76ers Get Last Word

Allen Iverson watched Aaron McKie make his fourth consecutive jumper, looked toward Boston’s bench and stuck out his tongue, mocking the Celtics.

He didn’t hear a word afterward.

Iverson scored 37 points and McKie got 13 of his 17 in the third quarter, leading the Philadelphia 76ers to a 99-83 victory over the streaking Celtics on Monday night.

Boston, off to its best start in 10 years, had won nine of 10. The 76ers have won their last two after losing seven in a row.

Paul Pierce scored 24 points and Antoine Walker had 15 for the Celtics, who fell to 14-8. Walker missed all 11 of his three-point attempts.

“Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce are like the best trash-talkers in the league and they talk all game,” Iverson said. “When they came back on that little run, that’s all they did.”

But McKie quickly made them quiet, getting all but two points during a 15-3 run that put the game away late in the third quarter.

After the Celtics got within 63-54, McKie took over, making five long jumpers, including an 18-footer that made it 65-54. After a layup by Pierce, McKie made two free throws. Iverson then sank a jumper, and McKie followed with two 19-footers, a three-pointer and another 18-footer that gave Philadelphia a 78-57 lead.

The Celtics didn’t get closer than 15 points afterward.

“We had a lot of great performances,” 76er Coach Larry Brown said. “Allen was terrific. Aaron gave us a big lift. I thought in the first half Aaron was non-aggressive, but when they made that little run, he got it going.”