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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- George Lynch figured it was his time to lead the Philadelphia 76ers, even if it meant not playing his normal game.
|  | | When he wasn't scoring a season-high 23 points, the Sixers' George Lynch played some pretty mean defense on the likes of Clarence Weatherspoon. |
Lynch scored a season-high 23 points and Allen Iverson added 22
as the 76ers matched the best start in franchise history -- 8-0 -- with a 107-98 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night.
"My shot opportunities were there. I knew I had to come out of my shooting slump sometime," said Lynch, who averaged 7.3 points entering the game. "I always wanted to score, but my role is to be a defensive player. If you watched the way we played last year, other than Allen, someone else has to step up."
Philadelphia also opened the 1979-80 season with eight straight wins and went to the NBA Finals.
Iverson, playing with a sprained left ankle, overcame a slow start and sparked an 18-0 run in the third that gave the Sixers control of the game.
Clarence Weatherspoon scored 24 points and Robert Traylor added
a career-high 17 for Cleveland, which began the night with the
second-best record in the East.
Theo Ratliff had 15 points and six blocks for the Sixers.
"I was disappointed in my first half, and I wanted to come in and ignite the team," Ratliff said. "George kept us in the game with his scoring."
The Sixers erased a five-point deficit and took their first lead since the opening minute on a fast-break layup by Iverson that made it 59-57 with 9:42 left in the third.
Iverson had seven points during the run, including a layup and
free throw for a three-point play as the Sixers built a 70-57 lead.
Lynch nailed a 3-pointer early in the run, and Ratliff had a
thunderous slam over Zydrunas Ilgauskas and three blocks, including two on consecutive shots by Weatherspoon.
The Cavaliers went 5:19 without a point. Philadelphia led by as many as 15 points in the fourth.
"The difference was their ability to sustain their pressure
offensively and stay after us for four quarters," Cleveland coach
Randy Wittman said.
Lynch scored 14 of his points in the first half.
"I don't like it," Sixers coach Larry Brown joked. "I like him to do the dirty work. He did a lot of good things."
The Sixers, the only undefeated team in the NBA, will play nine of their next 11 games on the road after a home game against Miami on Friday. Philadelphia has already won at New York, Orlando, Miami and Minnesota.
"I'm proud of my team. I'm proud of the fact that we've had some injuries and we've had a lot of guys step up and play well and we played unselfishly," Brown said. "But it's eight games and we've got to keep that in mind.
"Any game we can steal now maybe will make things a little
easier if we're in a position late, which hasn't been a luxury
here"
Cleveland took a 22-12 lead after a 12-2 run midway through the
first quarter. The Cavaliers dominated inside early on as Ilgauskas
and Weatherspoon combined for 22 points in the first quarter.
A jumper by Bimbo Coles gave Cleveland its biggest lead of the
game, 37-26, early in the second. But the Sixers cut it to 53-52
with a 10-2 run to end the first half.
"They turned the defense up and we didn't respond," Traylor
said.
Game notes
Eric Snow, who had scored 20 or more points in three
straight games, had 13. He added seven assists. ... Cleveland
outshot the Sixers 53 percent to 51 percent, and outrebounded them
38-31. ... Philadelphia hasn't allowed 100 points yet. ... Reserve
guard Pepe Sanchez, a former Temple star, entered the game to a
standing ovation in the final minutes.
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NBA Scoreboard
Cleveland Clubhouse
Philadelphia Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 116
Washington 109
Philadelphia 107
Cleveland 98
Indiana 92
Detroit 88
Milwaukee 84
Atlanta 74
Minnesota 92
Golden State 90
New Jersey 93
Miami 91
Phoenix 99
Dallas 78
LA Clippers 78
New York 74
AUDIO/VIDEO
 George Lynch launches the downcourt pass to Allen Iverson for the easy bucket.
avi: 692 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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