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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – It wasn't until the fourth quarter that
Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers' defense finally made the
difference.
|  | | Sixers guard Allen Iverson shoots around Nets forward Aaron Williams in the third quarter. |
The Sixers outscored the New Jersey Nets 27-15 and held New
Jersey's top scorer, Stephon Marbury, to just two points in the
fourth to gain a 102-94 win Wednesday night.
"(The Nets) came out with a lot of energy, but I thought we
played much better defense in the second half," said 76ers coach
Larry Brown. "In the second half, they (Sixers) were all
incredible. They feed off of each other."
Iverson had 38 points, including 14 in the fourth, and was
13-for-14 from the foul line, making all six attempts in the last
quarter.
Philadelphia outrebounded the Nets 41-28, including 13-5 in the
final period, when the Sixers took their first lead since making
the game's first basket.
"The rebounding department is an issue because they did a
number on us, especially in the fourth quarter," said Nets coach
Byron Scott.
Tyrone Hill had 13 points and 14 rebounds, Aaron McKie scored 12
points and Dikembe Mutombo had 11 points and 12 rebounds for the
76ers, who have won three in a row and nine of their last 11.
Keith Van Horn scored 21 points, Marbury had 20 points and tied
a season high with 14 assists and Kenyon Martin added 14 points for
New Jersey.
With the Sixers holding a 91-90 lead, Iverson scored five
straight points to give them their biggest advantage, 96-90. After
Aaron Williams hit two free throws, Philadelphia scored seven of
the next nine to open up a 102-94 advantage with 35 seconds left.
The run consisted of a three-point play by Mutombo and jumpers by
Iverson and Eric Snow.
A 3-pointer by Iverson with 8:23 left in the fourth quarter gave
Philadelphia an 85-83 lead, its first advantage since making the
first basket of the game.
"When the game got tougher, they (Sixers) raised their level of
intensity," Scott said. "We couldn't match it."
The Nets held onto a lead for most of the third quarter, going
ahead by as many as seven. The Sixers tied the game at 62 but New
Jersey retained a 79-73 advantage after three.
New Jersey led by as many as 12 in the first quarter and eight
in the second, but the Sixers scored five of the last seven points
of the half to pull to within four, 56-52.
Each team shot the ball
well in the half, with Philadelphia making 21 of 38 (55 percent)
and the Nets hitting on 21 of 39 (54 percent).
"They were making shots in the first half but we tightened
up," said Hill. "It was hard for them to make the shots they were
making in the first half."
Game notes
Iverson suffered a left rib contusion after getting an
elbow from Marbury in a fourth-quarter collision. He also suffered
a fat lip. ...Philadelphia's Matt Geiger missed his second straight
game with mild swelling of the right knee. ...New Jersey's Lucious
Harris left the game in the third quarter with a strained right
calf and did not return. He finished with nine points. ...Two Nets
left the game bloodied in the third quarter. Evan Eschmeyer was hit
in the nose by Jumaine Jones and went to the locker room, while
Johnny Newman was cut on the right shin. Both returned in the
fourth quarter but Eschmeyer's nose was broken for the second time
in less than a month. ...The Sixers are 23-2 when scoring more than
100 points.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
New Jersey Clubhouse
Philadelphia Clubhouse
RECAPS
Milwaukee 101
Boston 94
New York 79
Indiana 75
Philadelphia 102
New Jersey 94
Houston 104
Atlanta 98
Washington 88
Cleveland 83
Dallas 93
Miami 86
Orlando 112
Detroit 102
Sacramento 100
Phoenix 89
Utah 86
Seattle 82
LA Lakers 97
Toronto 85
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