In Playoffs, Iverson, 76ers Show Critics Wrong
LINDA STOUFFER, CNN ANCHOR: Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers went into Los Angeles last night as the underdogs. They showed the Lakers and their critics they shouldn't be underestimated. CNN/Sports Illustrated's Tom Rindaldi has more now on game one of the NBA finals.</s>TOM RINALDI, CNN/SPORTS ILLUSTRATED CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Coming into game one, the Lakers' strategy on Allen Iverson is simple: make him take 40 shots if he wants to score 40 points. Well, Iverson took 41, scored 48, and the 76ers won anyway. Playing all but a single minute, Iverson had seven points in a key 9-0 run in overtime that silenced all thoughts of a sweep.</s>ALLEN IVERSON, PHILADELPHIA 76ERS: Anybody that betted on it, there's some broke people out there, some people who got their feelings hurt. I'm glad nobody didn't bet their life on it, because they definitely would be dead right now.</s>DEREK FISHER, LOS ANGELES LAKERS: We got going, I guess, some point, maybe late in the first quarter, and I started making some shots. But you know, he's capable of doing that. That's not really a surprise to us.</s>LARRY BROWN, 76ERS HEAD COACH: The fourth quarter in the overtime, I thought they defended him as well as anybody's defended him all year, without question. I thought he was remarkable in the whole game.</s>IVERSON: I've been waiting for this opportunity all my life. I'm not thinking about fatigue right now -- fatigue: army clothes. I'm not thinking about that right now.</s>RINALDI: After exploding for 30 points in the first half, the Lakers made a bold defensive move, switching reserve guard Tyronn Lue to shadow Iverson. The move worked, at least for awhile. At a quarter and a half, Iverson had just three points, but he kept his patience, and in overtime, proved the difference.</s>IVERSON: I felt like, you know, he did a lot of holding, you know, just trying to stop me from getting the ball. And it, at times, kind of frustrated me.</s>TYRONN LUE, LOS ANGELES LAKERS: I just tried to deny Allen the ball as much as possible because, you know, when he gets the ball, the best penetrator in the game's going to be hard to stop -- so just trying to keep it out of his hands as much as possible.</s>BROWN: I think Tyronn did a phenomenal job, but Rick Fox, Horry, Kobe, their defensive pressure in the backcourt was incredible, and they made us start our offense so high. And then everybody was just hoping that Allen would catch the ball and bail them out.</s>RINALDI (on camera): Iverson's 48 points marked the sixth-best performance in finals history, but it shouldn't come as a surprise: He's now scored 40 or more in three consecutive playoff games, something only five players in NBA history have been able to do. In the process, he was able to stop the Lakers' pursuit of history, as an added benefit. At the NBA finals, in Los Angeles, I'm Tom Rinaldi.