Iverson’s 60 Points a High for Career, Fans

Allen Iverson gave the crowd an electrifying performance to remember. Then the fans returned the favor with raucous ovations he won’t soon forget.

“That’s when you get the goose bumps,” Iverson said. “You honestly don’t really feel it when the shots are going down. You don’t ever get the goose bumps until the fans start to appreciate what you’re doing out there.”

The Philadelphia star scored 60 points, a career high and the most in the NBA this season, to lead the 76ers to a 112-99 victory over the Orlando Magic on Saturday night.

Iverson, averaging an NBA-leading 29.7 points, was 17 of 36 from the field and made 24 of 27 free throws. His previous high was 58 against Houston on Jan. 15, 2002.

“I score a career high and we won the game,” Iverson said. “That’s how you draw it up in your dreams.”

It was the first 60-point game in the NBA since Tracy McGrady scored 62 for Orlando against Washington on March 10, 2004. Indiana’s Jermaine O’Neal had the previous high in the NBA this season, scoring 55 points against Milwaukee on Jan. 4.

Iverson, who had 54- and 51-point performances in consecutive games in December, also had the fourth-highest total in 76ers’ history, behind only Wilt Chamberlain.

The fans were on their feet each time Iverson had the ball in the fourth quarter, giving a routine game the feel of a Game 7.

“When they’re up, when they’re making noise and they’re feeling good, that makes you feel good,” Iverson said. “ ... It’s something they might remember and cherish for the rest of their lives.”

The game certainly left an impression on 76er Coach Jim O’Brien.

“I’ve never witnessed a performance like this,” O’Brien said. “This is the greatest performance I’ve ever witnessed.”

Said Iverson: “It was just attacking, attacking, attacking all night.”