PHILADELPHIA - If the Charlotte Bobcats must lose, and coach Paul Silas is held accountable for those losses, then he at least will lose on his own terms.

That means starting veterans, playing those vets extensively, and making the development of young players a secondary goal.

That was the message after a seventh straight loss, 89-72 Friday night to the Philadelphia 76ers.

The approach was different - Silas started Gana Diop at center and Boris Diaw at power forward. The result was substantially the same: The Bobcats were down 13 at the end of the first quarter and 22 at halftime.

They've lost the past three games by a combined 67 points and never led Wednesday against the Washington Wizards or Friday against 76ers.

Despite all that, Silas expressed conviction that his most recent decision to go with Diop and Diaw over Byron Mullens, Derrick Brown or rookie Bismack Biyombo is the right course.

"I have to let the vets who know how to play start the game and play," Silas said. "I'm going to play the guys who started tonight."

Silas spent the second half in the locker room after getting ejected with about five minutes left in the second quarter. He kicked a ball during a stoppage of play, which earned him a second technical foul and an ejection.

That left it up to his son, lead assistant Stephen Silas, to finish the night. The Sixers led by as much as 30 in a game they controlled throughout the final three quarters.

The Bobcats are a team that can't keep opponents out of the paint and struggles to find and make high-quality shots. Diop and Diaw offer size and experience in post defense. Yet the Sixers still scored 36 points in the lane, continuing a trend that ran through recent losses to New York and Washington.

Shooting guard Gerald Henderson, who played despite a bruised back, shot 2-of-10. Henderson was struck by the ferocity of the Sixers' defense under coach Doug Collins.

"Doug's got them playing so hard. They defend every pass," Henderson said. "Every time you make a move, somebody else is there. I felt like I was at a Duke practice."

Henderson said it's challenging staying positive when your team is down 20 just about every game. But there are circumstances, Silas notes, including injuries to rotation players D.J. Augustin, Corey Maggette and D.J. White.

"It's very difficult not to" get down, Silas said. "But I'm not going to let them."