Allen Iverson 35pts vs NY Knicks A.Houston L.Sprewell 01/02 NBA

After their big man was thrown out, the
Philadelphia 76ers made a big comeback with their little guys.

Center Dikembe Mutombo's ejection early in the third quarter
spurred the 76ers, who rallied from a 20-point deficit behind
guards Allen Iverson and Eric Snow for a 104-96 victory over the
New York Knicks.

Iverson scored 35 points and Snow added 23 for the Sixers, who
won their fourth straight game and showed some of the grit they
displayed last season, when they reached the NBA Finals.

"It's extra special (to win) when you have to fight and
struggle," Iverson said. "We were able to keep fighting through
it. I know last year's team is dead and stinkin', but we took
something from last year's team (in this game)."

"I've had this team for five years and they try," Sixers coach
Larry Brown said. "They might not always play right and they
might not always play good, but they try."

The 7-2 Mutombo, a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year,
was ejected in the first minute of the third quarter for a
second flagrant foul. The ensuing free throws by Kurt Thomas
gave the Knicks a 65-45 lead.

That's when Iverson, Snow and the rest of the Sixers came alive,
particularly on the defensive end. Their pressure changed the
tempo of the game, and the momentum shortly thereafter.

"When he got ejected, everybody just stepped up their game,"
Iverson said.

"We said, `What are we gonna do?'" Snow said. "'Are we gonna
lay down? Or are we gonna pick up the intensity?'"

The 6-3 Snow set the tone, going chest-to-chest with Allan
Houston off the ensuing inbounds pass. He limited him to 1-of-9
shooting in the second half after Houston had torched the Sixers
for five 3-pointers and 18 points in the first half.

Snow collected four steals as did Iverson, the league leader in
that category. The 6-foot superstar used his quickness to
contest nearly every pass and make things difficult for the
Knicks to get into their offense.

During the third-quarter rally, Iverson dove to break up an
inbounds pass, scrambled to his feet to get the ball and dunked,
stunning the sellout crowd at Madison Square Garden.

"They have great quickness," admitted Knicks coach Don Chaney,
whose team blew another double-digit lead. "They get into guys.
That's what happened. I thought they really got into us."

The defense allowed the Sixers to put together bursts of 11-0
and 10-0 that pulled them into a 70-70 tie with 1:56 remaining
in the third quarter. Less than a minute later, Snow made a
steal and passed to Iverson, who drove and dished to Derrick
Coleman for a layup and a 74-72 lead.

There were six lead changes in the fourth quarter, the last on
two free throws by Matt Harpring that gave the Sixers a 91-90
edge with 3:50 to play. Iverson and Snow took over from there,
combining for 11 of Philadelphia's last 13 points.

"Allen and Eric, I don't think guards can play better than
that," Brown said.

Iverson, who made 12-of-28 shots and 11-of-11 free throws, sank
two from the line for a 93-90 lead with 3:22 remaining. On the
next trip, he found Snow for a jumper with 2:19 left.

Othella Harrington put home Houston's airball, but again Iverson
found Snow for a driving three-point play and a 98-92 advantage
with 1:30 to go. Snow made 10-of-17 shots and fell two points
shy of his career high matched Friday night vs. Indiana.

"I'm feeling pretty good and I'm looking for the shot," Snow
said. "I'm trying to create or create shots for other people.
I've been told to be more aggressive, but it's still situations
in games."