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A standing ovation in the first quarter, a chant of "M-V-P" in the fourth. In between, Allen Iverson did plenty to show he was worthy of both accolades.
Iverson scored 40 points and made Kobe Bryant look silly on defense Wednesday night as the Philadelphia 76ers had an easy time with the Los Angeles Lakers in a 112-97 victory.
Iverson, who reached 40 points for the second consecutive night and the 11th time this season, basked in the adoration of his fans and relished every chance he had to go one-on-one with Bryant.
"I had goose bumps so bad that you wouldn't believe," Iverson said of the response from the fans.
Iverson even let a huge smile break across his face as he was speeding in for a breakaway layup early in the fourth quarter as the Sixers were opening a 17-point lead.
Iverson got his first standing ovation when highlights of his All-Star MVP performance were shown on the scoreboard during the game's first timeout, and the fans broke into a loud "M-V-P" chant as he reached 40 points from the free throw line with 1:28 left. He left to another standing ovation moments later
"I just felt so good, I mainly felt good about my family and friends who have been through me for all my struggles and pain," Iverson said. "And most of all my teammates and my coaching staff, because you can't chant M-V-P for Allen Iverson if Allen Iverson doesn't have this group of guys playing here with him."
azr Mohammed added a career-high 12 points starting at center, Tyrone Hill also had 12 and George Lynch 11.
Shaquille O'Neal, who was guarded by backups Mohammed, Todd MacCulloch and Jumaine Jones in the absence of regular Philadelphia center Theo Ratliff (fractured wrist), led Los Angeles with 29 points.
Bryant added 18 points, seven rebounds and seven assists - along with another stern lecture from his coach when things weren't going well.
"It wasn't Kobe's best game, we'll just say that," coach Phil Jackson said.
Iverson started going at Bryant right away, and it quickly became apparent that Bryant coming off an overtime victory the previous night at New Jersey was a step slow.
Unlike last season when Bryant came into the First Union Center and shut down Iverson, Bryant seemed to fall for every ball fake or head fake.
Iverson had a 3-pointer over Bryant that was followed by a drive around him as Iverson was putting 15 points on the board in a first quarter which ended with Philadelphia ahead 29-25.
"I was tired, and normally when I'm tired I cruise and try to get my teammates involved, then turn it on in the fourth quarter," Bryant said.
"He shouldn't be tired. He's only 22," O'Neal said.
Isaiah Rider hit a 3-pointer early in the second quarter for a 32-31 Lakers' lead, but the Sixers responded with a 6-0 run, ending with a 3-pointer by Toni Kukoc off a behind-the-back pass from Iverson.
Mohammed, who made his second start of the season, hit a jumper over O'Neal with 6:02 left in the third to surpass his previous career-high of 11 and give the 76ers a 69-63 lead.
"I've been begging every team in the league to take him for the last two years," Sixers coach Larry Brown said of Mohammed.
Jackson started yelling at Bryant during the ensuing timeout, the latest in a number of public spats the two have had during games this season. Bryant later sat out the first six minutes of the fourth quarter.
"In the third quarter he tried to get it going, but they were double-teaming and helping and we didn't read it well and had some turnovers," Jackson said.
A 3-pointer by Snow and a dunk by MacClloch gave the Sixers an 82-70 lead at the end of the third, and Iverson's smiling fast-break 90 seconds into the fourth quarter capped a 7-0 run that made it 89-72.
Philadelphia led by double digits the rest of the way.