Lynch Leads Charge to Keep 76ers Perfect

George Lynch figured it was his time to lead the Philadelphia 76ers, even if it meant not playing his normal game.

Lynch scored a season-high 23 points and Allen Iverson added 22 as the 76ers matched the best start in franchise history--8-0--with a 107-98 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night.

“My shot opportunities were there. I knew I had to come out of my shooting slump sometime,” said Lynch, who averaged 7.3 points entering the game.

Philadelphia also opened the 1979-80 season with eight consecutive wins and went to the NBA finals.

Iverson, playing with a sprained left ankle, overcame a slow start and sparked an 18-0 run in the third that gave the Sixers control of the game.

Clarence Weatherspoon scored 24 points and Robert Traylor added a career-high 17 for Cleveland, which began the night with the second-best record in the East. Theo Ratliff had 15 points and six blocks for the 76ers.