Boston ? With three big men sidelined, the Philadelphia 76ers needed more than 25 points from Olympics-bound Allen Iverson. They got a boost from Kenny Thomas.

Thomas tied his season high with 20 rebounds and scored 15 points, helping Philadelphia beat Boston 99-78 Thursday night to move one game behind New Jersey for the Atlantic Division lead.

“I came out a little bit more aggressive in the second half,” said Thomas, acquired from Houston in December. “I just tried to go out and rebound, and if the points came, they came.”

He had seven rebounds and 10 points in the third quarter, when Philadelphia erased a 44-43 halftime deficit and led 79-66 going into the fourth quarter — thanks to Iverson’s 40-foot heave at the third-quarter buzzer.

In the first half, Iverson had 18 of the 76ers’ points, eight of their 16 field goals, three of their six assists, five of their six steals and their only blocked shot.

“I don’t think this was Allen’s best, but he did amazing things,” Philadelphia coach Larry Brown said. “Allen kept us in the game early.”

Iverson said hasn’t been notified officially, but a basketball source told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity that the 76ers’ guard will be asked to join the U.S. team for the 2004 Olympics.

“I didn’t concentrate on it as much because I had a game to play,” he said. “It’s just a great feeling to be able to represent the USA.”

The 6-foot-7 Thomas represented the 76ers and their ailing frontline very well.

Philadelphia guard Allen Iverson, right, drives past Boston's Bimbo Coles. The 76ers beat the Celtics, 99-78, Thursday in Philadelphia.

“That’s the way it has to be for any kind of successful team, because this game is so physical and the season is so long,” Iverson said.

Todd MacCulloch is on the injured list, Keith Van Horn missed his third straight game because of an injured left foot, and Derrick Coleman didn’t return after straining his left quadriceps in the second quarter. He finished with six points and two rebounds in 14 minutes.

He didn’t say if he would play tonight at New York.

The 76ers didn’t need him, finishing with 15 offensive rebounds, six by Thomas.

“It seemed like 75,” Boston coach Jim O’Brien said. “We did not get the job done on the glass, no matter who we had in the game.”

Boston was led by former Kansas University standout Paul Pierce’s 24 points and 11 rebounds. But Antoine Walker was held to 12 points, eight below his average.

The Celtics played their second game in two nights after clinching a playoff berth with a win Wednesday at Washington.

“We are a team that thrives on energy, and we didn’t have any energy to battle back,” Walker said.

Lakers 117, Kings 104

Los Angeles — Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers sent a powerful pre-playoff message to their archrivals: Watch out, Sacramento.

Bryant took over in the third quarter and finished with 34 points and O’Neal added 32 as the Lakers defeated the Kings in the teams’ final regular-season meeting.

If they meet again, it’ll be in the playoffs. And fresh in the Kings’ minds will be the memory of the Lakers outworking, outhustling and outplaying them to salvage a 2-2 split of the season series.

Derek Fisher added 17 for the Lakers. Chris Webber and Mike Bibby scored 24 apiece for the Kings.

The difference in the teams’ energy levels and confidence levels was palpable — especially in the second half.

When the Lakers began to seize the momentum, they did so decisively. And when the Kings saw the game getting away from them, they couldn’t find a way to slow the Lakers.

Bryant did some of his most impressive work as the Lakers were taking over in the third quarter. He scored 12 in the period, many on difficult jumpers while being defended by Jim Jackson, as Los Angeles took an 89-79 lead into the fourth.