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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
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SHOT CHART
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GAME FLOW
TORONTO (AP) -- Nobody came close to scoring 50. The biggest shot
in this game was the one that gave Allen Iverson 30.
|  | | Vince Carter led the Raptors with 25, but it wasn't enough on Sunday. |
Iverson nailed a 3-pointer with 2:21 remaining to break the last
tie, and the Philadelphia 76ers regained their poise and came up
with enough of a balanced attack to beat the Toronto Raptors 84-79
Sunday.
"Nobody ever told me that winning a championship was easy, and
I found out the hard way that isn't easy to win a playoff game,"
said Iverson, who shot 10-for-30 but came though in the clutch
after Toronto had rallied from a 16-point deficit.
The 76ers evened the best-of-seven series at two games apiece
and regained homecourt advantage heading into Game 5 Wednesday
night.
All the news wasn't good, however, as starting small forward
George Lynch fractured his left foot in the third quarter and will
be out for the rest of the playoffs.
"It's disappointing because we've figured out what we need to
do to stop the Raptors in this series -- we have to slow the ball
down and get our defense set. We did that today and built a nice
comfortable lead for most of the game," Lynch said.
The Sixers also played with the energy and determination that
had been missing in Game 3, prompting them to call two players-only
meetings to clear the air.
Aaron McKie, the NBA's sixth man of the year, moved into
Philadelphia's starting lineup and had 18 points, five assists and
five rebounds. He also spent almost the entire game defending Vince
Carter, helping hold him to 25 points on 8-for-27 shooting.
Dikembe Mutombo bounced back from a poor Game 3 and had 13
points and 17 rebounds for the Sixers, who won despite Tyrone Hill
being in foul trouble throughout the game and Lynch leaving late in
the third quarter.
"I told them after the meeting that I wasn't worried at all
about this game," Iverson said. "I really felt we were going to
get this game, and I found out more about my teammates in this
game."
Iverson wasn't at his best, shooting 3-for-12 in the second
half, but he did hit the one shot that deflated the Raptors after
they had spent so much time clawing their way back.
It was a straightaway 3-pointer over Carter with 2:21 left that
gave the Sixers an 81-78 lead.
"I couldn't make a shot in the second half, but I thought I
could make that one and kind of turn things around for us, and
fortunately I was able to hit it," Iverson said.
Said Eric Snow: "They had just tied the game and thought they
had the momentum, but that was a big momentum-breaker right
there."
Antonio Davis and Charles Oakley committed turnovers on
Toronto's next two possessions, and Iverson hit Snow with a pass
for an open jumper that put Philadelphia ahead 83-78 with 1:48
left.
This series had been marked by spectacular games by Iverson (54
points in Game 2) and Carter (50 in Game 3), but this one was more
pedestrian. Iverson finished with 30, while Carter led Toronto with
25.
Davis added 15, Alvin Williams had 14 and Oakley had 11 rebounds
and 11 rebounds to accompany a handful of mental errors -- the worst
of which came when he dribbled the ball 50 feet upcourt with the
clock ticking inside 50 seconds and Toronto trailing by four.
Iverson came up behind him and stole the ball.
"I was going for the basket, but he snuck up behind me like a
cornerback and made the interception," Oakley said.
McKie, who replaced Snow as a starter, scored 10 points in the
third quarter to help keep Philadelphia in front. Lynch injured his
left foot late in the same quarter when he stepped on Alvin
Williams' foot. He was to undergo surgery Sunday night for a
fractured fifth metatarsal.
The problem for the Raptors in the first half was their accuracy
-- they managed to get open shots but couldn't put them down. Oakley
missed all six of his shots in the half, and Toronto missed 10 in a
row during the second quarter to drop their percentage to 22.2.
McKie scored Philadelphia's first eight points of the third
quarter, and a three-point play by Mutombo off an offensive rebound
gave the Sixers a 60-46 lead.
Oakley hit a 3-pointer with 15 seconds left that allowed Toronto
to cut its deficit to 70-61 entering the fourth, and Carter opened
the final quarter with a 3-pointer to make it a six-point game.
In most games, that would be when Iverson would start to take
over. But Toronto sent double-teams at him and forced him to give
the ball up, leading to two missed jumpers by Snow, a forced jumper
by Iverson, an offensive goaltending violation and a missed
20-footer by Iverson on the Sixers' next five possessions.
Toronto pulled within three and twice missed chances to get
closer, and a layup by Hill -- his first points of the game -- with
4:10 left gave the 76ers a 78-73 lead.
A tip-in by Carter, another missed jumper by Iverson and a
3-pointer by Childs allowed the Raptors to finally tie the game at
78-78 with 2:46 left. But Iverson immediately answered with a
3-pointer, and the Sixers held the lead the rest of the way.
Game notes
Referee Steve Javie was in an intolerant mood, issuing
technical fouls to Larry Brown, Childs and Hill within a span of
2:34 in the second quarter. ... Toronto coach Lenny Wilkens used
his reserves for a total of just 20 minutes -- eight each for Jerome
Williams and Dell Curry, four for Keon Clark.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Philadelphia Clubhouse
Toronto Clubhouse
Raptors-76ers Series Page
RECAPS
Charlotte 85
Milwaukee 78
Philadelphia 84
Toronto 79
LA Lakers 119
Sacramento 113
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Watch the action as the Sixers take Game 4 and move the series back to Philadelphia.
avi: 1505 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN
Cable Modem
 Game 4 was a win-at-all-cost game for Allen Iverson and the Sixers.
wav: 252 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Larry Brown says he is proud of his team.
wav: 181 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Lenny Wilkens says his team didn't shoot well against Philadelphia in Game 4.
wav: 118 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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