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Wednesday, Nov. 8 7:00pm ET
Sixers: Best start to season in 16 years

RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME FLOW

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Eric Snow made up for a tough night with some clutch shooting.
Allen Iverson
Allen Iverson led the 76ers with 28 points.

Snow scored a career-high 23 points and Allen Iverson had 28 as the unbeaten Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Detroit Pistons 103-94 Wednesday night.

But Snow, who scored 10 points in the fourth quarter, wasn't celebrating.

"Things didn't go my way," said Snow, who got his fifth foul midway through the fourth. "If the offense doesn't run the right way, if the defense doesn't play the way we're supposed to play, if we don't rebound the way we're supposed to rebound, it's my fault because I'm the coach on the court."

The Sixers, 5-0 and off to their best start in 16 years, never trailed after the opening minutes. They built a 27-point lead in the second quarter and held on after Detroit rallied within a point in the fourth quarter.

Jerry Stackhouse scored 36, including 28 in the second half, and Chucky Atkins added 24 for the Pistons. Vernon Maxwell had 15, Tyrone Hill had 14 and Theo Ratliff added 13 for the Sixers.

"We let up and played like strangers," Sixers coach Larry Brown said. "They just outhustled us in every way that we outhustled them. Since I've been here, when we have chances to bury teams, this what we do all the time."

Detroit got within 79-78 after opening the fourth quarter with a 16-2 run. Stackhouse scored the last six on three jumpers from near-identical spots on the wing.

But Iverson and Snow then took over.

Iverson hit a free throw and drilled a 3-pointer and Snow scored on a driving layup to make it 85-78 with 6:20 left. The Pistons didn't get any closer than four the rest of the way.

Snow had eight of the last 20 points for Philadelphia. He finished 8-for-14 shooting, had five rebounds and four assists. Iverson was 10-for-21, and had eight assists.

"You can never leave Eric Snow alone. He's capable of making things happen," Iverson said.

Stackhouse, a former Sixer and a reminder of the team's losing years, was booed throughout the game. He shot just 2-for-12 in the first half, but scored 16 in the third quarter.

Stackhouse finished 12-for-31, and was 11-for-11 at the foul line.

"We didn't compete in the first half," Stackhouse said. "We've just got to play hard from the start."

The first half was a passing clinic filled with no-look passes and behind-the-back assists for Philadelphia. Iverson and Toni Kukoc electrified the crowd midway through the second quarter with a spectacular display.

After Kukoc made a steal, he threw an outlet pass to Iverson, who sent it back to Kukoc with a behind-the-back toss. Kukoc caught the ball in stride, drove to the basket, and threw a two-handed, backward pass over his head to Iverson, who sank a 12-footer for a 32-15 lead.

The Sixers had 14 assists in the first half.

"I have not seen us play like that in any practice," Pistons coach George Irvine said about the first half.

Game notes
Former Temple star Pepe Sanchez made his home debut for the Sixers in the third quarter, and got a rousing ovation. He played 13 seconds, and nearly had an assist. ... The game was stopped for several seconds early in the fourth after a little boy in the stands wandered close to the cameramen stationed underneath the basket on the Sixers end of the court. ... Pistons forward Ben Wallace left the game in the first quarter after spraining his left knee, and did not return. ... Sixers guard Aaron McKie did not play because of a strained back.


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RECAPS
Indiana 108
Milwaukee 97

Philadelphia 103
Detroit 94

New Jersey 102
Washington 86

Miami 87
Seattle 81

Cleveland 99
New York 97

Charlotte 96
Orlando 90

Vancouver 101
Dallas 74

San Antonio 91
LA Lakers 81

Denver 109
Minnesota 107

Utah 93
LA Clippers 87

Sacramento 115
Golden State 84

AUDIO/VIDEO
video
 Allen Iverson levitates to the hoop for the layup against Detroit.
avi: 632 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1

 Tony Kukoc throws an incredible pass to Allen Iverson who converts it into a two point jumper.
avi: 810 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1


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