Iverson keys 76ers past New Orleans
By Staff
FRONT LINE BATTLE – New Orleans Hornets' Jamaal Magloire (21) gets tangled up with Philadelphia 76ers' Tyrone Hill (40)in the first half of Game 1 of their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series Sunday, in Philadelphia. AP photo.
April 21, 2003.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) Allen Iverson closed his eyes, raised his arms in the air, walked toward the crowd and soaked it all in.
His best playoff performance was drawing to a close, and Iverson made sure he savored the deafening cheers.
Iverson scored 55 points Sunday night in an incredible display of shooting, making 21 of 32 shots while eclipsing his previous playoff high of 54 as Philadelphia beat New Orleans 98-90 in Game 1 of the first-round series.
It's the best feeling in the world when you know the fans are enjoying it,'' Iverson said. When I'm out there on the basketball court in front of 20,000 people, and I'm making shots and they're into it and jumping up and cheering, that's what I get the goose bumps from because I know when these people leave this arena, that might be something they'll cherish for the rest of their life.''
Game 2 is Wednesday night in Philadelphia.
Iverson scored 20 points in the fourth quarter after his 3-pointer in the final minute of the third gave the 76ers the lead for good.
The three-time NBA scoring champion and former league MVP joined Michael Jordan, Rick Barry, Charles Barkley, Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor as the only players to score 55 or more in a playoff game. Jordan holds the NBA record of 63. Iverson is the smallest player among the group generously listed at 6-foot and 165 pounds.
That was his best ever, by far,'' Philadelphia coach Larry Brown said. He took it upon himself and did extraordinary things.''
It also was the most prolific offensive performance in a weekend filled with outstanding individual efforts in the opening games of the NBA playoffs.
The only player I've ever seen play like that was Michael Jordan,'' Derrick Coleman said.
Others shared his view.
It's right up there with Mike's 63,'' Hornets coach Paul Silas said.
It was the single-best performance I've ever been a part of,'' Philadelphia's Keith Van Horn said.
During the first seven games of the postseason Saturday and earlier Sunday, there was a 46-point performance by Dirk Nowitzki of Dallas and a 43-point outing by Orlando's Tracy McGrady.
Iverson outdid them by a bunch, scoring most of his points on jumpers. He hit nearly everything he tossed up with the exception of a stretch of five consecutive misses during the third quarter.
He must've been watching TV all day, watching all those young gunners putting up those numbers and he had the last game in prime time,'' the 76ers' Aaron McKie said.
With Philadelphia clinging to a two-point lead, Iverson came off a pick from Van Horn and hit a 3 to make it 89-84. On Philadelphia's next possession, he dribble-faked Stacey Augmon off-balance, stepped back and hit another 3 to reach 51 points and give the 76ers a 92-84 lead with three minutes left.
After the Hornets pulled to 94-90, Iverson used his lightning speed to drive around George Lynch for a layup that gave him his final points with 37.3 seconds left.
Iverson reached 50 points for the third time in 46 career playoff games. It was his ninth game with at least 40.
I caught a rhythm. The basket looked like an ocean, and I was just throwing rocks in,'' Iverson said.
Iverson reached 30 points just 3 1/2 minutes into the third quarter, but he missed his next five shots while being defended by Augmon before hitting a 3-pointer that gave the 76ers a 70-68 lead entering the fourth period.
Iverson then made his first four shots of the final quarter.
Eric Snow added 15 points and 10 assists and McKie had 12 for Philadelphia.
Jamal Mashburn led the Hornets with 28.
Iverson had six of his eight assists in the first quarter, the last of which was the niftiest. Iverson tossed an around-the-back pass to Tyrone Hill at the foul line, and Hill gave it back and made a backdoor cut. Iverson found him instantly, threading a pass to Hill right under the basket for a dunk that gave the 76ers a 25-18 lead.
