76ers Get Even as Iverson, Miller Stage a Shootout

The first half was Reggie Miller’s. The game belonged to Allen Iverson.

Iverson scored a career playoff-high 45 points, including 19 in the third quarter, at Philadelphia as the 76ers overcame Miller’s 41 points, beating the Indiana Pacers, 116-98, Tuesday night to even their first-round series at 1-1.

Game 3 of the best-of-five Eastern Conference quarterfinals is Saturday in Indiana.

“I’m going to remember this game for a long time,” said Iverson, who also had nine assists. “I’ve been playing a lot off my God-given ability. This game took a lot of thinking. I’m pleased with my mental aspect coming into the game . . . When guys doubled me, I found my teammates and they hit the shots. I don’t think I forced too many things.”

Aaron McKie had 19 points and George Lynch added 16 for Philadelphia.

Jalen Rose had 18 and Jermaine O’Neal added 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Pacers, who were down only 61-59 at halftime after getting 33 from Miller.

“I wish it was reversed,” Miller said. “The game is four quarters. I hate doing things early. I like doing it late.”

Iverson scored 14 of Philadelphia’s final 17 points in the third, including the last 10. He sank a 17-footer, another long jumper and made a three-pointer to give the 76ers their biggest lead to that point, 88-76, with 1:11 left.

After Rose made a jumper, Iverson sank another 19-footer as the sellout crowd of 20,739 at the First Union Center chanted “MVP, MVP” for the league’s scoring champion.

Iverson pumped his fist, raised his arms and cupped his ear, imploring the fans to make more noise before he finished the quarter at the foul line, giving the 76ers a 91-78 lead on a free throw.

Indiana didn’t get closer than 10 in the fourth.

“It was a phenomenal performance and it took that,” 76er Coach Larry Brown said of Iverson’s play.

Miller, whose three-pointer with 2.9 seconds left in Game 1 lifted the Pacers to a 79-78 comeback victory, opened the game with a three-pointer and proceeded to make shots from all over the court.

He scored seven consecutive points three different times--at the start of the game, midway through the first and to begin the second.

Four 76ers--Eric Snow, Kevin Ollie, Iverson and McKie--tried to guard Miller in the first half and none could stop him.

But Miller missed all three of his shots in the third and scored only two points on free throws as Iverson took over, helping the 76ers break open a tight game.

Miller finished 14 of 22, including three for five from 3-point range. Iverson was 15 of 27, including three for seven from beyond the arc.

“They did a good job of recognizing where Reggie was [in the second half],” Pacer Coach Isiah Thomas said. “They were double-teaming him and we didn’t do a good job of finding the open guys inside.”

Philadelphia had stressed getting the ball inside to its big men--Dikembe Mutombo and Tyrone Hill--after the guards took 57 of 78 shots in the opener. But Mutombo and Hill combined for three shots in the first half and neither scored.

Mutombo finally scored on a layup with 6:23 left in the third, and finished with three points and 11 rebounds, one of his worst games since joining the 76ers in a deal at the trade deadline.

“We were making so many shots it’s tough to get the big guys involved,” Brown said.

Thomas was very critical of the referees, even though Indiana had three fewer fouls. Thomas was most upset that Philadelphia had 17 foul shots in the third.

“I hope they allow our players to move around and run, and not be physically abused,” Thomas said.

Utah 109, Dallas 98--Old guys 2, youngsters 0.

Karl Malone scored 34 points and Bryon Russell had 24 as the Jazz beat the Mavericks in an emotional game at Salt Lake City, building a 2-0 lead in the series.

The Jazz outhustled, outmuscled and outplayed the Mavericks for three quarters, then held on in the fourth in a contentious game featuring 70 personal fouls, seven individual technical fouls, one flagrant foul and two ejections.

The Mavericks trailed by 20 points late in the third quarter but outscored the Jazz, 15-6, over the first six minutes of the fourth. Dallas pulled within 90-87 when Dirk Nowitzki made a three-pointer and was fouled by Russell.

He made the ensuing free throw, and the Jazz seemed to be in trouble. But Malone and John Stockton, who scored 17 points in 42 minutes, had all of Utah’s points in a 6-0 run that steadied the ship.

Michael Finley led the Mavericks with 32 points while Steve Nash scored 20 and Juwan Howard had 17.