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Saturday, Nov. 25 8:30pm ET
Balanced attack lifts Spurs to rout

RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME FLOW

SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Derek Anderson and Allen Iverson greeted each other with a smile and a hug at midcourt before the game.

It was about the only pleasant moment Anderson and the San Antonio Spurs allowed Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers all night.

Tim Duncan
San Antonio's Tim Duncan looks to pass around Philadelphia's Nazr Mohammed, center, and Jumaine Jones Saturday night.
Anderson and Antonio Daniels each scored 16 points and the Spurs kept Iverson in check for most of the game in a 96-76 rout Saturday night rout in what had been a highly anticipated matchup.

The 76ers had won their first 10 games and a season-high crowd of 33,046 was at the Alamodome. But Philadelphia's loss Wednesday at Charlotte, and San Antonio's total domination took the edge off the game.

The 76ers have lost two of their last three and have been held under 80 points three straight games.

Iverson led the 76ers with 21 points but struggled offensively with 7-of-18 shooting. He scored six straight points late in the fourth quarter when the Spurs led by 26 and the outcome was decided.

Sean Elliott and David Robinson each scored 12 points for San Antonio, which also got 10 points each from Tim Duncan, Danny Ferry and Malik Rose. Theo Ratliff had 19 points, 10 in the first quarter, for Philadelphia.

San Antonio controlled the game from the opening tipoff, running to an 8-0 lead and twice building leads of 19 points early in the first half.

After Ratliff's short jumper pulled Philadelphia to 24-16, Rose hit two free throws and Sean Elliott's 3-pointer made it 29-16. The 76ers never again got within 12 points.

The Spurs continued to stretch their lead with 50 percent shooting in the first half. Anderson hit two 3-pointers in the final 1:49 of the second quarter, including one with no time left to give the Spurs a 59-37 halftime lead.

Anderson, meanwhile, was just as tough on the other end of the floor, harassing Iverson into 2-of-9 shooting and six points in the first half.

A handful defensively, Anderson also gave Iverson an earful during the game.

"We were talking like 'Good move, but I'm gonna try to stop you next time,"' Anderson said. "It's not trash talking, just play hard."

"Derek did a fine job on Allen Iverson," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "You know, you need two or three people to guard this guy. He did a wonderful job of chasing him, staying in front of him."

Even when the Spurs struggled offensively, Philadelphia couldn't do anything to chip away at the lead. The Spurs were just 6-of-19 from the floor in the third quarter, but after Iverson's driving layup made it 71-51, Daniels answered with a 3-pointer. San Antonio twice led by as much as 30 in the fourth quarter.

"They looked great and made us look bad," 76ers coach Larry Brown said. "If we had played our best game tonight I'm still not sure we would have come out on top."

Defensively, San Antonio held Philadelphia to 35 percent shooting, including 1-of-10 from the 3-point line. The 76ers didn't hit a 3-pointer until Jumaine Jones connected with 27 seconds left.

Game notes
Elliott, who underwent a kidney transplant in 1999, is averaging 10.2 points and 29 minutes per game this season. ... Ratliff came into the game leading the league in blocks with 3.8 per game. He's been just as dangerous on offense with a league-best 61 percent shooting from the floor. ... The 76ers' Matt Geiger left the game in the third quarter with a strained right quadricep.


NBA Scoreboard

Philadelphia Clubhouse

San Antonio Clubhouse

RECAPS
Toronto 79
New York 75

Charlotte 109
Cleveland 98

Houston 91
Miami 80

Orlando 114
Atlanta 92

Dallas 108
Denver 84

Washington 107
Milwaukee 100

San Antonio 96
Philadelphia 76

Portland 86
New Jersey 84

Golden State 114
Minnesota 93

Phoenix 95
LA Clippers 89

Sacramento 125
Seattle 101


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