Iverson returns to lead Sixers over Indiana

Iverson, who leads the NBA in scoring, has been sidelined with a strained left shoulder. In addition to the last three games, he sat out a November 21 contest against Miami with an elbow contusion and was unable to go against Minnesota on January 7 due to a right ankle injury.

The Sixers won their first game without Iverson this season in Dallas on Saturday night.

Kyle Korver hit a jumper in the closing seconds to give Philadelphia the lead and the 76ers held on for the win. Korver, who finished with 17 points, was 5-of-7 from three-point range. Kenny Thomas added 12 in the win.

"You see a guy (Korver) in his second year who’s able to hit a big shot like that, it says a lot about him as a player," Iverson said. "It says a lot about his confidence and the confidence the coaching staff and we have in him."

Stephen Jackson led the Pacers with 24 points. Jermaine O’Neal added 21 with a game-high 10 rebounds for Indiana, which has lost five in a row. Fred Jones contributed 12 points off the bench for the Pacers, who lost guard Jamaal Tinsley in the first half because of a sprained left foot.

With the scored tied late in the game, Jones was fouled on a three-point field goal attempt and made all three free throws to give the Pacers an 88-85 lead with 1:29 remaining.

After two free throws by Iverson, Indiana’s Jeff Foster missed an open shot from underneath the basket. Philadelphia failed to take advantage, as O’Neal blocked a shot from close range by Samuel Dalembert.

The Pacers then had a chance to increase their lead, but Jackson missed two free throws with 17 seconds left. Philadelphia took advantage, as Iverson drove hard to the basket and dished to Korver, who hit a 10-foot fall-away jumper with 6.5 seconds left on the clock.

"I was thinking maybe I could get another game-winner against that team," said Iverson, who beat Indiana with the first buzzer-beating shot of his nine-year career on a 14-footer in overtime earlier this season.

Indiana had one last chance, but O’Neal missed a jumper as time expired.

Trailing 68-63 late in the third quarter, Iverson scored to spark a nine-point run by the Sixers. The basket, which cut the Indiana lead to three after three quarters, was the first by Philadelphia in almost six minutes.

The run continued into the fourth quarter as Korver hit his fifth three- pointer to tie the game at 68-68. A basket by Corliss Williamson gave the Sixers a 72-68 lead early in the final frame.

The game would remain close with the lead changing hands several times over the final six minutes.

The Pacers trailed, 52-45, at halftime and were down by down 10 after a field goal by Iverson early in the third quarter. A 21-6 run put Indiana on top, 68-63, late in the third quarter.

With the Sixers down by three in the early going, Korver hit from beyond the arc to tie the game. The basket sparked a 13-2 spurt and Philadelphia led 23-15 after a field goal by Thomas capped the run with just over four minutes left in the first quarter.

Indiana, which trailed by four after 12 minutes, regained the lead, 31-30, after a free throw by Austin Croshere early in the second quarter. The Sixers, however, responded soon after with eight unanswered points and led the rest of the half.

John Salmons hit a pair of three-pointers and Aaron McKie capped the run with a trey to give Philadelphia a 41-33 lead with 6:12 left in the second quarter. The Sixers hit 6-of-9 shots from beyond the arc and led by seven at halftime.