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Baketball Roundup
MVP Iverson Leads 76ers to Game 5 Win Over Raptors
How does someone who has just been named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) celebrate? If he's Iverson, he goes out and scores 52 points. The 76ers beat up on the Toronto Raptors 121-88 and now lead the series three games to two.
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Philadelphia 76ers' Allen Iverson (center) is congratulated by his mother Ann (right) after NBA commissioner David Stern presented him with the NBA's Most Valuable Player trophy before game five of the 76ers-Raptors playoff game. REUTERS |
The Sixers left Toronto in the dust from the opening tip-off, scoring the first 11 points and 23 of the first 31 on the way to a whopping 33-12 cushion after one quarter.
"It was like we didn't show up and it was evident in our play," said Toronto coach Lenny Wilkens.
One person who probably wishes he didn't show up was Vince Carter. The Toronto star was poked in the eye in the third quarter, then, for dessert, took a shot to the face in the fourth from Dikembe Mutombo. He had to be helped from the court and sat out the last 11 minutes.
For the 76ers, it was simply a great game all around. They shot 60%, made 11 3-pointers, and were a perfect 16-16 from the free throw line. In addition, they got key contributions from their other two winners of major NBA annual awards.
Aaron McKie, winner of the NBA Sixth Man Award, scored 19 points and dished out nine assists. Center Dikembe Mutombo, the NBA Defensive Player of the Year, had 14 points, nine rebounds, and two blocked shots. But he suffered a fractured left little finger and is questionable for Game Six.
Hockey Roundup
Blues 4, Avalanche 3, 2OT
It took the St. Louis Blues 60 shots to get to Patrick Roy, so they just kept firing. Lo and behold, a few actually fell in.
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Only four out of 60 pucks shot at Patrick Roy made it into the net. This one, by St. Louis Blues' defenseman Alexander Khavanov, was one of them. REUTERS |
Scott Young's goal at 10:27 of the second overtime was one of the lucky few. It gave the Blues a 4-3 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday night, and new life in the Western Conference finals.
"I don't know how many pucks we had to throw on the net," coach Joel Quenneville said. "I think across the board, the guys wouldn't be denied."
Al MacInnis got off 10 shots, including a slap shot to the gut near the end of regulation that doubled over Roy. Chris Pronger added eight shots and Young six. Young, who had a career-high 40 goals in the regular season, took a pass from Pierre Turgeon at the blue line and beat Roy just inside the left post for his sixth goal of the post-season.
Why were the Blues able to get off so many shots? The Avalanche had an early lead and kept sitting on it. Defenseman Adam Foote said that strategy put too much pressure on Roy, who had allowed six goals in his previous six playoff games.
"He's always there for us," Foote said. "We can't let him see this many shots. We were in our end way too long."
The Avalanche are 1-3 this year in playoff overtimes.
Playoff Results from May 16, 2001
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