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Kobe's 45 leads Lakers past Pacers 96-90
(AP)
Updated: 2006-01-10 14:03
David Harrison and O'Neal each scored five points as the Pacers jumped out to
a 14-8 lead. Bryant scored 11 points in the last 5:45 of the opening period to
spark a 16-8 run that put the Lakers ahead 24-22.
PHILADELPHIA - Allen Iverson scored 41 points, John Salmons had 18 and Kyle
Korver 17 to lead the Philadelphia 76ers over the Seattle SuperSonics 107-98 on
Monday night.
Seattle
Supersonics' Robert Swift, rear,guards Philadelphia 76ers' Allen Iverson
in the first half of their NBA basketball game Monday, Jan. 9, 2006, in
Philadelphia. [AP] | Certainly returning home
provided an immediate fix for the slumping Sixers. When they left for a 15-day,
seven-game road trip, they were in first place in the Atlantic Division; they
returned four games back in the division race after a 2-5 mark.
The Sonics have been just as bad, finishing 1-4 on a road trip that saw them
fire Bob Weiss and replace him with Bob Hill. Hill promised a quicker pace and
improvement on defense as ways to turn around Seattle's disappointing season.
Well, Seattle's league-worst defense still needs some work.
Iverson scored 40-plus points for the eighth time this season as he chases
Kobe Bryant for the league scoring title. Iverson wasn't the only one getting
open looks — the Sixers shot 53 percent from the floor, seven points higher than
their average.
Chris Webber sat out with a lower back strain and was listed as day-to-day.
Coach Maurice Cheeks was hopeful that some rest would allow Webber to return for
Wednesday's game against Utah.
Salmons started in Webber's place and hardly missed a beat on 7-for-9
shooting. Andre Iguodala had 16 points and Samuel Dalembert 11 to put all five
starters in double digits.
Ray Allen led the Sonics with 27 points and Vladimir Radmanovic had 15 points
and 12 rebounds.
The Sonics rallied from a 19-point deficit to pull within six late in the
fourth quarter following a pair of 3-pointers by Allen and a couple of free
throws from Rashard Lewis.
Korver, though, sank his fifth 3-pointer and Salmons added a 3 of his own to
build the lead back to nine. Stuck on 39 points for a while, Iverson sank two
free throws to push him over 40 and give the Sixers a 106-95 lead.
Iverson scored nine points during a 19-5 run in the third quarter that gave
the Sixers a 79-60 lead. Iverson usually drove through a lane that offered
little resistance and little reason for the All-Star to resort to his usual
banging and crashing all over the court.
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