PHILADELPHIA – Allen Iverson hit a 15-foot jumper with 2.4 seconds left to cap a 36-point performance and give the Philadelphia 76ers a 103-101 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.
Iverson was 11-of-23 from the field and 12-of-12 from the free throw line to help the 76ers improve to 34-34, the first time they’ve been at .500 since Feb. 14.
With the game tied at 101, Toronto’s Jalen Rose missed a 10-foot jumper, setting up the final possession for the 76ers.
Chris Webber played his best all-around game with Philadelphia, finishing with 32 points, six rebounds and four assists. He was 15-of-25 from the field.
John Salmons hit a 3-pointer with 9:23 left to give the 76ers a 92-84 lead, but Toronto rallied to tie it at 98. After Rose received a technical foul for tossing his headband into the crowd, Iverson converted the free throw and Webber hit a 17-foot jumper for a 101-98 lead.
Rafer Alston’s 3-pointer with 1:29 remaining tied it again at 101.
Donyell Marshall led the Raptors with 26 points, including seven 3-pointers, and Chris Bosh added 24 points and a career-high 22 rebounds.
Rockets 81, Hornets 68
NEW ORLEANS – The Houston Rockets lost Tracy McGrady, but weren’t about to lose to the worst team in the Western Conference.
Bob Sura had 19 points and 11 assists, and former Hornet David Wesley added 15 points to help the Rockets beat New Orleans 81-68 on Friday night.
McGrady left the game early in the first quarter with a strained right hip, but Yao Ming scored 12 points – 11 in the first half – and Sura, Wesley and Scott Padgett (10 points) carried the scoring load in the second half.
Lee Nailon led New Orleans with 17 points but had little help. Dan Dickau, normally one of the Hornets’ leading scorers, missed his first nine shots and finished with five points, all in the fourth quarter. J.R. Smith scored 11 points.
Heat 125, Suns 115
MIAMI – Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat got absolutely everything they wanted Friday night.
Wade had 35 points – including a 65-foot heave to end the third quarter – and the Heat set a season high for points, clinched the Southeast Division title and moved past Phoenix for the NBA’s best record with a 125-115 win over the Suns.
Shaquille O’Neal had 12 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter and Eddie Jones added 23 for Miami (53-17), which won its 16th straight game at home and claimed its first division title since the 1999-00 season.
Spurs 111, Hawks 95
SAN ANTONIO – Brent Barry scored a season-high 23 points and five other San Antonio players reached double figures to help the Spurs snap a three-game losing streak with a 111-95 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.
The victory was the first for the Spurs since star forward Tim Duncan sprained his right ankle Sunday against Detroit. San Antonio also played without reserve guard Devin Brown, out with a bad back.
Pacers 94, Pistons 81
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – The Indiana Pacers had another bizarre trip to Detroit, with offcourt problems again overshadowing their play.
After the start was delayed for 1 hour, 25 minutes because of a telephoned threat that there was a bomb in Indiana’s locker room, Austin Croshere scored 15 points and Reggie Miller had 14 to lead the Pacers to a 94-81 victory Friday night.
“It’s very different when you have your lives threatened. It was disturbing,” Miller said.
Chauncey Billups led Detroit with 23 points and Rasheed Wallace had 15. The Pistons had won 12 straight at home.
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