76ers Fall in Game 3

One game it was Eric Snow. Another it was Raja Bell. Even Matt Geiger and Todd MacCulloch had clutch performances. Kevin Ollie did his best to become Philadelphia`s latest unlikely hero, but the 76ers couldn`t get enough help for Allen Iverson and Dikembe Mutombo on Sunday night.

Aaron McKie took two shots in the first half, Tyrone Hill scored his only basket in the fourth quarter and Jumaine Jones finished with three points as the Sixers lost to the Los Angeles Lakers 96-91 in Game 3 of the NBA Finals. "If you told me I would play Raja Bell and Todd MacCulloch and Jumaine Jones for the world championship, that might be 2008 and I probably wouldn`t have been there," Sixers coach Larry Brown said. "But I asked these guys, I asked Aaron and I knew the guy had no legs in Game 2, but this is the only way you can play the Lakers."

Iverson had 35 points, 12 rebounds and four assists and Mutombo had 23 points and 12 rebounds.

Los Angeles leads the best-of-seven series 2-1.

"This is a long war and don`t be surprised if you see Game 7," Mutombo said, confidently.

Philadelphia has been successful throughout the playoffs because its role players have contributed and someone other than Iverson and Mutombo always seemed to come through with a crucial shot, key steal or big rebound.

Ollie, who had just checked into the game for the first time, got a huge offensive rebound, made a layup, got fouled and completed the three-point play to get the Sixers within 89-88 with 1:21 left.

But Snow then mishandled a pass from Iverson and, in the final minute, Bell missed a 3-pointer and Jones couldn`t get tap in a miss by Iverson that would have cut the deficit to two.

Trailing 84-82, McKie had an open 3 and missed. McKie, playing with a chip fracture in his ankle, injured his thumb in the first half and played with it bandaged.

"If I`m out there, I`m out there competing," McKie said, refusing to make excuses.

Shaquille O`Neal fouled out of the game with 2:21 left and the Lakers clinging to a two-point lead, but the Sixers couldn`t capitalize on the big man`s absence. Iverson immediately drove to the basket once O`Neal left the game, but missed a layup.

O`Neal got his fifth foul with 6:28 left, but Philadelphia didn`t try to draw the sixth by going after him inside.

"We called different sets, but we got in transition," Snow said. "We probably could`ve gotten the foul a lot earlier. I`ll take the burden for that."

McKie, averaging 16 points per game in the playoffs, finished with five points. He spent most of the game chasing Kobe Bryant around the floor. Bryant had 32 points, including a key basket on a high-arching runner in the lane in the last two minutes.

Bell had 10 points in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals and hit the biggest shot in overtime in Game 1, but he had just two points in 17 minutes.

"We had a lot of opportunities and we squandered them," Bell said.

Geiger, who scored 10 points in Game 1, hit both of his shots, but played just five minutes. MacCulloch, who had 13 points in Game 2, didn`t score.

"They hit some good shots, but at the same time, I think we all have to come to play, especially me," Hill said. "I haven`t been doing that and I think I`m letting the team down."

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

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Author: 6 ABC - Action News (AP)