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Spud Webb (1986 NBA Slam Dunk Champion, 12 years NBA, Atlanta Hawks, Sacramento Kings, Orlando Magic) came to watch us practice this morning!! He stands 5"7'/170cm & had his 1st dunk when he was 5"3'/160cm. He can probably still dunk today haha
Allen Iverson scored 17 points in the first quarter against the Orlando Magic. He barely slowed down thereafter.
Iverson finished with a career- and NBA season-high 60 points as the Philadelphia 76ers posted a 112-99 triumph over the Magic, who lost for the 14th time in 17 road games.
Iverson became the 18th different player to score 60 points in a game. The last to do so was Tracy McGrady, who had 62 for Orlando against Washington last March 10.
"I've never witnessed a performance like this in person," Philadelphia coach Jim O'Brien said. "This is the greatest performance that I've ever witnessed. I think we are witnessing one of the great careers in the NBA, put on by one of the most talented, tough and big-hearted guys that you'll ever see on the basketball court.
"I think we should all enjoy this while Allen is still in the NBA. I sure am enjoying coaching him."
A three-time scoring champ who entered this one leading the league at 29.0 points per game, including two with at least 50, Iverson staked the 76ers to a 31-22 edge after one quarter. He added 12 points in the second period to help open a 62-44 cushion at the break.
"I just felt that I was in real good rhythm," Iverson said. "The craziest thing about it, it wasn't a jump-shooting rhythm. It was just constantly attacking all night long. That's what I did and I guess that's why I went to the free-throw line as much as I did."
After Orlando reduced a 25-point third-quarter deficit to 82-71 on a jumper by Pat Garrity with six seconds left in the period, Iverson nailed a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to give him 40 points entering the fourth. He has six 40-point games this season and 56 in his career.
"I didn't settle for jump shots," Iverson said. "(Orlando) decided to play me one-on-one during the game and I just made them pay for it. I asked them, 'When are you going to trap me?' and they had a blank look on their faces and didn't answer. I assumed that they didn't know what to do at that point."
Iverson, who made 17-of-36 shots and 24-of-27 free throws, reached 50 points when he sank the first of a pair of free throws with 5:27 left. He matched his previous career high of 58 points - set vs. Houston on January 17, 2002 - with two free throws with 2:53 remaining, then reached the 60-point threshold on another pair from the line with 1:07 to play.
"It feels good right now," Iverson said. "Just knowing that we won the basketball game is the most important thing. I scored a career high and we won the game, that's how you draw it up in your dreams."
"He put relentless pressure on our defense, and then when he wasn't shooting free throws, he did hit some baskets," Orlando coach Johnny Davis said. "We tried to make a game of it late, but Iverson for sure controlled the game tonight. When we made a stretch run at him, he took over again, and made the baskets they had to have to keep their momentum going."
Iverson also became just the second player in franchise history to score 60 points in a game. The other was Wilt Chamberlain, who did it three times with the team. The last time was on December 16, 1967, when he scored 68 vs. Chicago.
"When you talk to me and mention Wilt Chamberlain in the sentence with me, I don't have any more words after that," Iverson said. "You mention somebody who is six feet, 165 pounds soaking wet and somebody seven some feet. That says a lot about the coaches that I've had in my career, the teammates that I've played with, and the family and friends that helped me get to this point. It's a tribute to the people that helped me get here and believed in me."
Steve Francis collected 32 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists for Orlando, which beat Philadelphia on January 22, 115-111, overcoming 38 points by Iverson.
The Philadelphia 76ers appeared
headed for their first loss of the season. Then Sportsmanship
Award winner Eric Snow was ejected for fighting.
Snow's shoving match with Tracy McGrady and ensuing ejection
sparked the 76ers, who rallied without their point guard for an
87-83 victory over the Orlando Magic.
The Sixers had just one free throw in the first five minutes of
the fourth quarter as the Magic opened a 72-68 lead. With 6:26
left, McGrady went up for a lane jumper and took exception to a
foul by Snow.
McGrady said something to Snow, who responded by putting his
finger in McGrady's chest. McGrady put both hands on Snow's
face and shoved him and both players were ejected.
"I said, `Get out of my face,'" Snow said. "He pushed me in the
face and I walked away clapping and they kicked us both out."
"I don't tough you, you don't touch me," McGrady said. "Don't
put your hands on me. And I retaliated after that. He touched
me and I reached out and that was that."
Snow sneered when his reputation as a hard but clean player was
brought up, while Magic coach Doc Rivers said his player should
have seen it coming.
"Sportsmanship? What's that got to do with anything?" Snow
said. "I didn't initiate it, you know what I'm saying? And I
don't care who you are in this league, you can be the best
samaritan in the world, but if someone pushes you, you got to
defend yourself."
"I try to tell Tracy that he is the target now," Rivers said.
"Guys are going to push and hit him, but if he's struggling
offensively, he can't get frustrated that he lets anybody get
under his skin."
Sixers players and coach Larry Brown argued the ejection of Snow
and center Theo Ratliff drew a technical foul. Orlando guard
Darrell Armstrong made the free throw for a 73-68 lead but the
Magic scored just seven points thereafter.
McGrady's departure hurt the Magic, who had to rely on a hobbled
Grant Hill and struggled to score down the stretch. Meanwhile,
Vernon Maxwell came on for Snow and teamed with fellow guards
Allen Iverson and Aaron McKie to score all of Philadelphia's 19
points in the final six minutes.
"Yeah, it fired us up. We were kind of (ticked) off," McKie
said. "McGrady takes a blow at his face and we get the stiff,
but we're a confident group. We've been in several games like
this throughout last season. You have to expect games like
this. These are the games you like to win."
Iverson scored 29 points and McKie contributed 14, drilling two
big 3-pointers down the stretch. Theo Ratliff added 14 points
and a career-high 17 rebounds for the Sixers (3-0), who won in
Orlando during the regular season for the first time since April
1, 1997, ending a five-game skid.
"These guys (Sixers) have been waiting for the opportunity to do
some big things out on the basketball court," Iverson said.
"They hear everything you write about us not having a shot
because we don't have the talent. But now, a lot of heads are
starting to turn and people recognize there's other guys that
are capable of doing big-time things in this league."
Three-time scoring champ hits career high
Allen Iverson gave the crowd an electrifying performance to remember. Then the fans returned the favor with raucous ovations he won't soon forget.
"That's when you get the goose bumps," Iverson said. "You honestly don't really feel it when the shots are going down. You don't ever get the goose bumps until the fans start to appreciate what you're doing out there."
The Philadelphia star scored 60 points, a career high and the most in the NBA this season, to lead the 76ers to a 112-99 victory over the Orlando Magic on Saturday night.
Iverson, averaging an NBA-leading 29.7 points, was 17-of-36 from the field and made 24 of 27 free throws. His previous high was 58 against Houston on Jan. 15, 2002.
"I score a career high and we won the game," Iverson said. "That's how you draw it up in your dreams."
It was the first 60-point game in the NBA since Tracy McGrady scored 62 for Orlando against Washington on March 10, 2004, Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal had the previous high in the NBA this season, scoring 55 points against Milwaukee on Jan. 4.
Iverson, who had 54- and 51-point performances in consecutive games in December, also had the fourth-highest total in 76ers' history, behind only Wilt Chamberlain.
Iverson scored 29 points in the first half, banging and crashing all over the court while helping the 76ers turn it into a rout.
After Orlando went on a mini-run in the third that cut a 25-point deficit to 11, Iverson hit a 3-pointer from the right side as time expired to reach 40.
Then Iverson earned a standing ovation for points 50 and 51.
He stole the ball and was fouled hard on a layup attempt, slamming against the floor as he seemingly always does. The crowd erupted and stood in appreciation for Iverson, who went to the line and made a couple of free throws.
It was the same for points 59 and 60 -- two more free throws. The fans were on their feet each time Iverson had the ball in the fourth quarter, giving a routine game the feel of a Game 7.
"When they're up, when they're making noise and they're feeling good, that makes you feel good, that makes you feel good about people coming out to see you," Iverson said. "It's something they might remember and cherish for the rest of their lives."
The game certainly left an impression on Sixers coach Jim O'Brien.
"I've never witnessed a performance like this," O'Brien said. "This is the greatest performance I've ever witnessed."
Iverson was consistent from the start, scoring 17 points in the first quarter, 12 in the second, 11 in the third, and 20 in the fourth. Eleven of his fourth-quarter points came from the line.
"It was just attacking, attacking, attacking all night," Iverson said. "I guess that's why I went to the free-throw line as much as I did. I didn't settle for jump shots."
The 76ers pulled within one game of Boston for the Atlantic Division lead and are one game under .500 (25-26). They haven't been at .500 since they were 6-6 on Nov. 26 and haven't had a winning record since they were 4-2 on Nov. 14.
Maybe Philadelphia needs more 40-point games from Iverson -- the 76ers are 5-1 when he reaches that mark this season. Iverson also had his ninth 50-point regular-season game. He's scored 50-plus three times in the playoffs.
Corliss Williamson added 18 points for the 76ers. He started in place of Kenny Thomas, sidelined by a back injury.
Steve Francis scored 32 points for the Magic, and Grant Hill had 16.
"It was one of those nights from a superstar performer," said Magic coach Johnny Davis, who coached Iverson in his rookie season (1996-97). "We had different defenders on him all night. He just had a dominant game."
