Iverson has 24, but Pistons lose

Allen Iverson’s first game with the Detroit Pistons turned into the best night of Devin Harris’ career.

Harris scored a career-high 38 points Friday night, outplaying Iverson in the second half and leading the New Jersey Nets to a 103-96 victory over Detroit.

Iverson had 24 points and six assists, but New Jersey, which had trailed by as many as 14 points in the first half, rallied to hand the Pistons their first loss after four wins to open the season.

“We had the game, and we let it get away in the second half,” Iverson said. “Overall, it was a great experience for me. I felt fine out there, and we only can get better.”

The Pistons had acquired Iverson on Monday in a trade that sent Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess and Cheikh Samb to Denver. But Iverson missed the Pistons’ next two games -- the first because he was not available and the second because Billups had not completed his physical with the Nuggets so Iverson had to be held out.

But on Friday, Iverson stepped right in, getting a rousing cheer from the crowd at the Izod Center when he was introduced with the starters. Iverson then quickly took over the game, playing the entire opening quarter, scoring 11 points, making all three of his shots from the field, including a three-pointer, and going four for four from the free-throw line as the Pistons raced to a 27-14 lead.

“It was a good feeling for me,” Iverson said. “I haven’t been able to play for a while, so it was good to get back on the basketball court. I’ll try to get a little bit of my rust off.”

But New Jersey, led by Harris, came back to take a 72-70 lead after three quarters.

In the third period, Harris scored 19 while Iverson ended up with only four.