Allen Iverson exciting highlights vs Paul Pierce Antoine Walker the Celtics 02/03 NBA

With three big men sidelined, the Philadelphia
76ers needed more than 25 points from Olympics-bound Allen Iverson.
They got a boost from Kenny Thomas.

Thomas tied his season high with 20 rebounds and scored 15
points as Philadelphia beat Boston 99-78 Thursday night to move one
game behind New Jersey for the Atlantic Division lead.

"I came out a little bit more aggressive in the second half,''
said Thomas, acquired from Houston in December. "I just tried to
go out and rebound, and if the points came, they came.''

He had seven rebounds and 10 points in the third quarter, when
Philadelphia erased a 44-43 halftime deficit and led 79-66 going
into the fourth quarter -- thanks to Iverson's 40-foot heave at the
third-quarter buzzer.

In the first half, Iverson had 18 of the 76ers' points, eight of
their 16 field goals, three of their six assists, five of their six
steals and their only blocked shot.

"I don't think this was Allen's best, but he did amazing
things,'' Philadelphia coach Larry Brown said. "Allen kept us in
the game early.''

Iverson said hasn't been notified officially, but a basketball
source told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity that the
76ers' guard will be asked to join the U.S. team for the 2004
Olympics.

"I didn't concentrate on it as much because I had a game to
play,'' he said. "It's just a great feeling to be able to
represent the USA.''

The 6-foot-7 Thomas represented the 76ers and their ailing
frontline very well.

"That's the way it has to be for any kind of successful team,
because this game is so physical and the season is so long,''
Iverson said.

Todd MacCulloch is on the injured list, Keith Van Horn missed
his third straight game with an injured left foot, and Derrick
Coleman didn't return after straining his left quadriceps in the
second quarter. He finished with six points and two rebounds in 14
minutes.

He didn't say if he would play Friday night at New York.

The 76ers didn't need him, finishing with 15 offensive rebounds,
six by Thomas.

"It seemed like 75,'' Boston coach Jim O'Brien said. "We did
not get the job done on the glass, no matter who we had in the
game.''

Boston was led by Paul Pierce's 24 points and 11 rebounds. But
Antoine Walker was held to 12 points, eight below his average.

The Celtics played their second game in two nights after
clinching a playoff berth with a victory at Washington on
Wednesday.

"We are a team that thrives on energy, and we didn't have any
energy to battle back,'' Walker said.

Boston fell 1 1/2 games behind New Orleans for the fifth spot in
the Eastern Conference and leads seventh-place Orlando by 1 1/2.

The Celtics started well, building their biggest lead of the
game, 14-4, with 6:09 left in the first quarter.

But a 9-0 run put the 76ers ahead 43-42 with 4.4 seconds left in
the first half. Then Tony Delk's layup with 1.6 seconds left gave
Boston a one-point lead at intermission.

The 76ers went ahead to stay on Tyrone Hill's jumper that made
it 45-44. They led 73-66, then scored the next 12 points -- the last
six of the third quarter and the first six of the fourth.

"We did all the gutty things'' late in the third quarter,
Iverson said. "When I was struggling, my teammates were there to
pick up the slack.''

Aaron McKie started the surge with a 3-pointer. After Iverson's
long shot, Thomas made two free throws, and McKie and Hill sank
layups for an 85-66 lead with 8:43 left in the game.

"They have really improved their depth,'' O'Brien said.
"Picking up Kenny Thomas in the middle of the year was a great,
great addition.''

Boston didn't score in the fourth quarter until Walker's layup
with 3:45 gone made it 85-68. Philadelphia took its biggest lead,
95-70, on McKie's basket with 2:09 left.

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