Philadelphia Daily News from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • 102

PAGE 102 PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARYS, 2001 Tonight Latere 8, CSN, TNT Friday Sunday Feb. 21 Feb. 23 Clippers Suns Grizzlies at Pistons 7, CSN 1 12:30, Ch. 10 7, CSN 8, CSN MOD bv Phil Jasner Daily Xevs Sports Writer MILWAUKEE The "6ers wrote a song 13.1 seconds. The Milwaukee Bucks couldn't name that tune.

The Sixers, who have lived on the edge all Through what has been a magical season, beat the Bucks. 107-104. last night. They it in a way that was more spectacular than a last-second shot, steal or H.cK They did it in a way they've never dune it before They did it protecting a 105-104 advantage with 13.4 seconds remaining, making without ieiting the scrambling H'jcr i-tt even close enough to foal who hoti the ball. Tht JiJ it doing everything but i Georgia Brown." That was incredible." said backup center Matt Gciger.

"Harlem Globetrotters Thai's a play they'll be showing tor a long time to come. Maybe it's never happened be lore. 1 don't know. But it just Koe- to --how how hard we play, the level ol the gu This was cla-sic Keepavvay. Even having caught the eighth pass.

Toni Kukoc decided against dropping a layup. knowing a Thrve-tvint lead with 3 or 4 seconds to go mmhi be enough against the lethal Bucks Kctpaway It was reminiscent of N.rh Carolina's "tour corner?" stutt. Wherever the Bucks tit-, ball went eisewhere. Wher. insiia r- close enough v.

McKie. the clock -howed a second ie't. "it w-an rv design." Sixers cca.h hsr- surgery on his right ankle, with Geiger back for the first time since Dec. 20 after arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, Brown suddenly had all sorts of pieces and combinations available. With center Theo Ratliff out with a stress fracture in his right wrist, the Sixers went without a blocked shot for the first time all season, but they got terrific contributions from virtually everyone who played.

McKie, who started the previous 26 games, went back into the substitution rotation, putting together 17 points, six rebounds and six assists. Snow resumed his role as the starting point guard, playing in bursts of roughly 5 minutes at a time. He had only two points, but handed out six assists, made three steals and keyed the defense. Lynch had 12 points and nine rebounds. Hill 10 points and 16 rebounds.

Kukoc, sometimes struggling for breath, gave them 27 minutes. Geiger had eight points in 12 minutes. And, as amazing as all of this was, the Sixers needed every bit of it. The Bucks, with the league's best home record at 19-6, more than defended their turf. Glenn Robinson scored 28 points, sending his career total to Ray Allen scored 27; Cassell scored 20 and handed out 13 assists; Thomas had 15 points; and Ervin Johnson took 14 rebounds.

"We got Eric, Matt and Toni back. They all made big contribution and it worked out," McKie said. "Those last passes, that was like college ball. The Bucks! do so much scrambling, sometimes it's going to hurt them. We spread the floor.

Nobody said anything, but everybody ran." No surprise, Snow said. "Ten guys playing hard, doing it the way coach tells us to do it every night," he said. "Like I always say, whatever five guys are on the court, we go as hard as we can, play as smart as we can." Last night, they wrote a song in 13.1 seconds. The Bucks couldn't name that tune. Send e-mail to JasiwrpptiillyiMwi.cani i' But that's also whr Eric back ura: 1 A i -r Tirr.eOU.

lea'- coaer. rgv Karl tr to design a plav that I SIXERS 107, BUCKS 104 SIXERS Min. FG FT 0-T A Pt. Hill 34 3-7 4-6 5-16 4 4 10 Lynch 34 4-1 1 4-6 6-9 2 5 12 MacCulloch 17 1-2 0-2 1-2 0 1 2 Iverson 43 17-32 12-14 2-5 2 3 49 Snow 26 1-4 0-0 0-2 6 4 2 McKie 34 5-12 6-6 0-6 6 3 17 Geiger 12 3-7 2-2 1-3 0 0 8 Kukoc 27 2-8 0-0 0-0 4 1 5 Buford 9 1-4 0-0 0-0 0 2 2 Jones 4 0-O0-OO-10 10 Totals 240 37-87 28-36 16-44 24 24 107 than of a second. NBA rules do not allow a piayer to catch and hoot The Bucks had to hope Mark Pope could throw a lob toward the hoop that a teammate could tip it in.

They never got that close. Pope's desperation inbounds pass from midcourt was way oft the mark The Sixers' George Lynch had the ball as time expired and the Sixers" record climbed to 37-14. their record to 22-6 "They kept moving the ball in that iast possession, and we were trying to foul the guy with the ball. We didn't react well to the situation." Karl said. As the clock ticked down.

Brown all but danced on the sideline "Coach was doing the said, giggling. "It felt good." Sixers guard Allen Iver-son said. "Just shows our court awareness. I've seen something like that before, but never for that long." Afterward. Brown acknowledged that, if he had it do over, once McKie had hit the first free throw, he would have instructed to miss the second intentionally.

The clock almost certainly would have expired before The Bucks could have called timeout. Oh. by the way. Iverson scored 49 count 'em, 49 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter as the Sixers won for the 15th time in their last 17 games on the road and raised their record to 17-2 when they score 100 points or more. Hi is was beyond spectacular, because tbSixers found themselves down, 104-99, 2 remaining.

JVhfltever vajjypce.t. ASSOCIATED PRESS Allen Iverson is caught between Bucks' Ervin Johnson and Lindsey Hunter Three-Point Goals: 5-13 (Iverson 3-5. Kukoc 1-3, McKie 1-3. Lynch 0-1. Buford 0-1).

Team Rebounds: 8. Blocked Shots: None Turnovers: 1 1 (Iverson 5, McKie 3. Kukoc, Snow. Lynch). Steals: 10 (Snow 3, Lynch 3, Iverson 2.

McKie Bufordl. MILWAUKEE FG FT 12-24 4-7 3-6 1-2 Min. 40 29 14 42 39 30 25 17 0- 2- 6 1- 9 3- 5 1-5 1-5 4-14 0-3 0-0 0-1 Robinson Williams Pope Allen Cassell Johnson Thomas Hunter Caffev Pt. 28 7 2 27 20 5 15 0 0 104 1- 3 0-0 10-14 5-5 7-17 6-6 2- 3 1-2 5-11 3-3 0-5 0-0 0-0 0-0 4 Totals 240 40-83 20-25 12-48 Three-Point Goals: 4-13 (Allen 2-3. Thomas 2-3 Cassell 0-1 said Kukoc, back after missing eight games with a lower back strain.

"They didn't have a chance to foul. All they could have done was fouled someone without the ball which would give the Sixers a free throw and possession. 'T got the ball down low, thought about laying it in, but that would've given them a chance. I made another pass, and George passed to someone else." Kukoc is a prideful, adept passer, but hadn't seen a sequence like that. Who had? "This team is very he said.

"We play 'til the last second. It seems like a cliche, but it does happen that way." With Kukoc back, with Snow bacJtrom says might be wrong with the league, there was nothing wrong with the way the Sixers finished. Iverson scored at 56.8 seconds and drew a foul. When he missed the free throw. Lynch rebounded and Iverson scored again at 49.9.

With the Sixers racing upcourt with a Milwaukee turnover. Bucks guard Sam Cassell fouled Iverson at 32.7. Iverson knocked down both shots. The Bucks got one more shot, a drive by Tim Thomas that Tyrone Hill rebounded at 18.1. The Bucks twice slapped away side-court inbounds passes by Snow until he finally got it at 13.4.

The rest was sheer music. We Jund of jjjreadjthefJoOTjjerfetly'," Pope 0-1. Hunter 0-2, Robinson 0-3). Team Rebounds: 6 Blocked Shots: 9 (Robinson 2, Johnson 2, Thomas 2, Williams 2, Alien). Turnovers: 18 (Allen 7, Cassell 6, Thomas 3, Robinson, Williams! Steals: 10 (Robinson 2, Allen 2.

Thomas 2. Williams 2. Cassell. Pope). Technical Foul: Illegal Defense.

Sixers 27 32 22 26 107 Milwaukee 25 26 36 17 104 18,717 2:27. Officials: Terry Durham, Greg Willerd, Tim Donaghy. GEIGER BACK IN ACTION: Page 99.