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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- Sometime soon, Theo Ratliff
believes, he'll get the triple-double that keeps eluding him.
|  | | Theo Ratliff raised his league-best block average to four by recording eight on Tuesday. |
Ratliff had 14 points, 12 rebounds and eight blocks Tuesday on a
night when the 76ers didn't need much from Allen Iverson as they
beat the New Jersey Nets 104-87 to extend their winning streak to
seven games.
"I definitely think it's possible. I think I had one in
Cleveland (last Saturday when he was credited with eight blocks)
but they didn't count it," Ratliff said. "It's something that a
lot of the guys talk to me about. I've gotten close a couple of
times, but most of the time it's been on the road.
"And you don't get that home cooking on the road. They always
hold a couple in their pocket."
Iverson had a team-high 22 points for the Sixers, who won their
ninth consecutive road game and improved to an NBA-best 16-4 away
from home -- including 10-1 against teams from the East.
Next up is a home game Wednesday against the Portland Trail
Blazers, who come in with an eight-game winning streak.
Tyrone Hill added 17 points and 13 rebounds, Aaron McKie had 11
points and seven assists and George Lynch had 10 points and six
rebounds as all of Philadelphia's starters reached double figures.
Toni Kukoc came off the bench to add 11 points and eight points,
making three 3-pointers, to help the Sixers to a 30-24 edge in
bench scoring. Along with Philadelphia's unselfish play on offense
and a 50-31 edge in rebounding, it was more than enough to improve
the NBA's best record to 25-8.
"We were great tonight," coach Larry Brown said. "We
defended, rebounded, it was an all-around great game. Everyone who
played made a contribution, and Theo again was phenomenal
defensively."
Stephon Marbury had 25 points and Kenyon Martin added 19 points
and 12 rebounds for the Nets.
The Sixers took the lead for good on a shot hook shot by McKie
with 4:24 left in the first as they were outrebounding New Jersey
14-6 in the quarter. A 3-pointer by Jumaine Jones two minutes into
the second quarter made it 36-22, and Philadelphia led by double
digits for most of the rest of the first half.
The Nets cut their deficit to eight on a three-point play by
Johnny Newman with 1:44 left in the third, but Kukoc hit a
3-pointer, Iverson had two points and an assist and Ratliff had a
steal and an assist as Philadelphia closed the quarter with a 7-0
run to take a 15-point lead into the fourth.
Ratliff finished with three assists, one short of his
season-high. But it was his blocked shots that got him and his
teammates fired up. Ratliff has blocked at least seven shots in
three of his last four games.
"My teammates are learning me more and more, and if they funnel
their guy inside, stay away and not get the foul, most of the time
I'm going to challenge the shot and make them change the shot,"
Ratliff said. "To me, a block is just as exciting as getting a
dunk."
Game notes
Iverson passed Fred Carter (7,673 points) for 10th place on
the Sixers' all-time scoring list. ... A sore knee kept Kendall
Gill out of New Jersey's lineup. It's the same injury that forced
him to miss six games earlier this season. ... Keith Van Horn,
playing his third game after missing the first 32 of the season due
to a broken leg, made his first start and had 10 points in 38
minutes. ... Ratliff, the league leader in blocked shots, had four
blocks in the first 11 minutes. He also shot an airball on his
first free throw. ... Sixers fan Bill Cosby attended the game. ...
The Nets dropped to 2-9 at home against Eastern Conference teams.
... The Sixers are 13-0 when scoring 100 or more points.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Philadelphia Clubhouse
New Jersey Clubhouse
RECAPS
Charlotte 102
Chicago 95
Houston 110
Toronto 91
Seattle 95
Atlanta 86
Philadelphia 104
New Jersey 87
Milwaukee 99
Washington 95
San Antonio 112
Orlando 95
Utah 103
Indiana 99
Denver 112
Vancouver 105
FROM
ATHLETESDIRECT
Larry Brown Official Site
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