Indiana Can`t Keep Pace with 76ers

While Iverson, the NBA`s leading scorer, finished with 37 points, and Mutombo, the league`s No. 1 rebounder, hauled in nine rebounds, the reserves had their best game of the season.

Four players scored in double figures and six had more than five rebounds, as the 76ers beat the Indiana Pacers 104-93 Sunday, defeating the team that knocked them out of the playoffs the past two years.

"We played without Allen and Mutombo and we played well," coach Larry Brown said. "I thought that was the key to the game."

Mutombo was kneed in the stomach and left the game with 2:57 gone in the second quarter, returning at the start of the second half. His abdomen was bruised when Austin Croshere hit him with a knee under the Pacers` basket.

Iverson, who also leads the league in steals and minutes, sat on the bench for the final 6:58 of the period after collecting his third foul.

"We`re getting ready to go into the playoffs and what better time to come together than that," Iverson said. "It`s important for those guys to step up and play big and I`m not surprised when they do."

Tyrone Hill had 15 points and 13 rebounds for his 16th double-double of the season for Philadelphia. Hill took a terrific half-court bounce pass from Iverson for a driving layup to give the 76ers their biggest lead 85-65 with 9:46 left.

Philadelphia outrebounded Indiana 53-30, led by Hill, and Mutombo and Matt Geiger, each with nine. Jumaine Jones had seven rebounds and 11 points, and tied his season-high in minutes with 29.

The loss put Indiana a half-game behind Boston in the race for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

The victory was only the third in nine games for the 76ers, who are tied with San Antonio for the best record in the NBA.

"That`s a big win for us," Brown said. "The hardest games are against teams who are fighting for the playoffs."

Indiana rallied late in the fourth quarter with nine straight points, sparked by a 3-pointer from Jalen Rose. But the Pacers never got closer than eight, 98-90, with 1:02 left.

Rose, playing with five fouls for much of the fourth quarter, finished with 26 points -- 14 in the final period. Croshere had 21 points and nine rebounds off the bench.

Reggie Miller continued his cold shooting, going 3-for-14 for 11 points in 33 minutes. Miller, who averages 18.9 ppg, has shot only 5-of-32 over the past two games.

"It`s very frustrating," Miller said. "You want to play well in the big games. I just have to keep shooting."

Brown, the former Pacers coach, said he was "shocked" by Miller`s poor shooting, but current Indiana coach Isiah Thomas said he isn`t worried.

"If he gives us two bad ones out of 82 games, that`s all right," Thomas said.

Philadelphia never trailed, leading by as many as 13 in the second quarter and taking a 54-42 advantage at halftime.

Indiana stayed close with 20-for-20 from the free throw line in the first half. The Pacers didn`t miss from the line until 5:56 remained in the game.

Notes:
Iverson needs 12 3-pointers to top Hersey Hawkins, who leads the 76ers career list with 476 3-pointers. Iverson already leads the 76ers with 1,426 3-point attempts. ... Brown is the Pacers` all-time winningest coach, with a 190-138 record from 1993-97. ... Iverson was called for a technical foul late in the fourth quarter, his third in four games.

(Copyright 2001 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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Author: 6 ABC - Action News (AP)