Celtics vs. Sixers; Best game ever

[Darvish11]

As most of you know, my favorite team is the sixers and my favorite player is allen iverson. Tonight they just finished a triple ot thriller vs boston on ESPN, OMFG WHAT A GAME!! An amazing dunk by iguadala after a nice behind the back pass from iverson, one of the best dunks of the year, and another ally oop from webber to Dalembert, the best dunk I HAVE EVER SEEN. Iverson had 33 and 10 assists, Webber had 31 and 13 rebounds, Dalembert had 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 BLOCKS, the greatest dunk in the history of basketball (then he fouled out), Iguadala had a sick dunk and locked up paul pierce, holding him to only 4 field goals, and Korver had 12, all on three pointers including the AMAZING BUZZER BEATER to send it into 3rd over time. Philly was down 16 in the third, Iverson sprained his ankle, and they still won. It was the greatest game I have ever seen.

[Darvish11]

They just put a recap, I dont think its the full one though:

Webber leads Sixers in marathon win over Celtics*
Box Score | 76ers Home | Celtics Home




PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- Chris Webber now has a permanent place in Philadelphia 76ers-Boston Celtics folklore.

In a triple-overtime thriller, Webber had 31 points, 13 rebounds and seemingly every big play as the 76ers outlasted the Celtics, 125-124.

Allen Iverson had 33 points and 10 assists, Samuel Dalembert added 20, 11 rebounds and seven blocks and Kyle Korver had a huge 3-pointer at the double-overtime buzzer for the Sixers, who overcame a 16-point third-quarter deficit and trailed in all three extra sessions.

It was the 395th all-time meeting between the storied franchises and one that will be remembered for a long time. Players on both teams were on the verge of exhaustion but kept making big plays, none more so than Webber, who appeared to have more bounce in his step as the game wore on.

The highlight came in the first overtime, when Webber went behind his back and through his legs with a dribble before throwing a lob to Dalembert for a dunk and a 107-103 lead with 2:23 remaining. Teammate Andre Iguodala grabbed his head in disbelief.

But Webber's biggest play came on the defensive end. After he made two free throws with 1:22 left in the third overtime, the teams traded a pair of empty possessions. Mark Blount rebounded Korver's missed 3-pointer, but Webber sneaked behind him, knocked the ball loose and corraled it with about 10 seconds to play.

The Celtics appeared both stunned and exhausted and finally fouled Iverson with two seconds to go. Iverson missed the first, then intentionally missed the second. With no timeouts, the Celtics could only get Delonte West's 60-foot runner, which hit the backboard, ending the 3:43 marathon.

btw, I didnt read this before posting my first post, that was all from the top of my head!

[Darvish11]

From ESPN:

IVERSON, WEBBER HELP SIXERS TO TRIPLE OT WIN

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Chris Webber grabbed the most thrilling of wins away from Boston.

Webber had 31 points and 13 rebounds, and Allen Iverson scored 33 points to give the Philadelphia 76ers a thrilling 125-124 triple-overtime victory over the Celtics on Friday night.

Ricky Davis scored 33 points and Mark Blount had 27 for the Celtics.

Samuel Dalembert had 20 points and 11 rebounds and Kyle Korver added 12 points -- including his biggest 3-pointer of the season -- as the Sixers avoided dropping two games under .500 for the first time since Dec. 9.

With the Sixers ahead 125-124 and only seconds left in the third overtime, Blount grabbed a defensive rebound and looked down the court for an open man, only to have Webber reach around and strip the ball.

Iverson missed two free throws, but it hardly mattered in the longest game for the Sixers since a triple OT game against Miami in 1992.

Korver prolonged the drama in the 395th game between the longtime, fierce rivals when he buried a game-tying 3-pointer over a flailing Delonte West to end the second overtime tied at 121-all.

Iverson calmly pumped his fist, his face expressionless as if he expected it. Brian Scalabrine mouthed "What are you going to do?" as the rest of the Celtics headed for the bench stunned.

Boston scored the first three points of the third overtime on a free throw and then a basket from Blount.

Over? No way.

No one had a chance to catch their breath in this one.

Andre Iguodala added a driving layup and Webber gave the Sixers a 125-124 lead on two free throws.

Webber powered his way down the baseline for a layup and a 118-117 lead with 21 seconds left in the second overtime. Paul Pierce lobbed a pass from the top of the 3-point arc to a streaking, wide-open Blount for an uncontested dunk that gave Boston a 119-118 lead with 17 seconds left in the second OT.

The Celtics appeared to have this game won until Korver did what he does best -- hit a clutch 3-pointer.

[Darvish11]

Continued from second post:

"It was a great game to be a part of," Celtics forward Paul Pierce said. "There were a lot of emotional high and lows. It's mentality draining, but I'm glad I had a chance to be a part of it."

"We had ample opportunities to close it out," said West who played collegiately at nearby St. Joseph's. "The league is funny. Big shots come from everywhere. Anyone can step up at any moment. Guys stepped up on both sides, but they just closed us out."

Webber's heroics would have been wasted if not for Korver. The Celtics inexplicably did not foul Iverson as he dribbled the length of the court or Korver as he took a pass, faked once and drilled his first basket since intermission, drawing a "Wow!" from Pierce.

"Allen just knows that I'm going to circle back behind him," Korver said. "I tried to pump fake it and get a foul. They didn't go for it and they jumped out of the way. I took a dribble to the side. I pulled up and gave it all I had. It was on line and luckily, I knocked it down."

"Once they got across halfcourt, you don't want to take that chance on fouling him, " Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "If we were going to do it, we should have done it in the frontcourt. We did give it some thought, but as a team we haven't done it that much, so we decided not to do it. He made a great shot and you've got to give him credit."

In the fourth quarter, Webber scored five points in an 8-0 burst that got Philadelphia back into the game, then threw in a lefthanded hook with 3:10 left that gave the Sixers a 98-97 lead - their first of the second half. That was the first of nine lead changes and six ties until the final horn.

Blount, who had a season-high 27 points and 12 rebounds, answered with a jumper before Dalembert dunked and Iverson made a free throw for a 101-99 edge with 1:32 to play. But West blocked a shot by Iverson and buried a jumper with 51 seconds to go, setting up the first overtime.

Webber threw in a hook and a jumper before his stunning setup for Dalembert. But Ricky Davis - who had season highs of 33 points and nine assists - made a pair of jumpers around two free throws by Pierce, giving Boston a 109-107 lead with 40 seconds remaining.

But Dalembert snared an offensive rebound and the 62 percent foul shooter drained both free throws to tie it again with 27 seconds left before Davis missed a jumper.

Webber's 3-pointer pulled Philadelphia into a 114-114 tie, but Blount answered with a three-point play with 2:18 to go. Iverson made a jumper before fatigue appeared to set in as Iverson missed a jumper, Pierce missed two free throws, Iverson threw a bad pass and Blount shot an airball.

"Both teams want to win and they want to do everything possible," Pierce said. "You don't think about the fatigue factor. You're just trying to grind it out to get the win."

Webber sank a leaner for a 118-117 lead with 21 seconds to play. But Blount stormed down the lane for a dunk, and the Sixers looked done when Webber was called for an offensive foul with 7.9 seconds left.

Brian Scalabrine caught his own inbounds pass off Korver's back and was fouled with 6.5 seconds to go. He sank both free throws for a 121-118 lead, setting the stage for Korver.

Iguodala had 14 points and nine rebounds, Korver scored 12 points and John Salmons 11 for the Sixers (18-18), who climbed back to .500 in their first triple-overtime game since November 20, 1992 vs. Miami.

"I don't think that I've ever been involved in a three-overtime game," Webber said. "I'm just proud of us because we didn't give up. We were down three in a couple of the overtimes and we didn't do something out of character. We stuck with the game plan and that's why we won."

Pierce had 18 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds but made just 4-of-20 shots as he was hounded by Iguodala. West scored 17 points and Kendrick Perkins added 10 and 11 boards for the Celtics (14-22), who played their first triple-OT game since Feb. 17, 1999 vs. Vancouver.

Davis played 57 minutes and Iverson, Iguodala, Webber and Pierce and played more than 50. Blount played 47 minutes off the bench.

The Celtics scored a season-high 65 points in the first half and extended their margin to 78-62 midway through the third quarter before Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks pulled Iverson, Webber and Korver and went with a defensive lineup.

"They just controlling the game and our defense was not that good," Cheeks said. "Everyone that we had out on the floor was not playing defense. I tried to insert some guys that were going to give us a little energy, give us a little defense and they turned the game around. Those guys that I put in there helped us get back in the game. Everyone that came in the game had a part in the victory."

[Amir H F]

good game but at the end both teams werent even running anymore it seemed...they were so tired!!! but that 3 by Korver was amazing though too bad the Jazz keep spanking the 76ers and all others, with ***ilenko, Okur, and Williams weve won 9 out of last 10 watchout for us!!!

[Darvish11]

good game but at the end both teams werent even running anymore it seemed...they were so tired!!! but that 3 by Korver was amazing though too bad the Jazz keep spanking the 76ers and all others, with ***ilenko, Okur, and Williams weve won 9 out of last 10 watchout for us!!!

cause we cant play defense, I think we shot a rediculous percentage, like 77% or something like that in the second half, AND STILL LOST!!!! Is that even possible? 77%!!! Man our defense sucks!

and to put into perspective 77% for those who dont know, 50% is considered good, and everything above 55% is great!

[186forever]

My Team Knicks also played a 3 overtime game against Suns couple of weeks ago and that was also one hell of a game. I think that win is more impressing.

[Darvish11]

My Team Knicks also played a 3 overtime game against Suns couple of weeks ago and that was also one hell of a game. I think that win is more impressing.

it was a more impressive result (new york beating phoenix), but the better game was the sixer celtics game. I love the knicks too, they are my hometown team. Marbury is my second favorite player.

[186forever]

it was a more impressive result (new york beating phoenix), but the better game was the sixer celtics game. I love the knicks too, they are my hometown team. Marbury is my second favorite player.

yea I ve been a knick fan since 1999, and I have only been to NY once and never went to madison square Garden. I will always be a knick fan and I ve supported them through these tough years. Hopefull Larry Brown will make the root of this team better and develope these youngsters.

Iverson is amazing, but I just don t see the Sixers ever getting anywhere. Iverson and T-mac, and Garnnett and also Marbury are great players who deserve better team-mates.