Billups Keeps 76ers at Bay

Being a backup suits Chauncey Billups just fine.

Billups scored 22 points in his new role as Minnesota’s reserve point guard, leading the Timberwolves to a season-opening 83-74 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night.

“We don’t care who scores,” fellow reserve Anthony Peeler said. “Everybody kind of feeds off each other.”

Billups, who spent most of last season at shooting guard, made eight of 14 shots from the field in 24 minutes and scored 11 points in a 15-0 run midway through the second quarter that put Minnesota ahead to stay.

Philadelphia looked decidedly different from last season’s team that won the Eastern Conference.

Derrick Coleman, beginning his second stint with the 76ers after being acquired from Charlotte last week, had 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Point guard Speedy Claxton, who missed his rookie season because of a torn knee ligament, had 20 points. But the 76ers struggled without leading scorer Allen Iverson.

Iverson, the reigning NBA most valuable player, is still rehabilitating his right elbow. Eric Snow (broken thumb) and the NBA’s sixth man of the year, Aaron McKie, recovering from shoulder surgery, also sat out.