Allen Iverson finally came up with an outstanding offensive performance, just in time for the Philadelphia 76ers' first loss of the season.
Iverson scored 46 points, nearly equaling his total during the 76ers' 3-0 start, but Malik Rose atoned for poor performances by David Robinson and Tim Duncan to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 98-94 victory.
Rose, who attended Drexel, minutes away from the First Union Center, scored a career-high 22 points on 10-of-12 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds as the Spurs snapped a three-game losing streak.
"My teammates were getting me the ball," said Rose, who bought 64 tickets for family and friends. "We played well, we shared the ball and I was the recipient of some good passes and a little luck."
Iverson was a dismal 15-of-55 (27 percent) from the field and averaged 16.7 points as Philadelphia got off to a 3-0 start, its best since the 1984-85 campaign. It was a different Iverson in this contest as he dominated on the offensive end and came within four points of a career high, hitting 14-of-26 from the floor and 15-of-17 from the foul line.
"It would have been better to have a one-point performance and win than having a 40-point game and lose," said Iverson, who added seven rebounds and six assists.
Rose, whose previous career best was 14 points, was the surprising hero as Robinson and Duncan battled foul trouble. Robinson, who picked up his fifth foul early in the third quarter, was 3-of-8 from the field and just 9-of-18 from the foul line to finish with 15 points and eight rebounds. Duncan fouled out with 1:59 to play with 15 points and six boards.
"We can't keep putting this kind of pressure on the supporting cast," Robinson said. "We've played some good ball, it's just that we've turned the ball over at times and have not shot as well as we would have liked. It took a total team effort to scrap this one out."
Clinging to a 61-57 lead midway through the third, the Spurs took control with a 15-4 run to end the period. Duncan's jumper triggered the burst before Rose converted a three-point play. Late in the quarter, Rose buried a 14-footer and put home a dunk before Sean Elliott's free throw made it 75-61.
"He (Rose) is one of the hardest working players on our team," said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. "He's on the verge of finding his place in the NBA. I'm thrilled he was able to have this kind of game in his hometown."
The margin was 82-69 with just over nine minutes left when Iverson, who had just three turnovers, led a 22-9 tear that tied it. Iverson drained a 3-pointer in transition to make it 88-84 before an 18-footer by Harvey Grant forced the Spurs to call timeout with 4:11 to go. After Robinson made 1-of-2 free throws, Iverson sank a pair, trimming the deficit to 89-88.
Elliott drained a long jumper, but Iverson followed with a foul shot off an illegal defense and hit two more that tied it, 91-91, as Duncan fouled out.
Another free throw by Robinson put the Spurs back in front and, after Iverson missed a 3-pointer, Avery Johnson sank two free throws. Iverson hit again from the foul line after another illegal defense call, making it 94-92 with 45 seconds left.
Matt Geiger then had a chance to tie it, but Rose forced a jump ball as the Sixers center went inside for a layup. The 7-1 Geiger won the jump over the smaller Rose, but Iverson drove into two players and turned it over.
Johnson blew a pair of free throws, but Rose grabbed the offensive rebound on the second miss with 8.1 seconds left. Steve Kerr sank two foul shots for a 96-92 lead, and after Snow followed a miss by Iverson, Elliott's two free throws sealed it with 2.6 seconds to go.
"When Pop (Popovich) needs me, I feel confident enough to go out and do the things I did tonight," Rose added. "I'm just a role player. When they need me, they just call me and I'll be ready."
Johnson scored 15 points and Elliott chipped in 13 for the Spurs, who shot an atrocious 28-of-51 from the foul line. They were outrebounded, 46-42, but owned a 52-24 advantage in points in the paint.
Rookie Larry Hughes came off the bench to score 12 points but hit just 3-of-12 shots and Philadelphia connected on a mediocre 39 percent (30-of-77) from the field. San Antonio shot 50 percent (34-of-68).
"If we came up with a loose ball, a rebound, or a (conversion) when we had the ball down low, things might have been a little different," said Sixers coach Larry Brown.
Iverson, who matched Detroit's Grant Hill for the most points in one game this season, set a First Union Center record by scoring 25 points in the first half.
"I was making layups early in the game, which made me feel good," Iverson added. "In previous games, I was missing shots early. So I was able to get into the flow early on."
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