|
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
GAME FLOW
PHOENIX (AP) – The Philadelphia 76ers got coach Larry Brown back for the last game of their four-game road trip. They could have
used Allen Iverson more.
|  | | Jake Tsakalidis, left, and Mario Elie put up a defensive wall in from of the Sixers' Aaron McKie. |
Phoenix had no such problem, with its key players healthy and playing well.
Jason Kidd had his seventh triple-double of the season and sparked the Suns in the fourth quarter as they sent the 76ers to their fifth consecutive loss, 84-71 Friday night.
Clifford Robinson scored 22 points for the Suns, who won their third straight to strengthen their hold on seventh place in the Western Conference playoff chase. They arrived home in the early hours Friday after a late game in Seattle.
"When you win, sometimes you just want to continue to keep
playing and keep the excitement and the energy high," Kidd said.
"We were supposed to be tired, but we kept pushing the ball at
them, being aggressive."
Aaron McKie scored 20, but Philadelphia, punchless without
Iverson, had only one other player in double figures in one of the
worst offensive showings in the team's history.
Had Jumaine Jones, who finished with 11 points, not hit a jumper with 1:03 left and dunked after a steal 22 seconds later, the Sixers would have tied the franchise-low -- a 67-point performance against New York on Feb. 19, 1999. They matched their season low.
"Defensively, we were playing as a unit, reacting to the ball
and doing everything that was in the game plan," Suns coach Scott
Skiles said.
The Sixers, on their first five-game losing streak since March
1998, finished 0-4 on their road trip despite the return of Brown,
who missed two games because of medical tests.
Kidd had 12 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds for his 38th
career triple-double. Although the Suns had an 83-65 lead, he was
kept in the game until he got his 10th rebound with 2:07 remaining
after Jake Tsakalidis took two away from him.
"I like that, though," Kidd said. "We need Jake to play like that -- to challenge players like (Dikembe) Mutombo."
Tsakalidis and Shawn Marion each had 12 points, and Tony Delk scored 11 for Phoenix.
Iverson, who has led Philadelphia in scoring in 56 of 66 games, missed all four road games because of a left hip pointer.
"He commands so much attention," McKie said. "He opens up the
game so much for a lot of other guys. You see two or three guys
chasing after him, and he gets other guys some shots. He's able to
create some things also."
Philadelphia had its last lead early in the third quarter, but
the game was tight until Kidd took over midway through the fourth.
Kidd got the last of his four steals when he took the ball from Kevin Ollie at midcourt and made a layup for a 71-61 Phoenix lead with 7:45 to play.
Seconds later, Kidd got a rebound and threw a long pass to Delk,
who made a layup with 7:16 to play. Delk made another layup with
6:40 to go, opening a 75-61 lead.
"It was like the gang that couldn't shoot straight," Brown
said. "I thought their defense was great and their effort was
phenomenal -- especially after last night and having a tough trip
back."
No more than four points separated the teams early until Kidd
took a defensive rebound end-to-end for a layup, then assisted on
two baskets by Marion for a 22-17 Phoenix lead with 2.5 seconds
left in the first quarter.
Ollie hit a 45-foot buzzer-beater, and the Sixers led early in
the second quarter before Vinny Del Negro capped a 9-2 surge with a
layup that sent Phoenix to a 36-29 lead with 7:48 left in the half.
Philadelphia rallied to tie twice and took a 49-47 lead on a
jumper by Eric Snow 1:57 into the third quarter.
But Mario Elie responded 11 seconds later with a 3-pointer,
starting the Suns on a 15-4 run that included two 3-pointers by
Robinson. The second opened a 62-53 lead with 4:15 left in the
third.
Game notes
The Sixers beat the Suns 104-98 in Philadelphia last month. ... Philadelphia has scored fewer than 80 points in four of its
last five games. ... The Suns are 31-14 against the Sixers in Phoenix, including 7-1 at America West Arena. ... The Sixers are 12-17 all-time in games Iverson has missed due to injury or suspension. ... Mutomobo, the NBA's top rebounder, had nine points and 13 rebounds, missing his first double-double in 10 games since being acquired by Philadelphia from Atlanta on Feb. 22.
 Send this story to a friend
|
|
ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Philadelphia Clubhouse
Phoenix Clubhouse
RECAPS
Indiana 95
Vancouver 75
Toronto 112
Atlanta 86
New Jersey 95
New York 86
Minnesota 101
Denver 90
Chicago 93
Charlotte 90
Milwaukee 115
Orlando 103
Phoenix 84
Philadelphia 71
LA Lakers 104
Washington 91
|
