NBA Roundup: Sixers paste Portland

Iverson inspired by ex-Philly players

? With some of the greatest players in 76ers history watching, Allen Iverson showed off a little.

Iverson had 22 points, matched a season-high with nine assists, grabbed four steals and did not turn the ball over in a 90-79 win over the Portland Trail Blazers Friday night.

“He had an amazing game, especially down the stretch when he got us some really good shots,” Sixers coach Larry Brown said. “This is by far his best year, on both ends of the court.”

Iverson’s performance came on the night when the 76ers honored the 1982-83 championship team at halftime. He acknowledged that it was a special night for him seeing the fans’ reaction to his predecessors.

“This was something that I will cherish for the rest of my life,” Iverson said. “This sends me another message of how blessed I am. Hopefully one day I can come back and get the same response.”

The Sixers improved to 13-2 since the All-Star break and snapped Portland’s three-game winning streak.

Hornets 87, Heat 83

Miami — Jamal Mashburn scored 21 points, and P.J. Brown added 20 as New Orleans rallied in the second half to defeat Miami, completing a four-game sweep of the season series. Mashburn and Brown combined for 16 points in the fourth quarter against their former team to help the Hornets pull away.

New Orleans won for the 10th time in 12 games. The Hornets have won 10 straight against the Heat.

Pistons 90, Wizards 80

Auburn Hills, Mich. — Chauncey Billups scored 25 points, and Ben Wallace had a season-high 17 points with 24 rebounds as Detroit beat Washington. Michael Jordan was pushed further away from his hope of ending his career in the playoffs. Jordan scored 15 for Washington, which has lost five of seven and is one game behind Milwaukee for the final playoff spot.

Mavericks 116, Warriors 114

Oakland, Calif. — Eduardo Najera hit a short jumper with three seconds remaining as Dallas prevailed in a frantic fourth quarter to beat Golden State. Michael Finley scored 15 of his 21 points in the second half as the Mavericks snapped a two-game losing streak by beating Golden State for the 16th consecutive time.

Kings 119, Raptors 84

Sacramento, Calif. — Chris Webber had 26 points and 10 rebounds as Sacramento never trailed in defeating Toronto. The victory, Sacramento’s eighth straight at home, came after the Kings’ worst loss of the season — a 25-point defeat Thursday night in Phoenix. The Kings moved 31¼2 games ahead of Portland in the Pacific Division. Peja Stojakovic had 19 points for Sacramento, Scot Pollard had a season-high 14, and Vlade Divac had 12

Spurs 107, Clippers 96

San Antonio — Tim Duncan had his third career triple-double with 24 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists to lead San Antonio past Los Angeles. Bruce Bowen scored 14, Speedy Claxton added 13, and Kevin Willis and Stephen Jackson had 12 points each.

Rockets 121, Bulls 91

Houston — James Posey scored 12 points in a 16-3 run to open the game, and Houston was never threatened again in a victory against Chicago. It is Houston’s fourth consecutive victory, matching its longest winning streak of the season. Posey finished with a season-high 26 points, while Steve Francis had 23, Glen Rice and Yao Ming 16 each and Cuttino Mobley 13 as the Rockets snapped a three-game losing streak to the Bulls.

Pacers 101, Jazz 81

Indianapolis — Jonathan Bender scored a career-high 22 points, and Erick Strickland had 19 points and 11 assists as Indiana snapped a six-game losing streak. Austin Croshere scored 10 of his 14 points during a 26-6 second-quarter run, and Ron Mercer scored 10 in his best game in over a month for the short-handed Pacers.

Hawks 107, Knicks 104

Atlanta — Glenn Robinson had a three-point play with three seconds left, capping a frantic final minute as Atlanta defeated New York. With a final chance to tie, the Knicks went to Latrell Sprewell, who was immediately fouled by Robinson with 1.8 seconds left. But Sprewell missed the first free throw, then intentionally clanged the second off the rim.

Lakers 106, Timberwolves 99

Minneapolis — Derek Fisher scored 21 points, including a clutch jump shot with 26.6 seconds left, to help Los Angeles defeat Minnesota. Kobe Bryant (30 points) and Shaquille O’Neal (26 points, 15 rebounds) did their usual thing.