| Of all the prolific offensive performances in the opening games of this year's NBA playoffs, Allen Iverson's was the best. Not only that, it was one of the greatest in NBA playoff history. Iverson scored 55 points Sunday night in a brilliant display of shooting, making 21 of 32 shots while eclipsing his previous playoff-high of 54 as the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the New Orleans Hornets 98-90. "That was his best ever, by far,'' Philadelphia coach Larry Brown said. Iverson scored 20 in the fourth quarter to help his team hang onto the lead throughout the final 12 minutes of a closely contested, physical game. Iverson joined Michael Jordan, Rick Barry, Charles Barkley, Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor as the only players to score 55 or more in a playoff game. Jordan holds the NBA record of 63. "When I'm out there on the basketball court in front of 20000 people, and I'm making shots and they're into it and jumping up and cheering, that's what I get the goose bumps from,'' Iverson said. "Because I know when these people leave this arena, that might be something they'll cherish for the rest of their life.'' The fans weren't the only ones cherishing it. Iverson's coach and teammates were in awe, as were the Hornets. "The only player I've ever seen play like that was Michael Jordan,'' Derrick Coleman said. "It's right up there with Mike's 63,'' Hornets coach Paul Silas said. "It was the single-best performance I've ever been a part of,'' Philadelphia's Keith Van Horn said ... |
