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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
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Allen Iverson stared directly into Vince
Carter's eyes, seemingly toying with him. He faked to his left,
then to the right, continued to dribble, shuffled back and nailed a
3-pointer over Carter's outstretched arm.
|  | | An injured Vince Carter gets checked out by a team trainer in the fourth quarter of Game 5. |
It was that easy for Iverson on Wednesday night.
The NBA's Most Valuable Player scored 52 points, including 29 in
the first half, as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Toronto Raptors
121-88 to take a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals
series.
"To me, (the basket) looked like an ocean," said Iverson, who
sprained his left thumb during the game. X-rays on the thumb were
negative.
Game 6 of the best-of-seven series is Friday night in Toronto.
Carter scored 16 points and Antonio Davis added 14 for the
Raptors, who trail for the first time in the series.
Carter left early in the fourth quarter when he was hit in the
head by 76ers center Dikembe Mutombo, but said he has just a
"major headache." Mutombo broke his pinkie and is listed as
day-to-day.
"I'll be ready (Friday)," Carter said.
Aaron McKie had 19 and nine assists for Philadelphia, and
Mutombo added 14 points and nine rebounds.
From the moment NBA commissioner David Stern presented Iverson
with the MVP trophy before the game, the night belonged to the
Sixers.
Philadelphia scored the first 11 points, led 17-4 midway through
the first and 33-12 after one quarter.
Toronto never got closer than 17 in the last three quarters. The
Raptors shot 53 percent in the first half, but trailed 62-40.
"They were ready; we weren't," Raptors coach Lenny Wilkens
said. "We were awful."
Iverson, who scored a career-high 54 points in Game 2 of the
series, displayed every weapon in his arsenal, especially his
3-point shooting. He finished 21-for-32, including 8-for-14 from
beyond the arc.
"People say I have a flaw in my game -- I'm not able to make the
outside shot," Iverson said. "My whole thing is to punish people
when they back up off me."
Iverson stopped and popped, penetrated with slashing drives,
hurled his spindly body all over the court and faked defenders out
of their shoes with regularity.
He hit a 3-pointer for his last shot, missed three straight 3s
and took himself out of the game with 4:45 left.
"The Little Kid is playing like the Most Valuable Player,"
Sixers coach Larry Brown said. "He's playing at a high level on
both ends of the floor."
The Sixers built a 25-point lead in the second quarter with
Iverson scoring 17 points and hitting four 3-pointers. Two of his
3s came right after Dell Curry hit a 3 for Toronto.
Iverson drilled a 3-pointer while falling out of bounds early in
the third, hit a long jumper as Chris Childs knocked him to the
floor, then put a classic move on Alvin Williams that left the
Raptors guard mumbling to himself.
Iverson took a pass, jab-stepped, dribbled behind his back and
hit a long jumper in Williams' face. He ran down the court, yelling
at Jerome Williams, who was waiting to enter the game. The Sixers
were critical of the way Williams celebrated during
Philadelphia's 84-79 victory in Game 4.
"Once he got it going, it was like he could make any shot he
wanted to," Wilkens said of Iverson.
Philadelphia's Jumaine Jones, starting the first game of his
career in place of the injured George Lynch, had nine points and
was an offensive spark in the opening minutes.
Jones began the game with an assist on a basket by Iverson,
nailed a 3-pointer then hit a jumper. He electrified the crowd with
a reverse slam on an alley-oop pass from Iverson that made it 13-4.
"He was a catalyst," McKie said of Jones. "They had to pay
attention to him and it got Allen going."
Game notes
Iverson is the second player to score 50 or more points
twice in a series. Michael Jordan did it against Cleveland in 1988.
Iverson's eight 3-pointers were a team playoff record. ... The
Sixers shot 60 percent for the game (47-for-78). ... The Sixers were
16-for-16 from the foul line, Iverson made just two free throws.
... Toronto committed 10 turnovers in the first quarter.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Toronto Clubhouse
Philadelphia Clubhouse
Raptors-76ers Series Page
Graduation beckons, but Raptors' Carter has other plans
Source: Sixers' Hill settles gambling debt with Oakley
RECAPS
Philadelphia 121
Toronto 88
AUDIO/VIDEO
 The Raptors sound off on their Game 5 loss to the Sixers.
avi: 1460 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN
Cable Modem
 Vince Carter said Allen Iverson's performance in Game 5 showed why he was named MVP.
wav: 140 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Coach Larry Brown felt the crowd's response gave the Sixers a big boost.
wav: 130 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Coach Lenny Wilkens thinks the Raptors lackluster play in the first quarter set the tone.
wav: 174 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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