Injured 76ers Eek Out Win

After finding out earlier in the day that his sprained ankle was actually broken, Eric Snow decided to take a huge risk and play anyway. Without him, the 76ers couldn`t have won.

Snow, obviously limping at times, hit two jump shots in the final two minutes for Philadelphia`s final four points and the 76ers overcame another poor shooting performance by Allen Iverson to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 89-88 Wednesday night in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals. The victory wasn`t assured until Glenn Robinson missed a 10-footer from the baseline and Ray Allen missed a tip-in at the buzzer.

Iverson finished just 5-for-27, but Snow shot 7-for-9 in scoring 18 points as the 76ers added another chapter to their season-long story of overcoming whatever problems might occur.

The series resumes Friday night at Milwaukee, where the 76ers will try to advance and face the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals.

Dikembe Mutombo of the 76ers had his best game of the series with 21 points, 13 rebounds and 9-for-9 shooting from the foul line, while Aaron McKie added 15 points and had four of Philadelphia`s 13 steals.

The Sixers, who trailed by as many as 16 points in the first half, needed all they could get from those two as Iverson struggled from the field for the sixth straight game. Iverson missed his first seven shots, nine in a row later and his final three of the game.

Robinson had 22 points, Allen added 20 and Sam Cassell had 18 for the Bucks, who allowed the 76ers to have two four-point possessions and one five-point possession by picking up two untimely flagrant fouls and one technical foul.

Those 13 points ended up being huge for the 76ers, who shot just 37 percent from the field and turned the ball over 14 times.

The Bucks led throughout the first half but lost their edge when Cassell picked up a technical foul and Robinson was charged with a flagrant foul in the third quarter.

The 76ers scored four straight points from the line on both calls, then took an 85-82 lead with 3:49 left on a five-point possession as Tim Thomas flagrantly fouled Tyrone Hill, who made both free throws, and McKie converted an offensive rebound and drew Ervin Johnson`s sixth foul.

Milwaukee scored the next four points before Snow hit a wide-open jumper from 15 feet. Allen was then called for a questionable offensive foul, Iverson missed a drive and Thomas threw away a pass after Milwaukee grabbed an offensive rebound.

With the clock ticking inside 35 seconds, Snow hit a 20-footer to make it 89-86.

Milwaukee`s Jason Caffey scored from the lane with 18 seconds left, and the Bucks fouled McKie with 13.9 left.

The 76ers had made 25 of 26 free throws to that point, but McKie was short on both attempts.

Milwaukee got the ball to Robinson for a good shot, but it wouldn`t go _ and neither would Allen`s tip.

The Sixers now have a 3-2 lead in the series, and teams which have taken such a lead gave gone on to win 83 percent of the time.

Snow`s latest ankle injury is worse than originally believed. In addition to a sprain, he also has a hairline fracture of the ankle running perpendicular to a two-inch long screw that was inserted after a previous fracture.

Sixers team physician Dr. Jack McPhilemy said there is a risk of further injury and that Snow had made the decision to play. Snow risks breaking the screw or further displacing the fracture, and the team doctors did not recommend one way or the other whether he should play.

Snow wore a special brace on the ankle in addition to heavy tape to protect it from a 90-degree turn.

"I just wanted to come out here and see what I can do," he said afterward.

Allen made the first basket of the game, a 3-pointer that gave the Bucks a lead they never relinquished, but he ceased to be much of a factor after that. Robinson hit a 3-pointer to give Milwaukee its first 10-point lead, 17-7.

Iverson finished the first quarter shooting 2-for-10, and he missed all three of his shots in the second quarter. Mutombo (13 points) and Snow (10 points) kept the 76ers within striking distance through the second quarter, but Thomas had four foul shots in the final minute to help Milwaukee take a 51-42 halftime lead.

Iverson missed a wide-open corner jumper early in the third quarter, making him 2-for-18 from the field, and everything seemed to be going Milwaukee`s way as Cassell hit consecutive jumpers over Iverson for a 63-55 lead.

Moments later, though, Cassell fouled Iverson on a 3-point attempt and picked up a technical foul for arguing. Iverson hit all four free throws, Mutombo converted a hook shot and Iverson finally hit a jumper _ making him 3-for-20 _ to tie it at 63-all with 2:40 left in the third.

McKie closed the third quarter with a 3-pointer and Philadelphia scored the first four points of the fourth for a 74-70 lead, but Allen went under the basket for a nifty reverse layup that turned into a three-point play and then hit a 3-pointer and a foul shot for a four-point play that gave the Bucks a 77-74 lead.

There were two ties and three lead changes the rest of the way.

Notes:
Robinson, who complained that he hadn`t attempted a foul shot in the first four games, went to the line with 7:36 left in the first quarter but missed his first attempt. ... Mutombo and Iverson had plenty of Georgetown supporters in the stands with Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning and John Thompson in the building.

(Copyright 2001 by the Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

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Author: 6 ABC - Action News