Sixers take triple OT, trip Celts
Chris Webber had 31 points and 13 rebounds, and Allen Iverson scored 33 points to give the 76ers a 125-124 triple-overtime victory over the Celtics on Friday night in Philadelphia.
Ricky Davis scored 33 points and Mark Blount had 27 for the Celtics.
“It’s tough, but it’s fun,” said Boston’s Paul Pierce, who scored 18 points. “It’s draining, but I’m glad I had a chance to be a part of it.”
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.
“That was a game-saving steal,” Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks said.
Kyle 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.
“I pulled up, and gave about all I had,” Korver said. “It was on line, luckily.”
Knicks 105, Hawks 94: At New York, Larry Brown became the fourth coach in league history to win 1,000 games as New York beat Atlanta for its sixth straight victory. Brown, who is 1,000-762 in 23 seasons as an NBA coach, joined Lenny Wilkens, Don Nelson and Pat Riley as the only coaches to reach 1,000 victories.
Wizards 94, Pacers 85: At Indianapolis, Gilbert Arenas scored 18 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter to lead Washington over Indiana. Jermaine O’Neal led the Pacers with 20 points and seven rebounds.
Timberwolves 103, Nuggets 89: At Minneapolis, Kevin Garnett had a season-high 31 points on 14-for-17 shooting and 15 rebounds to help Minnesota even its record with a win over Denver. The Timberwolves won their second in a row after losing 11 of the previous 14 games.
Grizzlies 81, Nets 69: At Memphis, Tenn., Mike Miller had 18 points and 16 rebounds, and Memphis beat New Jersey. Memphis won for the ninth time in 11 games.
Hornets 90, Kings 76: At Norman, Okla., David West scored 19 points and Rasual Butler added a season-high 16 to help New Orleans beat Sacramento and avoid a fourth-quarter collapse.
Bucks 103, Bobcats 102: At Charlotte, N.C., T.J. Ford’s driving layup with 15 seconds left gave Milwaukee a win over undermanned Charlotte. The Bobcats were missing six players to injury, including three starters.
Trail Blazers 113, Magic 108: At Portland, Juan Dixon scored 25 points, reserve Sebastian Telfair added 21, and Portland beat Orlando. Portland won its second straight after a six-game losing streak.
Off the court
Orlando indefinitely suspended Steve Francis because he refused to play late in the fourth quarter of a blowout, two newspapers reported. The Orlando Sentinel and Florida Today, both citing anonymous sources, said the star guard wouldn’t re-enter Wednesday night’s game against Seattle to replace Hedo Turkoglu. Magic spokesman Joel Glass told the Associated Press the team had no comment on the reports. … Peja Stojakovic missed Sacramento’s game because of a lingering back problem.