http://s****ts.yahoo.com/nba/recap;_ylt=AqKU8NVUfqkcxgyz6kWhQFa8vLYF?gid=2007
010207
DENVER (AP) -- Allen Iverson took plenty of shots at his former team, and
not all of them during the game.
His 30 points weren't enough, however, as Kyle Korver scored 26 points to
help the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Denver Nuggets 108-97 Tuesday night
in
Iverson's first game against his former team.
Iverson was 10-of-24 before getting tossed for his second technical with
1:44 remaining.
Iverson's best shots came before tip-off when he once again ripped the
team
that traded him to Denver over the holidays, repeating his contention that
he should have had more say in the Sixers' style.
The Sixers, who had lost 14 of 16 road games and 19 of their last 23
overall, scored 100 points for the first time in 16 games and improved to
4-4 since the trade that sent Joe Smith and Andre Miller to Philadelphia,
along with two first-round draft picks in 2007, for Iverson.
Miller had 17 points and 10 assists against his former team and Smith
scored
12 points.
The Nuggets have lost four of six since Iverson's arrival, although he has
yet to play with NBA scoring leader Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith, the
league's top scoring tandem before their suspensions for slugging it out
with the New York Knicks last month.
The Sixers, who led by 19 in the second quarter before the Nuggets rallied
to tie it at 52 at halftime, led 86-73 after three quarters.
Two free throws, a pull-up 3-pointer and a driving layup by Iverson
brought
Denver to 86-80 but Steven Hunter's dunk followed by three free throws by
Korver -- one on an Iverson technical -- restored Philadelphia's
double-digit lead.
Rookie Yakhouba Diawara scored a season-best 23 points for Denver on the
heels of an 0-for-11 shooting performance against Dallas.
After the morning shootaround, Iverson said he felt a player of his
stature
and tenure should have been listened to when he criticized the Sixers'
style
of play last month, a condemnation that led to his departure from
Philadelphia after 10 tumultuous seasons.
"When you're losing basketball games, 12 of 14, 18 of 20 basketball games,
you should listen to somebody because something obviously isn't working,"
he
said.
Iverson said he was still bitter with the way Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks
and team owner Billy King handled his complaints that led to his departure
from Philadelphia.
Iverson ignored Cheeks on Tuesday night, and he wasn't the only point
guard
who wasn't exactly eager to see his former coach. Miller walked right past
George Karl before the game and didn't even acknowledge him.
"He didn't return calls to me when he played here. Why would he call me
now?" said Karl, who counted Miller among his favorite pupils.
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