Allen Iverson 54pts vs Cleveland Cavaliers 2001 MVP Season

Allen Iverson keeps scoring and the Philadelphia 76ers keep winning. One night after a 41-point effort in Philadelphia's most lopsided win of the season, Iverson scored an NBA season-high and career-best 54 in a 107-103 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. "It was like he was playing horse tonight," said 76ers guard Aaron McKie, who had 20 points and nine assists. "His jumper was deadly." Using mostly jump shots, Iverson went 20-of-30 from the field. He also hit 10-of-13 free-throw attempts en route to his third career 50-point game and first since February 6 against Sacramento. "When your jumper is on, the basket seems like an ocean and the basketball seems like a rock," he said. "That is the way it felt tonight. "My teammates are the ones that set the screens for me and got me the ball in spots where I need the ball. My coach calls the plays and I wouldn't set a career high without those guys." The 1998-99 NBA scoring champion, Iverson broke his own Gund Arena record for points. He has fond memories of this building, having scored 50 points in a 125-118 loss in April 1997 after being named Most Valuable Player of the rookie game at All-Star Weekend that same year. "Coming here is something special because I remember I came in here and won the MVP of the rookie game in 1997," he said. "All I heard was boos and didn't understand it. I always look forward to coming back here to play in front of these people." The 76ers extended their winning streak to six games and improved the league's best record to 24-8. They have won eight straight on the road, three shy of a franchise record. Theo Ratliff chipped in 12 points, nine rebounds and nine blocks for Philadelphia, which was coming off Friday night's 121-89 home rout of Seattle. Despite Iverson's 54 points, the Sixers could not shake Cleveland, which closed within 103-99 on a three-point play by Lamond Murray with 67 seconds left but could not get any closer. "I thought our guys gave what they could," coach Randy Wittman said. "They ran into a guy that had it going tonight. I thought we gave a great effort but just couldn't overcome his 54 points." Andre Miller had 22 points and 14 assists for the Cavaliers, who have lost three straight and eight of nine after a six-game winning streak. The Cavs got within four points five times before Miller cappedthe scoring with a dunk, but the trio of Iverson, McKie and Ratliff foiled them each time. Murray's three-point play with 67 seconds left got Cleveland within four points but Ratliff followed with a 15-footer and Iverson added two free throws for a 107-99 lead with 22 seconds to play. Playing for the second straight night, the Sixers trailed 15-4 less than five minutes into the game. But Iverson scored eight points and Ratliff added six during an 18-6 run that gave Philadelphia a 27-25 lead after one period. The Sixers never trailed again, leading by as many as 11 points three times. Iverson, McKie and Ratliff combined for 26 of 29 Sixers points as they turned a 15-4 deficit into a 33-29 lead 3:15 into the second quarter. The lead hovered between five and 10 points until a layup by Rodney Buford made it 55-44 with 73 seconds to play in the first half. The Sixers took a 56-48 lead into the locker room behind Iverson's 28 points. Iverson scored Philadelphia's first 13 points of the third quarter on a trio of jumpers, a 3-pointer, a three-point play and a free throw for a 69-61 lead with 6 1/2 minutes left in the period. "He was amazing," Sixers coach Larry Brown said. "He shot the ball as well as you can shoot it because there weren't a lot of easy shots. People had a hand in his face." "What a Larry Brown team does really well is spread the floor well for Allen," Cleveland guard Jim Jackson said. "It's really hard to stop a guy like that on the perimeter." The Cavs got within 72-69 on a basket by Miller with 2:59 left in the third but the Sixers never withered under the pressure, maintaining at least a four-point lead the rest of the way. Tyrone Hill scored nine points for Philadelphia, which shot 53 percent from the field (39-of-73) to overcome 21 turnovers. Iverson, McKie and Ratliff combined to go 31-of-52 from the floor. The Sixers also held a 42-39 edge in rebounding as Cavs rookie center Chris Mihm suffered a knee injury early in the second quarter and did not return. Murray and Clarence Weatherspoon scored 19 points apiece and Chris Gatling added 18 for Cleveland, which shot 48 percent from the floor (41-of-86) and 83 percent from the line (20-of-24).

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YouTube | September 23, 2007

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