Apparently, the Charlotte Bobcats' 15-game losing streak is in part a matter of trust.

Among the many flaws the Bobcats have is a relative inability to steal the ball. That started to change Monday, when they converted six second-half Philadelphia turnovers into 13 points.

It wasn't enough - the 76ers held on for a 98-89 victory - but this was the most competitive game they've played in a while. Rookie Kemba Walker saw a template in that progress.

"One thing we haven't been doing is trusting each other,'' said Walker, who scored 14 of his 21 points in a fourth-quarter surge. "Today we trusted each other in (defensive) rotations, so we made steals.''

Steals lead to easy transition baskets, and seldom lately have the words "easy'' and "baskets'' fit in the same sentence concerning the 3-25 Bobcats. They erased all but two points of a 15-point deficit, to give the Sixers (20-9) a scare.

"Those turnovers are deadly, particularly in the open court,'' Sixers coach Doug Collins said.

Collins wasn't surprised this was close, despite the Bobcats losing home games over the weekend by 31 and 25 points.

"This is the NBA - Charlotte has players. They've just got injuries,'' Collins said. "It's no surprise (Bobcats owner) Michael Jordan would like (Walker)....He has no fear.''

It looked that way when Walker made back-to-back 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to keep the Bobcats in the game. The comeback started in the third quarter, with small forward Corey Maggette having his best game since returning from a month-long hamstring strain.

Maggette scored 10 of his season-high 22 points in the third on 4-of-6 shooting. That closed the gap to two late in the period, on Matt Carroll's 3-pointer from above the key.

However, the difference in this one was all about depth: The 76ers' abundance of it and the Bobcats need for more. The Sixers' top two scorers were reserves: Lou Williams had 23 points and Thaddeus Young added 20. That only reinforced how much the Bobcats need guards D.J. Augustin and Gerald Henderson back from injury.

Charlotte's only significant reserve Monday was center Byron Mullens, who finished with 13 points and nine rebounds.

"He doesn't know it yet, but he is'' a big factor, Maggette said of Mullens. "He has to come with that intensity, that energy, every night.''