Lou Williams scored 23 points off the bench as the Philadelphia 76ers built an early lead and held on to send the Charlotte Bobcats to their 15th straight defeat, 98-89 Monday night.

Thaddeus Young added 20 points on 6 of 9 shooting, and Jrue Holiday chipped in with 19 points for the 76ers (20-9).

Williams was averaging 19 points over the previous four games. He stayed hot Monday night, making several big shots including a 3-pointer with 6:11 remaining after the Bobcats had pulled within 71-69.

He also hit a 3-pointer in the final minute to seal Philadelphia's second straight win.

Corey Maggette scored a season-high 22 points for Charlotte, which fell to 3-25 on the season. It's the worst record in the NBA and drops the Bobcats' winning percentage below that of the 1972-73 Sixers, who finished with the worst record ever in the NBA at 9-72.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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