Iverson Lifts Nuggets, Tops Former Mates

[January 07, 2008]  DENVER (AP) -- This was the first time Allen Iverson enjoyed watching the Philadelphia 76ers lose. Iverson scored 38 points in the Denver Nuggets' 109-96 victory over the 76ers on Sunday night. He had a shot at 40 but dribbled out the final few seconds at midcourt, tossed the ball to the official and bear-hugged Louis Williams.

Iverson had 30 against the Sixers last year, three weeks after he was traded to the Nuggets, but didn't stick around for the end of that one, drawing an ejection in the final minutes of a 108-97 loss.

Iverson's first trip to Philadelphia as an opponent is March 19. The Nuggets had already played there by the time they traded for him last season.

Carmelo Anthony scored 23 points, including 19 in the first half to help the Denver build a 53-43 halftime lead. Marcus Camby had 11 points and 12 boards.

Andre Miller, one of the players the Nuggets sent to the Sixers in exchange for Iverson, led Philadelphia with 22 points, and Samuel Dalembert pulled down 15 rebounds for Philadelphia.

Iverson hit back-to-back 3-pointers after the Sixers had chipped away all of a 15-point deficit to tie it at 62 on Miller's jumper with five minutes left in the third quarter. The Nuggets regained a double-digit lead by the fourth quarter.

Denver answered every run the Sixers had in them over the final 12 minutes. With the win, the Nuggets stayed a half-game ahead of Portland, which has lost just one of its last 17 games, in the Northwest Division.

Sixers rookie Jason Smith, who grew up an hour from Denver in Kersey, Colo., and attended Colorado State, entered with 2:40 left in the first quarter and had an immediate impact, stuffing Nene on an attempted slam. Nene missed another dunk on a fast break in the second quarter, but this time with nobody in his face.

Notes: AI had 25 points by the time Andre Iguodala became the first Philadelphia player in double figures, with 6:09 left in the third quarter. ... G Anthony Carter had a season-high 15 assists for Denver. Carter's previous best was 11 against Minnesota on Friday night.

[Associated Press; By ARNIE STAPLETON]

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