|
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
GAME FLOW
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- For someone who chased Allen Iverson around
for two hours, Eddie Jones had an awful lot left for his
game-winning shot.
| | Even we couldn't make this up: Seventy-six couples got married or reaffirmed their vows at halftime. |
Jones bounced in a 19-foot jumper with 2.2 seconds left, giving
the Charlotte Hornets a 95-93 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers
on Tuesday night.
Playing in the city where he starred in college, Jones ran down
the court after making the shot and glared at a heckler who'd been
giving him an earful for most of the fourth quarter.
"I just wanted to let him know, shut up," said Jones, who had
27 points against Iverson in a duel of the East's starting All-Star
backcourt. "They can say whatever they want, because it went in."
Iverson, who had 28 points, was closely guarded when he passed
up a chance at the game-winner. He passed to Aaron McKie, who
played with Jones at Temple. McKie barely got off a 20-footer that
was short at the buzzer as David Wesley ran at him.
"I thought his man was going to come help, because he was
playing off him," Iverson said. "Aaron recognized that, and he
called my name. ... I knew I only had 2.2 seconds. I had to do
something. I had to make a decision."
After Iverson tied it at 93 on a jumper with 23.6 seconds left,
Jones motioned for his teammates to clear out. Jones drove to the
middle and lofted a high-arcing shot that hit the backboard, the
front rim, the backboard again and went in to give the Hornets
their fourth straight victory.
"I've never seen a shot go in like that," Sixers coach Larry
Brown said.
Jones, who runs around screens in a style similar to Iverson's,
had McKie on him for part of the game, too.
"Both those guys gave me a hard time," Jones said. "Aaron
played great defense. Allen's a great offensive guy who likes to
play defense. He was running so much that I was really tired just
trying to keep up with him."
Elden Campbell had 19 points and 12 rebounds for Charlotte. Former Sixers forward Derrick Coleman showed up in the second quarter after a court hearing in Charlotte on a drunken driving
charge. He had 14 points in 27 minutes.
"It's been a long, hectic day," Coleman said.
Brown talked with Larry Hughes on Wednesday afternoon about
playing amid trade rumors, then sat the second-year player on the
bench for the entire second half -- with the exception of the last
play.
Hughes followed McKie's miss -- after the buzzer -- and hung on the rim for his only action of the second half.
"I'm not going to get into that," said Brown, who has been
entertaining trade offers for Hughes for weeks.
Charlotte took its first lead since the opening minutes when
Jones' 3-pointer made it 87-86 with 3:37 left. Iverson made a
running jumper to give Philadelphia an 88-87 lead with 2:46 to go.
Chucky Brown had a putback and a jumper -- which followed an
offensive rebound by Coleman -- and Iverson made one of two from the
line to tie it at 91 with 89 seconds left.
After a miss by Coleman, Iverson lost the ball while driving. At
the other end, Eric Snow poked the ball away from Wesley. It went
through Jones' legs -- apparently not touching him -- and stayed with
the Hornets. Coleman got fouled on a leaner and made both, making
it 93-91 with 32.6 seconds to play.
That's when Iverson got wide open for a 20-footer, leading to
Jones' clutch game-winner.
Coleman scored the last eight points of an 18-8 run that pulled
Charlotte within two, 66-64, with 2:37 left in the third. Anthony
Mason cut it to 69-68 with two free throws with 1:31 left in the
quarter, but Philadelphia led 73-69 going into the fourth.
Game notes Coleman left Charlotte about two hours before game time on
team owner Ray Woolridge's private plane. He goes back to court
Wednesday, team spokesman Jonathan Supranowitz said. ... Sixers
rookie Jumaine Jones left the team because at least one relative
was killed and others were missing in the south Georgia tornadoes
that killed as many as 22 early Monday. Coach Larry Brown said
Jones' sister was at first among the missing, but was found in a
hotel. ... 76ers forward Billy Owens did not play because of a sprained ankle. ... Theo Ratliff and Matt Geiger, the Sixers' two centers, got one defensive rebound between them -- Geiger's.
| |
ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Charlotte Clubhouse
Philadelphia Clubhouse
RECAPS
Charlotte 95 Philadelphia 93
Toronto 91 New York 70
Atlanta 103 New Jersey 86
Cleveland 92 San Antonio 81
Miami 107 LA Clippers 88
LA Lakers 88 Chicago 76
Denver 107 Minnesota 104
Milwaukee 112 Dallas 99
Houston 107 Detroit 102
Boston 101 Utah 99
Seattle 114 Washington 85
Portland 92 Golden State 83
Phoenix 117 Sacramento 108
|