PHILADELPHIA — After a 27-win season, the Philadelphia 76ers started a new preseason under first-year coach Doug Collins much the same way – with three straight losses.

That finally changed Tuesday night.

Marreese Speights scored 19 points and Lou Williams added 16 to lead the 76ers to their first preseason victory, 103-92 against the Boston Celtics.

Jason Kapono and Jrue Holiday had 12 points each for the Sixers (1-3), who lost 93-65 to the Celtics on Oct. 6 in Manchester, N.H. Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young and Andres Nocioni all had 10 points for Philadelphia.

Speights scored 15 points in the fourth quarter, sparking the Sixers down the stretch as they pulled away to take a 91-79 lead with 5:27 left.

“That was an encouraging last 15 minutes of the game,” Collins said. “I thought we were dead in the water at the start of the third. Speights gave us a great lift off the bench.”

Nate Robinson scored 26 points, Glen Davis added 14 and Marquis Daniels had 12 for the Celtics (3-1), who primarily played reserves. Von Wafer and Luke Harangody had 11 points each, and Jermaine O’Neal grabbed 12 rebounds.

The Celtics played without many regulars, including guards Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen and Delonte West, forward Kevin Garnett and center Shaquille O’Neal.

“It was a great experience for (the bench players),” Celtics Coach Doc Rivers said.

Philadelphia trailed by 12 points early in the third quarter but took a 76-71 lead with 10:37 remaining.

“I feel great and the ball was going in the hoop,” Speights said. “That’s always good. It was a lot of fun out there.”

It was a chippy game with five technical fouls called: Speights, Holiday and Collins for the Sixers, and Robinson and Jermaine O’Neal for the Celtics.

The Sixers had struggled from 3-point range, going 6 of 46 in their first three games, but were 10 of 12 against the Celtics.

NOTES

HEAT: Dwyane Wade’s strained right hamstring is improving, but how soon he returns to the team remains unclear.

Wade’s hamstring is “virtually pain-free,” Coach Erik Spoelstra said. But the Heat won’t rush him back into the lineup, citing a desire to make sure he’s fully healed before risking anything further.

• LeBron James scored 22 points in 26 minutes before leaving with leg cramps in the third quarter, Chris Bosh added 17 points and eight rebounds, and Miami overcame an early 10-point deficit at home to beat CSKA Moscow 96-85 in an exhibition.

THE COACH of the Turkish basketball team Besiktas Cola Turka hopes to finalize negotiations soon with a former NBA scoring champion, Allen Iverson.

Burak Biyiktay said the Istanbul club has offered a contract to Iverson’s manager for a one-year stint in Turkey.

Biyiktay said the former NBA MVP would bring a “new vision to the team.” He said “Iverson is a great trademark and would be the biggest name to come to Turkey.”

Gary Moore, Iverson’s personal manager, has said there’s strong interest from both sides to work out a deal.

BUCKS: Rookie guard Darington Hobson underwent surgery on his left hip.

Hobson, a second-round draft pick, will undergo a similar procedure on his right hip later this year and is expected to miss the entire season.

WIZARDS: Guard Gilbert Arenas was held out of an exhibition against Atlanta with a knee injury. “His knee is acting up and is a little sore,” Coach Flip Saunders said.