Iverson, 76ers Stun Sliding Magic
Philadelphia guard Allen Iverson got the 76ers off to a quick start this season. Now he wants to make sure they finish as strong.
Iverson scored 14 fourth-quarter points on his way to 38 to give Philadelphia a 103-86 victory over the Orlando Magic on Sunday, securing the team's fourth straight win.
"I knew I had to do something," said Iverson of his fourth quarter when the Magic cut the deficit to seven. "I just tried to step my game up at that point."
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But Snow's primary contribution was on the defensive end. He helped frustrate Orlando's leading scorer Anfernee Hardaway, who was just 2-for-13 with six points in the contest.
"Eric Snow played as perfect a game as you can play," 76ers coach Larry Brown said. "Our guard play was amazing today. I think it was also the best game that Allen has played."
The Magic, who lost for the fifth straight time and seventh in their last eight, got 18 points from Darrell Armstrong, Horace Grant and Nick Anderson.
"We just had a difficult time containing Iverson," Magic coach Chuck Daly said. "He's a terrific basketball player and he's really playing great."
Orlando, which trailed for all but the opening moments of the game, started to rally at the end of the third quarter and pulled to 72-66 after three quarters. But the 76ers, led by Iverson, exploded for a 14-4 run in the fourth. Iverson scored 10 points during the run, which allowed Philadelphia to open up a 90-73 lead with 6:07 to play.
Earlier this season, the 76ers might have faltered when the Magic made their run. This time, they hung tough and matched every Orlando surge.
"Early on, we had trouble handling runs," said Brown of some of his team's losses late in the gam early in the season. "Today we were always able to regroup."
The 76ers came out strong in the first half, jumping out to a 25-8 lead with 3:02 left in the first quarter. Iverson had nine points and Geiger added seven during a stretch when Philadelphia outscored Orlando 23-6.
But the Magic came back late in the first, finishing with a 14-4 run to cut the 76ers lead to seven after one quarter. They then scored the first five points of the second quarter to pull to within two on Grant's jumper.
Philadelphia followed by making nine straight field goals, opening up another 17-point lead when Iverson's driving layup gave the 76ers a 47-30 lead. Iverson scored seven of Philadelphia's final eight of the half to give him 19 at the break. The 76ers held a 53-38 advantage at halftime.
Notes:Yesterday's game with the Magic marked Philadelphia's first home contest televised nationally on NBC since March 28, 1993 when the network televised the return of former 76er Charles Barkley to Philadelphia after being traded to the Phoenix Suns. ... Philadelphia natives and Grammy Award winners Boyz 2 Men were surprise performers of the national anthem. ... 76ers forward George Lynch returned to the roster after missing seven games with a sprained right knee. To make room on the active roster, Philadelphia placed guard Doug Overton onto the injured list with a low back strain. ... The loss marked the first time since 1990-91 that the Magic have lost a season series to the 76ers.
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