins, at his age, will never be a viable starter on a team that is serious about winning.  I wouldn’t mind to see him return as a reserve, however, as this team certainly needs some leadership.

Arnett Moultrie (29 minutes, 14 points, 12 rebounds, -1) Grade: B+

Moultrie recorded his first career double-double tonight, which is always a good sign.  The thing that scares me the most about the development of Moultrie is that recently, in the past month or so, he has become increasingly reliant on the long two-point shot. The absolute last thing the Sixers need is another big man to fall in love with these shots.  For the sake of the often-abandoned paint on offense, let’s hope this is not the beginning of a trend. Either way, we saw some good things from Moultrie, and he has likely earned some type of role on this team moving forward.

Dorrell Wright (36 minutes, 23 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, +7) Grade: A+

Dorrell Wright is by and far the only acquisition the Sixers obtained this season that turned out positively.  And it certainly did not happen that way early, but over the last month or so Wright has fit perfectly into the role he was brought here for.  Tonight was just more of the same.  Wright is the one free agent the Sixers absolutely need to re-sign for next year.  He has flourished in his role, which is more than can be said for most of his fellow players coming off the bench.

Lavoy Allen (32 minutes, 11 points, 11 rebounds, +4) Grade: B

Lavoy Allen played well, however overall, he’s had a disappointing season.  With high hopes following last year, the Sixers now cannot be so sure that he was the choice over rookie-of-the-year candidate Nik Vucevic. Hopefully, a better role will be found for Lavoy next season to improve his performance from this season, when he lost minutes to Moultrie for most of the latter half of the season.

Justin Holiday (27 minutes, 8 points, 3 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, -1) Grade: B+

Although Justin did not stun anybody with today’s play, he did have a monster block on Tyler Hansbrough that led to a Dorrell Wright dunk on the other end.  His play over the past couple of weeks has greatly improved the chances that the Holiday brothers take the floor together as Sixers next season, and that is one of the very few positive story lines the Sixers have endured this season.  Good work, Justin.

Nick Young (6 minutes, 0 points, -6) Grade: F

Although at times Swaggy P was one of the most entertaining aspects of the Sixers, that notion has completely crashed and burned over the past month.  The role that Young held before he was hurt has been stolen by Dorrell Wright, who has pretty much had the opposite month of the lowly Swaggy P.  Although his fun nature was entertaining, it is all but certain that Swaggy has no room on this team next season with Wright’s emergence.  It’s been real, Swaggy.

The Sixers season may have ended tonight, but The Sixer Sense is nowhere near finished.  This offseason is sure to contain plenty of dynamic moves by the front office, and we will be on top of that.  Make sure to stay tuned.

Thaddeus Young, who was scorching hot on Wednesday, continued his great play by scoring 18 points on 8/9 shooting, coupled with 13 rebounds and 4 steals.

The Sixers were finally able to get it together defensively, albeit against the third-worst scoring team in the NBA, by holding Washington to a mere 55 points in the final three quarters combined.

Prior to tonight, the Sixers had given up at least 29 points in six of their previous eight quarters.

In the first quarter against the Wizards, the Sixers looked primed to continue their poor defensive stretch by surrendering 31 points to John Wall and the Wizards.

In the middle of the second quarter, however, things began to improve. The Sixers ended the second quarter on a 12-4 run to pull within one point, and strung together a dominant third quarter to take a solid lead and never look back.

Important takeaways from the game:

• The Sixers officially prevent the Wizards from achieving their outspoken goal to finish as the 9 seed in the Eastern Conference: Washington now has 51 losses to the Sixers 47, clinching the fact that the 76ers will finish the season with a better record than the Wizards.
• Jrue Holiday looks back to all-star form after a tough stretch, and was able to outplay John Wall in the second half to will his team to victory
• Doug Collins did not directly address earlier reports that the Sixers would like him to step down as head coach at the conclusion of the season.
• Justin Holiday played his best game as a Sixer, earning a ton of praise from Doug Collins after the game and recording a career-high 7 points, including hitting his first NBA three-pointer

Apr 12, 2013; Washington, DC, USA; Philadelphia 76ers point guard Jrue Holiday (11) dribbles the ball as Washington Wizards point guard A.J. Price (12) defends in the fourth quarter at Verizon Center. The 76ers won 97-86. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Player Grades:

Jrue Holiday (37 minutes, 22 points, 7 assists, +12) Grade: A

Jrue finally bounced back from what was an awful, hard-to-watch stretch of basketball. He shot 47%, and willed his team to a strong second half performance. He also did a number on John Wall; after a 6-10, 15 point first half, Wall was held to 9 points on 3-11 shooting in the second half. Welcome back, Jrue.

Evan Turner (24 minutes, 0 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, -6) Grade: D-

ET shot 0-11, and did not get to the free throw line. The most troubling part about this performance was the fact that Turner made zero effort to adjust his offensive style of play. Turner started the game off with two missed shots that were absolute bricks, and got stuffed silly on a layup. A veteran player looks for an easy look or two to get himself going. Turner continued to settle for contested 2s, each one looking harder than the last. The result? 0 points on 0-11 shooting. Unacceptable from a third-year NBA player. The only reason Turner did not get an F for this performance was because he was able to make a slight impact on offense through assists. It is nice to see him able to make some sort of contribution on a night of atrocious shooting.

Damien Wilkins (30 minutes, 15 points, 3 assists, 6 rebounds, +9) Grade: A-

Wilkins continues to be a surprising bright spot for the Sixers in this tumultuous season.  At times, it seems as if he is the only Sixer who is willing to attack the rim relentlessly. His aggressive style of play is often one of the few things that keeps the Sixers in games, which is obviously not a sustainable formula looking forward. But we’ll take whatever we can get this season. The reason for the – is because of the three turnovers (not a big deal, but an A is an A) and the fact that sometimes, he also catches the contested jumper disease.  As one of the primary “rim-attackers” on this team, it is extra devastating for Wilkins to start taking contested shots during tough offensive stretches. Despite those small smudges, Wilkins’ play continues to be one of the few pleasantries of the 2012-2013 campaign.

Thaddeus Young (34 minutes, 18 points, 13 rebounds, 4 steals, +15) Grade: A+

Thad had one of his most efficient performances of the season, scoring 18 points on 8-9 shooting with only one turnover. He earned the + because not only did he have a team high +/- of +15, but he did this on the heels of a 28 point performance on Wednesday night. As a Sixers fan, you have to love where his head is at considering he had one of his worst performances of the season on Tuesday at Brooklyn. Few things are as important, especially on a team that screams inconsistency like the Sixers, than the ability to bounce back from a rough performance. Despite the Sixers struggles, few players in the NBA play the game in a way as admirable as Thaddeus Young.

Spencer Hawes (36 minutes, 15 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, +6) Grade: C

Despite a decent stat line, and a great offensive start to the game, Spencer continues to do certain things that cannot go on if he wants to retain his role as a starting center in the NBA. His defense in the paint is pitiful. When he is not making an impact on shot-blocking, there is an absurd amount of uncontested layups/dunks. Unacceptable. Also, Spencer Hawes took 4 threes tonight. He’s made 9 all season long. Also unacceptable. Finally, Hawes did not record a defensive rebound in the first half. Absolutely, utterly, unacceptable. You get the picture.

Arnett Moultrie (17 minutes, 7 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, +5) Grade: B+

Moultrie put up respectable numbers for his minutes played, and also proved to be a significantly tougher defender than Spence to usurp in the paint, earning him the +. The only thing that (slightly) scares me is that he too has begun taking short two point shots. When he makes them, it’s all gravy. But on an entire team of mid-range shooters, seeing Moultrie live in the paint is more than a welcome sight. Be different, Arnett.

Dorrell Wright (25 minutes, 13 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, +13) Grade: A-

Dorrell Wright has really relished in his role at this point in the season. His shot has become more consistent, and he provides a much needed offensive spark for the Sixers. It is also refreshing to see him make a solid impact in +/- tonight, despite only being 2-7 from beyond the arc. Wright is never going to be a guy who carries a team but he is playing in his role perfectly, which is more than can be said for a lot of guys.

Lavoy Allen (8 minutes, 0 points, 2 rebounds, -6) Grade: C-

I barely remember seeing Lavoy Allen in the game, and his numbers tell us why. It will be interesting to see what Lavoy’s role is like next season, because it has certainly diminished from last. Don’t be surprised to see Moultrie jump him in the rotation by midseason next year.

Justin Holiday (20 minutes, 7 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, +13) Grade: A-

I love the way Justin Holiday played tonight. Didn’t take many shots, but did his job for his 20 minutes. He also hit his first NBA three-pointer, and scored 7 points on 3-5 shooting. Collins also specifically mentioned how important he was for them after the game. An awesome development of this woeful season would be Jrue and Justin flourishing together next season. City of brotherly love.

Nick Young (9 minutes, 0 points,1 steal, -6) Grade: F

Doug Collins plugged in Nick Young early in the game, probably in hopes that he would want to show the Wizards some of the swag they were missing out on after losing him. It did not work out that way. Swaggy P missed every shot he took, and resided on the bench for the vast majority of the game. Dorrell Wright seems to be the consistent go-to guy that has knocked Nick Young out of the rotation. The two of them most certainly will not be on the squad together next season. If only one stays, it won’t be the guy who calls himself Swaggy.

All in all, the Sixers finally grabbed a win for the first time in four tries and seemingly got their all-star point guard back to form.  They also defeated a team that has defeated the likes of Miami, Oklahoma City, Denver, New York, Chicago, and a handful of other playoff teams in their building this season. We’ll take it.

Sixers next play on Sunday, in their home finale against the Cleveland Cavaliers.