Allen Iverson Biography, Picture, Photo

Written by John Mbugua
Allen Iverson Biography

A bombastic performance by Allen Iverson and Chris Webber pulls 76ers out of their slump just when they needed it most.

Allen Iverson scored 47 points and Webber added a season-high 34 (combined for 81!!!) as the 76ers ended a three-game slide with a 117-112 triumph over the New York Knicks, who have lost seven straight.

The Sixers, who lost 10 of their last 12, held on to their 1 1/2-game lead over the Chicago Bulls for the eighth and final playoff spot.

Playing a season-high 43 minutes due to injuries to Stephon Marbury and Steve Francis, rookie Nate Robinson scored a season-best 34 points, including seven during a 16-4 second-quarter charge that gave the Knicks their biggest lead at 58-46 with 2:03 left in the half.

The Sixers rallied in the final 10 minutes of the third quarter, outscoring the Knicks, 27-14, during the stretch. Iverson, who scored 30 points after halftime, put up 11 during the burst.

Iverson's 3-pointer with 2:23 left in the period gave Philadelphia a 77-75 lead, an advantage it never relinquished.

Webber chipped in 13 points in the final period for the Sixers, who shot 56 percent (40-of-72).

Written by John Mbugua
Allen Iverson Biography

Posted by Jay Midnyte at 9:15 PM | Permalink | Comments
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Written by John Mbugua
Allen Iverson Biography

The 76ers - in a potential first round match up against the Pistons, received nothing close to what they're going to need in order to beat the Pistons in the playoffs.

Philadelphia never had the lead after the first three and a half minutes in the game, due to the fact that the Pistons had five players in double figures Chauncey Billups and reserve Antonio McDyess scored 18 points each.

"It was a good win for us," Billups said. "We came out and played the way we play. We had a balanced attack tonight. Everybody played good defensively and our bench was great."

The Philadelphia 76ers are fighting for their postseason lives, although it sure did not look like it. The Pistons are virtually assured of the top seed in the Eastern Conference while the Sixers are trying to hold off Chicago for the eighth and final spot. If that happens, Detroit would meet Philadelphia in the first round.

"We just came in here and tried to get the win," Billups said. "This is a team that we might play in the first round. They're a difficult team. They got guys who can get it going. Of course, they have AI (Allen Iverson), who is the best scorer in this league for the last 10 years."

"I don't know if we could have sent a message because they're the (2004) world champs," Sixers forward Chris Webber said. "We're not in the playoffs, and we're acting like we are. We're acting like we're a fifth, a third, or a second seed. We're acting like we're Miami or San Antonio. It should have been a game where we could have sent a message. The message that we are sending is we don't give a (darn) sometimes."

"We locked down defensively to get the lead," Pistons coach Flip Saunders said. "We got to do what we wanted to do offensively. We didn't turn the ball over. We forced turnovers early and turnovers late. We took care of the basketball and didn't give them chances to score out of our offense."

"We thought we had chances to get back into the game," Iverson said. "We turned the ball over here and there, and they did what great teams do - they took advantage of it. When you are playing against a good team like (Detroit), you have to take advantage of the opportunities and you can't throw the ball away."

The second half they just lured us to sleep and made open shots," Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks said. "Once we turned the ball over, they were into the break, somebody gets a wide-open three, and somebody gets one to the basket. It was like they teased us a little bit and then they go up 16 or 17 points."

"The first half was our own undoing, with turnovers, offensive rebounds and then unforced turnovers," Cheeks said. "The reason why they were leading at halftime was because of the offensive rebounds and turnovers. At halftime we had nine turnovers for 16 points."

"All I can do is believe that we are still alive," Iverson said. "We still have a chance to make it into the postseason, that's the most positive part of all of it. We still have a chance and that is something worth fighting for. It's something worth playing for."

Written by John Mbugua
Allen Iverson Biography

Posted by Jay Midnyte at 8:59 PM | Permalink | Comments
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