Iverson's 37 Stings Hornets

It was payback time for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Ten days after the Charlotte Hornets snapped Philadelphia's season-opening 10-game win streak, Allen Iverson scored a season-high 37 points and a career-high 10 rebounds in a 95-74 win Friday night that broke Charlotte's six-game win streak.

"We heard guys talking about what they did in Charlotte," Theo Ratliff said of the Hornets' 88-73 win on Nov. 22. "I personally wanted to beat this team tonight."

Matt Geiger returned after missing the team's win over Washington on Wednesday with tendinitis in the right quad and scored 15 points in 22 minutes.

"We definitely called it a kind of revenge game," Geiger said. "You remember things like that."

"Iverson penetrated a lot more than last game," Hornets coach Paul Silas said. "He takes over the game when they need it."

Iverson, who has struggled with his shooting during the last few games, was pleased to break out.

"I finally found my shot and I hope it doesn't ever go away again," said Iverson, who was a combined 26-for-79 in the four games prior to last night. "I felt really good out there tonight."

Tyrone Hill added 13 points and Eric Snow had nine assists for Philadelphia.

Jamal Mashburn had 19 points and nine rebounds, Baron Davis added 18 points, eight rebounds and seven assists and David Wesley had 12 points for the Hornets, who lost for the first time since Nov. 17.

Wesley, who handled Iverson well in the previous matchup, noticed a difference in Iverson's play.

"He didn't settle. Instead of taking two dribbles and shooting, he took 15 and found ways to put balls in the basket," Wesley said.

After Charlotte scored the first nine points of the third quarter, Philadelphia went on a 21-4 run to open up a 65-50 lead. The advantage reached 15 at the end of the period when Iverson hit a 3-pointer with 2.9 seconds to go.

The spurt was highlighted by fast break as Iverson sent an outlet pass to Snow, who left it for the trailing Geiger, who dunked. Philadelphia extended its advantage to 23 in the fourth quarter.

The Hornets missed 15 straight field goals at the end of the second quarter and the early stages of the third.

"We put ourselves in the hole with turnovers and missed field goals," Silas said.

The Sixers scored 12 of the last 14 points in the final 5:54 of the second period while holding Charlotte without a field goal to pull ahead 44-36. Iverson had 17 points and eight rebounds in the half to pace Philadelphia.

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