Thanks to the generosity of 76ers fans, the 2005-06 "Shirts-Off-Our-Backs" auction raised $10,220 for Sixers Charities. The fifth-annual event was posted on Sixers.com from April 10 to April 24, and auctioned off 76ers authentic, game-worn autographed home jerseys from each player.

As with previous jersey auctions, Allen Iverson's jersey led the bidding with $3,420, drawing 27 bids. Other notable jerseys included Kyle Korver ($1,040, six bids), Chris Webber ($1,020, nine bids) and Andre Iguodala ($1,020, six bids). Sixers rookies Louis Williams and Shavlik Randolph received the second and third most bids in the auction respectively. Williams' No. 23 jersey (15 bids) sold for $760 and Randolph's No. 42 jersey (14 bids) went for $610. Below is a complete breakdown:

Player	Bids	Price
Allen Iverson	27	$3,420
Kyle Korver	6	$1,040
Chris Webber	9	$1,020
Andre Iguodala	6	$1,020
Louis Williams	15	$760
Samuel Dalembert	4	$750
Shavlik Randolph	14	$610
Kevin Ollie	8	$370
Matt Barnes	9	$320
Steven Hunter	4	$320
John Salmons	5	$310
Michael Bradley	4	$280

The Shirts-Off-Our-Backs auction has enjoyed great success over the last five years, raising a total of $75,356.17 for Sixers Charities, which is devoted to helping kids in and around the Delaware Valley. Combined with the Sixers two retro jersey auctions in 2002-03 and 2003-04, the auction has raised a total of $130,686.35 for Sixers Charities.

Allen Iverson and Chris Webber did not play because of injuries, did not show up in the locker room until tipoff and missed the Philadelphia 76ers' 91-88 win over the New Jersey Nets on Tuesday night.

The 76ers will fine Iverson and Webber for not being at the arena 90 minutes before the game against the Nets, and the duo might not make the trip to close out the season in Charlotte on Wednesday.

King said he knew at Tuesday morning's shootaround that Iverson and Webber would be given the home regular-season finale off because of injuries. But King did expect the Sixers' leading scorers to be at the game.

Andre Iguodala had 27 points for the Sixers, Willie Green had 14 and Steven Hunter 10.

Lamond Murray scored 19 points for New Jersey, Vince Carter had 16 and Jacque Vaughn added 13 assists.

The Chicago Bulls finished a three-game season sweep of the Atlanta Hawks with a 96-90 victory Wednesday night.

The Bulls and Philadelphia 76ers are tied for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Chicago owns the tiebreaker because of a better conference record. The No. 8 seed will open the playoffs against the top-seeded Pistons.

Both teams are 37-41. The Bulls have home games left against Washington and Toronto, and road games in Miami and Orlando; the Sixers close with a home game against New Jersey, and road games in Miami, Orlando and Charlotte.

The Bulls played without starting guard Chris Duhon (lower back pain) for the second straight game and starting forward Luol Deng (concussion) for the third straight.

Ben Gordon led Chicago with 19 points. Kirk Hinrich added 17 points and Michael Sweetney 15.

Josh Smith led the Hawks with 22 points and six blocked shots.

Philadelphia 116, New Jersey 96: Allen Iverson had 40 points and 10 assists for the visiting 76ers. Chris Webber added 18 points. Vince Carter led the Nets with 21 points.

Indiana 117, Boston 112: The host Pacers got 25 points from Peja Stojakovic, 21 points and 15 rebounds from Jermaine O'Neal. Indiana, which made 13 three-pointers, beat the Celtics for the first time in four tries. Paul Pierce scored 30 for Boston.

Orlando 103, Toronto 96: Jameer Nelson scored 27 points, leading five Orlando starters in double figures. The Raptors, led by Morris Peterson's 23 points, have lost 10 in a row. Toronto hasn't won since losing All-Star forward Chris Bosh to a season-ending thumb injury March 26. Orlando guard and ex-Piston Carlos Arroyo missed his second straight game with a strained left hamstring.

Memphis 96, Charlotte 88: Eddie Jones (16 points) hit a 16-foot jumper that barely beat the shot clock with 41 seconds left, sealing the visiting Grizzlies' win.

New Orleans 104, Seattle 99: At Oklahoma City, Chris Paul scored four of his 21 points in the final minute for the Hornets. New Orleans trails Sacramento by two games for the final playoff spot in the West.

Milwaukee 100, Washington 97: Michael Redd scored 24 points for the host Bucks.

Utah 104, Denver 83: Carlos Boozer had 25 points and 13 rebounds for the host Jazz.

Minnesota 82, Houston 79: Marcus Banks hit the go-ahead jumper in the fourth quarter and scored 15 points as the Timberwolves snapped a 14-game road losing streak.

Three NBA Legends, Five-Time NCAA Championship Coach, ‘Founding Father’ of Big East Conference and Italian Coach Comprise Elite Group

Former NBA stars Charles Barkley, Joe Dumars and Dominique Wilkins, University of Connecticut Women’s Coach Geno Auriemma, former Big East Commissioner David Gavitt and Italian National Team Coach Sandro Gamba were introduced today as members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2006. The announcement was made in Indianapolis, Indiana, site of the 2006 NCAA Men’s Final Four.

Auriemma, Barkley and Gavitt were elected to the Hall of Fame in their first year of consideration. Wilkins, Dumars and Gamba have been named Finalists previously.

The Class of 2006 will be enshrined during festivities in Springfield, MA September 8 & 9, 2006. Tickets to the 2006 Enshrinement Gala and Induction Celebration are available by calling the Hall of Fame at (413) 781-6500.

Class of 2006 Bios

CHARLES BARKLEY, a native of Leeds, Alabama and attended Auburn University in Alabama, Barkley averaged 14.1 points per game and 9.6 rebounds per game in his career at Auburn. During his career with the Philadelphia 76ers (1984-1992), the Phoenix Suns (1992-1996) and the Houston Rockets (1996-2000), Barkley was selected to 11 NBA All-Star games as well as the All-NBA First Team five times and the All-NBA Second Team five times. He won an Olympic gold medal with the 1992 United States Olympic Dream Team and was the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in the 1993 season. A member of the NBA’s 50th Anniversary team, Barkley averaged 22.1 points per game and almost 12 rebounds per game in his 16-year NBA career. He shares the single game record for most offensive rebounds in one quarter (11 in 1987).

GENO AURIEMMA was born in Montella, Italy and was raised in Pennsylvania where he was a graduate of Montegomery County Community College in Blue Bell (1974) and West Chester State College in Pennsylvania. Auriemma began his coaching career as an assistant girl’s coach at Bishop McDevitt High School in Wyncote, Penn. (1976-1978) and went on to coach as an assistant women’s coach at St. Joseph’s University (Philadelphia, PA) (1978-1979), assistant boy’s coach at Bishop Kenrick High School (Norristown, PA) (1979-1981), and assistant women’s coach at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia (1981-1985). In 1985 he became the women’s coach at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut and just completed his 21st season. He has led the Huskies to an amazing five National Championships, eight Final Four appearances and two undefeated seasons. His teams have compiled more than 570 wins at UConn, where he has been named National Coach of the Year five times and captured 14 Big East regular season and 12 Big East tournament titles. He has guided his team to ten 30-win seasons, 17 straight NCAA tournament appearances and an NCAA record 70 straight wins. Auriemma has also been the assistant coach of the United States gold medal team in the 2000 Olympics, head coach of the United States gold medal team at the 2000 Junior World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Argentina, head coach of the United States bronze medal team at the 2001 FIBA Junior World Championship in Czech Republic. He is enshrined in the New England Basketball Hall of Fame (2002) and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame (2005).

JOE DUMARS, a native of Shreveport, Louisiana, played his entire professional career for the Detroit Pistons, becoming a key component of the squad that went on to win back-to-back NBA Championships (1989 & 1990). After being drafted by the Pistons out of McNeese State, he immediately made a name for himself as a defensive stopper and steady offensive performer in the NBA by being named an NBA All-Rookie Selection (1986). His defensive skills were honored by being named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team four times (1989, 1990, 1992, 1993), and his overall play was rewarded by being named a six-time NBA All-Star and the MVP of the 1989 NBA Finals. Dumars is currently the President of Basketball Operations for the Detroit Pistons and is credited for assembling the team which won the 2004 NBA Championship.

SANDRO GAMBA, a native of Milan, Italy, has coached in Europe for over 30 years,; including Italian Division I professional league teams Simmenthal (1965-73), Ignis (1973-77), Turin (1977-1980) and the Italian National Team (1979-1992). Gamba has coached four Italian Olympic teams (1980, 1984, 1988, 1992), and led the 1980 squad to a silver medal. His Italian professional teams have won five Italian League championships, a European Championship, a Champions Cup and Cup of Cups title. In addition, his national squads captured a gold medal at the 1983 European Championship.

DAVID GAVITT is a native of Westerly, Rhode Island and began his contributions to the game as a head coach at Providence College where he would lead the team to eight consecutive 20-win seasons, five NCAA Tournament appearances and one Final Four. He served as the Chair of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee from 1982 to 1984 and is responsible for the expansion of the tournament to 64 teams, the use of domed stadiums for the Final Four, and expanded the CBS television coverage with the first contract. Gavitt was the president of USA Basketball from 1988 to 1992. He is the 1995 recipient of the Conference Commissioners Association Merit Award and served as the Chairman of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Board of Directors.

DOMINIQUE WILKINS was born in Paris, France before coming to the United States and becoming a Parade High School All-American, collegiate star at the University of Georgia and an NBA All-Star known for his amazing offensive power and high-flying above-the-rim game. During his career with the Atlanta Hawks (1982-1994), LA Clippers (1994), Boston Celtics (1994-95), San Antonio Spurs (1996-97) and Orlando Magic (1998-99), Wilkins was a nine-time NBA All-Star (1986-1994), a two-time NBA Slam Dunk Champion and named to the All-NBA first team in 1986. Wilkins is one of only three Atlanta Hawks to have his jersey (21) retired, and his incredible dunks and aerial acrobatics earned him the nickname “The Human Highlight Film.”

The Philadelphia 76ers’ Allen Iverson and the Memphis Grizzlies’ Pau Gasol were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Feb. 27 through Sunday, March 5.

Iverson averaged a league-high 37.3 points on .556 shooting, 9.3 assists and 3.5 rebounds to collect his third Player of the Week honor this season. For the first time in his 10-year NBA career, Iverson recorded 40 points and 10 assists in back-to-back contests, becoming the first player to do so since Denver’s Michael Adams in 1991.

Behind Gasol’s 26.3 points on .636 shooting, 7.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2.33 blocks, the Grizzlies recorded a 3-0 week. In a 108-98 win over the Wizards on Feb. 27, Gasol recorded his 24th double-double of the season with a career-high 39 points on .727 shooting and 10 rebounds.

Here is a closer look at the week for Iverson and Gasol:

Allen Iverson, Philadelphia 76ers
Feb. 27 at Dallas: Had 29 points, six assists and three rebounds in a 104-92 road loss to the Mavericks.

March 1 at Houston: Recorded 40 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds in a 106-101 win over the Rockets.

March 3 vs. Washington: Posted 47 points on 17-of-28 shooting and 12 rebounds as the Sixers defeated the Wizards 119-113.

March 5 vs. Indiana: Had 33 points, nine assists and three steals in a 94-93 loss to the Pacers.

Pau Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies
Feb. 27 vs. Washington: Scored a career-high 39 points on 16-of-22 shooting, while adding 10 rebounds, three assists and three blocks in a 108-98 win over the Wizards.

March 1 vs. New York: Recorded 23 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and two blocks as the Grizzlies defeated the Knicks 101-99.

March 5 at L.A. Clippers: Had 17 points, seven assists, six rebounds and two blocks in a 102-86 win over the Clippers.

Other nominees for Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Cleveland’s LeBron James, Golden State’s Jason Richardson, Indiana’s Stephen Jackson, the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, Miami’s Dwyane Wade, Minnesota’s Kevin Garnett, Phoenix’s Boris Diaw and Steve Nash, and Seattle’s Ray Allen.

 A long-discussed, connect-the-dots trade that had baseball fans in Philadelphia, Cleveland and Boston monitoring the transactions column for a week became official on Friday night.

The Phillies ended up filling a hole in their bullpen by acquiring veteran reliever Arthur Rhodes from Cleveland for outfielder Jason Michaels.

Rhodes, a 36-year-old lefthander, will become the Phillies' primary set-up man. His addition allows the team to move righthander Ryan Madson into starting rotation.

"Arthur helps us strengthen our bullpen, which is one of the areas we felt needed to be addressed," Phillies general manager Pat Gillick said.

Michaels, 29, was a productive hitter in a part-time role during his four seasons with the Phillies.

However, his time in Philadelphia ended in controversy. He was arrested July 3 for assaulting Philadelphia Police Officer Timothy Taylor outside a nightclub. Michaels recently avoided a trial and was placed on six months' probation and ordered to complete 100 hours of community service. Taylor has filed a civil suit.

Michaels had mixed emotions about the trade when reached by telephone in Florida on Friday night.

"I'm sad and I'm excited," he said. "I'm sad to be leaving the Phillies and my teammates. I have a lot of friends and memories in that organization. The players, the coaches, the fans - everyone was great to me.

"But I'm also excited about the possibility of getting some more playing time. I hear Cleveland is a great place, too."

Michaels was asked whether he believed last summer's off-field incident played a role in the trade.

"No," he said. "Not one bit. It had nothing to do with what's going on."

Rhodes, who is signed through the coming season, was 3-1 with a 2.08 earned run average in 47 games for the Indians last season. However, he pitched in only four games the final two months of the season because of a stint on the disabled list (inflamed right knee) and time on the bereavement list due to a death in the family. Rhodes passed a physical examination in Philadelphia on Friday.

During a 15-year career, Rhodes is 75-55 with a 4.26 ERA in 598 games. He pitched for the Baltimore Orioles and Seattle Mariners while Gillick was GM of those clubs.

Rhodes will wear Michaels' old No. 22. The Phillies are his fifth team, his first in the National League.

Michaels is expected to see extensive playing time with the Indians, who agreed to ship starting leftfielder Coco Crisp to Boston in a separate deal that was close to being consummated on Friday night.

That multi-player deal was awaiting approval by the commissioner's office because the Red Sox were paying a significant portion of reliever Guillermo Mota's salary.

In addition to Mota, the Indians were set to get top third-base prospect Andy Marte, catcher Kelly Shoppach and a prospect to be named.

The Indians were set to send Crisp, pitcher David Riske and catcher Josh Bard to Boston.

Indians general manager Mark Shapiro called Michaels a hard-nosed player with a knack for getting on base.

Michaels was selected out of the University of Miami in the fourth round of the 1998 draft and twice hit .300 in part-time roles. Last year, he hit .304 with four home runs, 31 RBI and a .399 on-base percentage in 105 games. He recently was rewarded with a one-year, $1.5 million contract.

Michaels platooned with Kenny Lofton in center field for the Phillies last season. The November acquisition of centerfielder Aaron Rowand meant there would be no more platoon in 2006 and relegated Michaels to more of a reserve role. That, coupled with the emergence of Shane Victorino as a reserve outfielder, made it easier for the Phillies to part with Michaels.

When Wayne Brabender played basketball at the University of Minnesota-Morris, his teammate and roommate was John Nordgaard, the father of one of the other two who will join him in being inducted into the Tribune Sports Hall of Fame.

Brabender was the top vote-getter, while Chari Nordgaard Knueppel and Tim Piechowski tied for second. The top vote-getters are inducted each season.

“It’s nice to still be remembered,” said Brabender, from his home in Spain, where he has lived since 1967. “I appreciate the honor.”

Brabender recived 114 points, including seven first-place votes.

There were 25 voters - one from each of the 21 school districts in the area, plus four Tribune employees. Voting was done on a 10-7-5-3-1 point system. Nordgaard and Piechowski had 97 points each. Each had four first-place votes.

“It’s really an honor for me,” said Nordgaard. “And to be honored with such a limited number of people, doubles the honor.”

The three latest inductees join 14 others in the Hall of Fame, which began in 1999 with Mike Kingery, Barry Wohler, Bob Bruggers and Brad Rheingans gaining entrance first.

“I’m flattered to be in the company of so many great athletes,” said Piechowski. “I’ve been out of the area for 22 years now and am very honored to be remembered after all these years.”

Bonnie Henrickson and Larry Cole were inducted in 2000, Roy Minter and Virg Vagle in 2001, Carrie Tollefson and Jeff Nordgaard in 2002, Mike Dreier and Dave Klug in 2003 and Michele Perkins and Val Swanson in 2004.

Brabender, 60, is a 1963 graduate of Milan High School who excelled at basketball. He played two seasons of basketball at Willmar Community College (now Ridgewater College), averaging over 20 points-per-game, then played two seasons at UM-Morris where he holds records there for career scoring average (23.6), single-season average (24.3) and rebounds in a season (303). He scored 1,119 points and grabbed 534 rebounds in only two seasons.

Brabender was then drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1967 supplemental draft. An injury kept him from making the team so he moved to Spain to play professionally for Real Madrid, an elite team, for 16 of his 18 pro seasons. He scored over 9,000 points for Real Madrid.

He was named the Most Valuable Player of the European League in 1973, was All-World first team in 1974, was Real Madrid MVP six times and a European League All-Star six times.

Brabender, who became a citizen of Spain in 1968, started for Spain in both the 1972 and 1980 Olympics.

He retired as a player in 1983 and has coached various professional and amateur basketball teams ever since. He currently teaches physical education at both the grade school and high school levels near Madrid.

Brabender has two children, David and Paloma.

Nordgaard Knueppel, a 1995 graduate of Dawson-Boyd, was a four-year starter in both basketball and volleyball and a two-year starter in softball.

She was All-Area twice and All-State once in volleyball, where she compiled 1,066 kills (10th all-time in the area) and 291 ace blocks (ninth).

In basketball, Nordgaard Knueppel scored 1,580 points (10th all-time) and grabbed 1,001 rebounds (third). She also had 432 blocks and 412 steals. She was All-Area three times and All-state twice.

Nordgaard Knueppel still holds the state record for career field-goal shooting percentage (63.58).

At the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Nordgaard Knueppel broke the school record for career points, points in a season, points in a game and free throws made in a career, season and game. She ranked ninth in the nation in scoring her senior year (22.5 points-per-game) and twice played in the NCAA Tournament.

She played one year professionally in Athens, Greece, averaging 15 points and eight rebounds per game.

She currenty lives in Milwaukee with her husband, Kon Knueppel, and their five-month-old son, Kon II.

Piechowski, a 1984 graduate of Raymond, is inducted on his 40th birthday today. The former three-sport standout played three seasons of minor league baseball in the Montreal Expos and Texas Rangers organizations after an illustrious prep and college career.

He won the Tribune’s Hengstler-Ranweiler Award for top male athlete in the area in 1984. He was All-State in basketball and baseball.

“While I was successful in high school sports and worked hard to always improve,” said Piechowski, “my teammates and coaches from Raymond, as well as my teammates in Willmar VFW and Legion, never got the proper credit they deserved.”

Piechowski earned three All-Area awards in basketball, two in baseball and one in football.

He led the state in scoring in basketball his senior year with a 32.9 average and finished with 1,767 points to go along with 448 rebounds and 330 steals.

He played several positions in football for Raymond and excelled at every one.

In baseball, Piechowski batted over .400 in his career and had a 20-5 pitching record, averaging two strikeouts per inning.

He went on to play three years of baseball and two basketball at St. Mary’s College in Winona. He was the MVP of the MIAC Conference in baseball as a senior.

He was drafted by the Montreal Expos in 1988.

He currently lives in Eden Prairie with his wife, Kathy, and their daughters, Ellen, 12, and Kate, 8, and their son, Tim Jr., 5.

The Portland Trail Blazers warmly welcomed former coach Maurice Cheeks back to the Rose Garden. Then they beat him.

Zach Randolph had 28 points and 14 rebounds and the Blazers defeated Cheeks' new team, the Philadelphia 76ers, 95-91 on Wednesday night.

"It felt good, you know?" Randolph said. "My old coach. It felt good."

After the game, Cheeks and Randolph respectfully shook hands.

The Trail Blazers have won three in a row for the first time since last February — when Cheeks was their coach. It was his first visit to Portland since the Blazers fired him last March.

When Cheeks strode on to the court before the game, he was greeted with an enthusiastic round of applause, and many in the crowd stood to honor the well-liked coach. He embraced the coach who took over in Portland, Nate McMillan.

"We have to move on and not live in the past," Cheeks said. "I've moved on and the Blazers have moved on."

It was the second time Cheeks has faced his former team this season. The 76ers beat Portland 107-83 in Philadelphia on Nov. 29.

Iverson had 28 points and six assists, a night after he had 36 points and 10 assists, and hit a go-ahead jumper with 4.2 seconds left for a 108-106 76ers victory at Denver.

Iverson said he rolled his ankle against the Nuggets, but he nonetheless played all 48 minutes against Portland."It felt terrible but I was glad I played all the way through so I didn't have to sit down and have it stiffen up," Iverson said. "It stiffened up real bad at halftime but I managed to get through it."

Cheeks went 162-139 in nearly four seasons with the Trail Blazers. After he was fired on March 2, he was replaced in the interim by Kevin Pritchard, the team's director of player personnel.

The Blazers hired McMillan in the offseason.

If the Philadelphia 76ers compiled a list of New Year's resolutions on their flight out of this city, it would contain several items familiar to their suffering fans.

The Sixers closed out 2005 in familiar fashion on Saturday night - an inability to make stops down the stretch, a late lead squandered, an opponent administering a beating on the boards.

They led by seven points with three minutes to play, were outscored by 16-3 down the stretch, and lost, 108-102, to Utah in front of a festive crowd of 19,911 - the Jazz's first sellout of the season - at the Delta Center.

A combination of his team's performance and a non-call on Allen Iverson as the Sixers' leading scorer slashed into the lane seeking the tying basket with 12 seconds to play left coach Maurice Cheeks in as foul a mood as he has been all season.

After a time-out with 11.5 seconds left, Cheeks smashed his greaseboard to the court, breaking it into pieces. His demeanor lightened very little as he went through his post-game news conference.

"We had some shots that we didn't make, they made some incredible shots, but we played well enough to win that game," Cheeks said. "And that's as much as I'm going to say about that. We played well enough to win the game. We should have won the game. We gave ourselves a chance to win the game."

Asked about his frustration with the officials late, Cheeks said, "I'm not going to go there."

"Calls are part of the game, and we've got to live with them," he said. "Sometimes we're going to get some calls; sometimes we're not going to get some calls. Unfortunately, tonight we didn't. That's just part of the game."

The Sixers looked as if they were en route to a victory after Chris Webber's jumper with exactly three minutes remaining gave them a 99-92 lead. To that point in the quarter, the Jazz, playing without coach Jerry Sloan, who was ejected in the third period, were 4 of 15 from the field.

But the Sixers made just one of their last six shots - Webber's short jumper with 58.1 seconds to play that gave them a tenuous 101-98 lead. And Mehmet Okur wiped out the advantage on Utah's next possession, knocking down a three-point basket to tie the game with 45.2 seconds left.

Iverson, who led all scorers with 37 points, sank 1 of 2 free throws to put his team up by one, but Andrei Kirilenko gave the Jazz the lead for good when he drove into the lane, sank a layup, and made the subsequent free throw with 18.9 seconds to play.

After a time-out, Iverson drove into the lane, but Utah's Milt Palacio got his hand on the ball as Iverson was starting his jump, disrupting Iverson's rhythm, and the shot deflected harmlessly off the rim. The Jazz closed the game with four free throws.

Webber added 21 points for the Sixers and Andre Iguodala contributed 18. Gordon Giricek led the Jazz with 23 and Okur chipped in with 21 and 13 rebounds.

The loss was tough for the Sixers to take. They have lost three of their last four - by six, four and three points.

"I think we just have to realize when we look up at the clock, we can't panic," Iguodala said. "I think with two minutes left, we panicked a little bit. We didn't execute plays and we ended up taking shots we really didn't want."

The Jazz outrebounded the Sixers, 43-34, negating the visitors' 52.9 percent shooting from the field. The Sixers slipped to 3-15 in games in which they have been beaten on the boards.

The Sixers used a 22-6 run in the third quarter to take a 70-61 lead. During this time, Sloan picked up two technical fouls in a 30-second span and was ejected with 7 minutes, 8 seconds to play in the period. The Jazz carried on, however, and rallied with a 9-0 burst to tie it. Kevin Ollie's 45-foot heave from near midcourt at the buzzer gave the Sixers an 82-81 lead entering the final 12 minutes.

The fourth quarter was tight throughout. However, with the score tied at 91, the Jazz came up empty on five straight possessions, turning the ball over on three of them, and the Sixers opened up a little daylight.

Iverson made a free throw and a scoop shot and set up Webber twice for baskets, once on a pretty lob that Webber redirected into the hoop. Webber's jumper from the left elbow put the Sixers in front, 99-92, but the Jazz never stopped coming.

Worse yet for the visitors, Samuel Dalembert fouled out with 2:17 remaining, the third consecutive game in which he has been disqualified on fouls.

Largely because of Iverson, two of Utah's three-point guards - starter Keith McLeod and rookie Deron Williams - fouled out. But before he left, McLeod hit his only shot of the night on the possession immediately preceding Okur's game-tying three.