Reply With Quote
Big n deal, look at where there team standings are, no point in scorin 30+ppg and ur team is below .500%, thats what u get for being to selfish and only lookin out for urself
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Allen Iverson made the most of the wide-open look Andre Iguodala never gave Kobe Bryant.
Iverson outplayed Bryant in an anticipated matchup of the league's leading scorers, scoring 34 points and sinking the winner with 22.2 seconds left to lead the 76ers to an 85-81 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.
Iverson - stumbling in the fourth quarter after he missed an easy layup, two free throws and was whistled for traveling - stepped just inside the 3-point arc and buried a jumper in the final seconds for an 83-81 lead.
Bryant missed a jumper over Iguodala with about 5 seconds left, and Iverson made two free throws to seal Philadelphia's third straight win after losing its first three.
Kyle Korver and John Salmons each hit critical 3-pointers in the final 2 1/2 minutes to pad the Sixers' lead, but it wasn't enough once Bryant finally got going.
Unable to find his shot all game against Iguodala's sticky D, Bryant came through in the final minute with a three-point play and then another basket with 37.8 seconds left to rally the Lakers and tie the score at 81.
But Iverson made up for a small stretch of miscues that nearly cost the Sixers, hitting a jumper that sent the crowd into a frenzy.
"Once they made one breakdown, they left me open and I got a good look at it," Iverson said.
Bryant came in averaging a league-high 34.8 points, but was held in check by Iguodala on 7-for-27 shooting.
"That's something we expect from Dre every night," Iverson said. "We know he has the ability to shut people down."
Chris Mihm picked up the slack inside with 20 points, and Lamar Odom added 16.
Iverson - second in the league behind Bryant with 29.8 points - fired up the Sixers and started a rally late in the fourth when he was challenged on his way to the basket.
After a rare miss on an uncontested fastbreak layup on the previous possession, Iverson was staggered on a hard foul the next time down by Sasha Vujacic. Vujacic threw his arm back and connected with Iverson in the neck, sending the feisty All-Star into a fit. He needed to be restrained from a possible fight.
Both players were whistled for technicals, so Iverson attempted only two free throws for the shot, and he paced around the court, agitated, before going to the line.
After he sank the first one, he turned to his left and glared at Vujacic. He hit the second to pull the Sixers to 69-66.
Iverson added two more free throws the next time down and Chris Webber followed with a spin move to give the Sixers a 70-69 lead.
But Iverson missed two free throws with the Sixers holding a 78-74 lead and traveled with 52 seconds left, allowing Bryant to make the game-tying running jumper.
Bryant missed his first eight shots before going up-and-under for his first bucket late in the second quarter. Bryant added another before the halftime buzzer to give the Lakers a 46-42 lead.
He was stifled in the first half (3-for-14) by Iguodala.
"That was a game I was forced to take a lot of shots with a hand in my face," Bryant said.
Iguodala might have concentrated too much on defense, because he was a non-factor offensively until his baseline jumper gave the Sixers a 73-71 lead. Iguodala made another timely play when Bryant was hit with an offensive foul for pushing off on the next possession.
Iguodala scored five points, but he finished with 11 rebounds.
"I had some shots I should have made," Bryant said. "We had difficulty down the stretch. We weren't able to capitalize on some makable shots."
While Bryant struggled, the Lakers relied on Mihm. The 7-foot center with the meager 6.8 points per average played outstanding, shooting 8-for-12 from the floor and finishing with nine rebounds.
Notes
Lakers G Aaron McKie got a standing ovation in his return to Philadelphia. McKie, who played at Temple and scored 4,143 points in seven-plus seasons with the 76ers, was averaging only 5.3 minutes and 0.5 points this season. "Just coming in this locker room alone is strange to me," McKie said. "I'm pulling for those guys (the Sixers), but at the same time we need to win." ... While McKie was cheered, Bryant was booed, the way he always is when he returns home. Bryant, who went to nearby Lower Merion High School, said the boos don't bother him. "I love it," he said. "I love it. I love it. I mean, I love it. This is where it all began for me." ... NBA referee Joe Crawford worked his 2,000th career game, joining four other refs to reach that mark.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/5075096
...this Iguodala will go places. He always plays well against the Lakers.
Big n deal, look at where there team standings are, no point in scorin 30+ppg and ur team is below .500%, thats what u get for being to selfish and only lookin out for urself
Hey i like this ref...NBA referee Joe Crawford worked his 2,000th career game, joining four other refs to reach that mark.
i can't understand WHY Philadelphia continues to boo Kobe, is the reason Kobe not playing for their team or what?While McKie was cheered, Bryant was booed, the way he always is when he returns home. Bryant, who went to nearby Lower Merion High School, said the boos don't bother him. "I love it," he said. "I love it. I love it. I mean, I love it. This is where it all began for me." ...
Do they think their team can handle 2 selfish players playing alonside each other?. Maybe AI's not a egoistic as Kobe but i think he'll demand the ball and minutes more than any of his teammates.
Last edited by milkyway21; 11-12-2005 at 01:00 AM.
I went to the Lakers/Sixers game last season and Kobe was booed there as well. Ironically, I see so many people around town wearing Kobe's jersey.
As for why the boo Kobe, it's because he went to the local High School and Kobe really hasn't done much since he went into the NBA for his old school or really visited Philly or whatever. I think that's why we boo him. Oh and the whole alleged rape and adultry thing doesn't help his cause either.
not saying you're wrong, but who is he supposed to pass it to? of course you're going to look selfish when you're the only good player on the team*.
*chris webber sucks.
I don't know why people call AI selfish. He averages something like 7-8 assists per game. I'll give you that he never passes when the game is close in the 4th quarter, but as previously stated, look who's on that team. What if Tim Duncan was surrounded by those players...you're telling me you wouldn't want Tim Duncan to shoot the ball in the 4th quarter of close games every time down the stretch?
AI is a little selfish, but then again so are most of the other teams in the league who have one superstar on their team. See Paul Pierce in Boston, Wade in Miami, Dirk in Dallas, Kobe in LA, Arenas in Washington, etc.
oh i don't mean to say he is in any way an unselfish player, just that he is easily the best player on his team. I don't know if he's been coached poorly so much as he just hasn't been coached at all. like rasheed, larry kind of ended up letting him do whatever he wanted, any time he tried to coach him they had conflicts. he is an amazing talent, but i don't know if it will ever translate into a championship. The spurs, pistons and pacers are kind of moving the nba into a more team oriented game, and i'm not sure that will ever work for AI.
For all the reasons mentioned and the 2001 Finals.
Why isn't the discussion about that guy Iguodala? There must be a good reason why Bryant shot worst than Iverson in that game, right?
who needs a reason to boo kobe?
This looked like a great game, too bad I missed it. Andre > Kobe
He gets lots of assists yet doesn't win a lot of games and never seems to make his teammates any better, which is what a superstar is supposed to do. The argument that he never has good teammates is starting to wear thin.
On the other hand, he's easily one of the most talented scorers I've ever seen, and if he were 6'6", he'd probably be mentioned as a greatest-ever caliber player. He's done everything there is to do in the league except win a le, and he managed to win a game in the finals against a team that steamrolled everybody else in the playoffs.
You might say he's the ultimate individual in the NBA.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
