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Triumphant return, until final seconds for A.I.

Iverson scores 32, but his shot for victory off-target

By Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published March 19, 2008 at 10:05 p.m.

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Denver's Allen Iverson, who had 32 points in his return to Philadelphia, drives against Rodney Carney (25) and Andre Iguodala.

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant / Nbae Via Getty Images

Denver's Allen Iverson, who had 32 points in his return to Philadelphia, drives against Rodney Carney (25) and Andre Iguodala.

Denver's Kenyon Martin, who had a strong game with 22 points on 10-of-15 shooting, drives around Philadelphia's Thaddeus Young during the Nuggets' loss Wednesday night.

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant / Nbae Via Getty Images

Denver's Kenyon Martin, who had a strong game with 22 points on 10-of-15 shooting, drives around Philadelphia's Thaddeus Young during the Nuggets' loss Wednesday night.

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PHILADELPHIA - It looked ready to be a storybook ending.

The writers must have gone on strike.

Allen Iverson, making his much-ballyhooed return to Philadelphia, had the ball on the left side in the waning seconds and the Nuggets down two points.

Three-pointer to win, right?

As it turned out, the guard stepped just inside the three- point arc. Then his 20-footer clanged off the front rim with 8 seconds left and the Nuggets fell 115-113 to the 76ers on Wednesday night.

"Honestly, I didn't want the ball where I got it," Iverson said. "I wanted to be able to step behind the line and shoot the three."

That could have resulted in a win in Iverson's first visit to the Wachovia Center since he was traded in December 2006.

"Everything was perfect but one thing: not winning the game," Iverson said. "That hurt a little. But it was the flip side to that, the way people embraced me, the way they showed they loved me, that made me feel good."

Before Iverson was introduced, the lights were turned down. When his name was called, fans gave him a thunderous, one-minute, five-second standing ovation.

"I didn't actually have tears in my eyes, but they were burning," Iverson said. "At one point, I was holding my head up so they couldn't fall because my teammates were telling me I was going to let it out and I didn't want them to tease me."

There weren't tears, but there were plenty of other emotions. Iverson blew kisses, gave a salute and put his hand to his ear, urging those in the sellout crowd to make more noise.

They responded.

Perhaps making the most noise was Ann Iverson. She sat behind a basket, clad in a Nuggets No. 3 jersey that read, "Iverson's mom."

"He gave them (more than 10) years of his life and he deserved (the ovation)," she said. "He came here a boy and he's come back as a man. We love Philadelphia and love Philadelphia fans."

The fans sure loved how Wednesday turned out. They saw their former hero score a game-high 32 points on 13-of-24 shooting, but the 76ers (34-34) won for the 16th time in 20 games.

"We weren't trying to compete against Allen," 76ers forward Andre Iguodala said. "We were just trying to beat the Denver Nuggets."

When that was accomplished, Iguodala was the A.I. throwing the ball high into the air with glee. He had grabbed a rebound with 1 second left and raced downcourt before the Nuggets could catch him.

With Philadelphia up 115-113, Iverson's shot clanged off the rim and Nuggets center Marcus Camby grabbed the rebound. Camby missed a 7-foot putback shot and Iguodala got the rebound.

"I thought that he was going to make it," Nuggets forward Eduardo Najera said of Iverson's shot. "It would have been a perfect ending."

But there was another player involved in the trade who had something to say about that, 76ers guard Andre Miller, who led the 76ers with 28 points and 12 assists.

"I told the team this morning Andre is playing as good as I've ever seen him," said Nuggets coach George Karl, whose defensive-challenged team again hardly could stop anyone, allowing the 76ers to shoot 60.3 percent.

With 1:18 left and the score tied 110-110, Miller drove the right baseline.

He hit a short jumper, was fouled when Iverson fell on top of him, then made the free throw for a 113-110 lead.

But back came Iverson. He made a three-pointer with 1:06 left to tie the score 113-113.

Then the other A.I. came up big. Iguodala was falling in the lane, but he threw a no-look pass over his shoulder to center Samuel Dalembert, who made a layup with 32.9 seconds left for a 115-113 lead.

"That was like a playoff game out there," 76ers coach Maurice Cheeks said.

The Nuggets (40-28), in jeopardy of missing the playoffs, weren't in postseason form at the start of the fourth quarter. After leading 93-92, they missed their first 13 shots, allowing Philadelphia to go up 104-96.

But the 76ers shot only 9-of-15 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter, allowing the Nuggets to get back into the game. But the Nuggets came up short, and Iverson quietly left the court.

But soon Iverson, who left the 76ers on bad terms, said he now doesn't want to leave Philadelphia behind. He joked he might take his mansion in suburban Villanova off the market.

"I dreamed it up a certain way, and it was better than that," Iverson said of his reception. "It was emotional. . . . It made me feel good and made me feel appreciated. . . . It made me feel that my time here was worthwhile."

Overall, Iverson could have dreamed it up better. But somebody forgot to insert a successful last-second jumper into the script.

GREETING NENE

On his first Nuggets trip since being diagnosed with testicular cancer, there have been welcoming committees at the first two stops for Nene.

"All the players in Detroit (on Tuesday) came up to me and said, 'Get well,' " said Nene, traveling for the first time since being granted a leave of absence Jan. 11. "Now, all of the players from (Philadelphia on Wednesday) do that. That's so great how they welcome me."

Nene, who won't put a time- table on when he might practice or play, said he has received more than 100 get-well cards at last look and more continue to arrive.

KARL DISAPPOINTED

Larry Harris was general manager when George Karl was fired as Milwaukee coach in July 2003. Nevertheless, Karl, now with the Nuggets, was displeased to hear Harris won't be offered a new contract and has left the team.

"A little sad," Karl said. "Disappointed. I wouldn't know why they'd do it in the middle of the year. In the same sense, he might have wanted (that)."

NEW TIME

The Nuggets' March 27 home game against Dallas has been moved to 6 p.m. from 8:30. It still will be broadcast on TNT but not Altitude.

HE SAID IT

"It's maybe a win-win for both organizations. We made the trade to get better, and I think we are better. I think they made the trade to change the direction of the team and give the young kids an opportunity, and they probably don't have a better leader (for that) than Andre Miller."

Karl, on the December 2006 deal in which the Nuggets got Allen Iverson and Philadelphia landed Miller.

Chris Tomasson

Comments

  • March 20, 2008

    8:52 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    kmeissner writes:

    Worst Officiated game I have ever seen. How can they not call goal-tending when a shot hits the backboard and is then blocked? With 1:30 left that would have tied the game.

    Delaney has something against Melo and there was no way that game was fairly called. Melo and A.I. were practically raped under the basket and didn't get many calls.

    All in all, A.I. played brilliantly but I was sad to see him lose his homecoming game.

  • March 20, 2008

    3:06 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    OpenYourEyes writes:

    Melo is a lazy, entitled baby that should be traded immediately. He is a slug and supposed to be the face of the franchise- no wonder they aren't going to make the playoffs.

  • March 20, 2008

    3:26 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    SCC writes:

    Hey openyoureyes maybe you should take your own advice and open your eyes. Why would we possibly trade Melo? Who would you like in return, please tell me.

  • March 20, 2008

    4:37 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    rocketryder writes:

    Stick a fork in this team. They're done.

    They can't win on the road. They get blown out by the elite of the east, then the next night, lose to a nowhere near elite eastern conference team. The Nuggets are TOO talented to be in 9th place in the west. They don't know how to play together, defense is a foreign language to everyone not named Marcus Camby, and lastly, they have NO heart.

    IF they get lucky and make the playoffs, it will be another quick first round exit. Easily the most dissapointing and underacheiving team in the NBA.

  • March 21, 2008

    4:17 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    mark79trans writes:

    SCC
    I am also incredibly disappointed in Anthony.

    First, he only plays defense occasionally when he feels like it.

    Second, he only rebounds occasionally when he feels like it.

    Third, he only passes occasionally when he feels like it.

    Fourth, he is a baby when he doesn't get his way sulking in the corner while his team is playing 5 on 4 defense after he misses his shot and wants a foul.

    Fifth, his teem is so complacent with his offensive ball-hogging that they just sit and watch while he throws up another misconceived shot.

    ...Anthony wants to shoot the ball and be glorified...period!

    Anthony needs to get his crap together or be shipped out. There is so much talk of Melo vs. James. James is a complete workhorse who plays all disciplines of the game every night. Melo is a sulking school child who needs a time-out.

    Anthony is no Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant...he needs to learn that right now. He is a talented player, but not the team player the organizations needs.

    As long as Anthony plays his selfish games, the Nuggets will never amount to anything.