NBA Greatest Duels: Allen Iverson vs. Gary Payton (2000)

1999.12.26
Allen Iverson outdueled Gary Payton with 34 points as the Philadelphia 76ers completed their first season sweep of the Seattle SuperSonics in nearly eight years with a 92-86 victory.
Iverson eclipsed the 30-point mark for the 11th time this season and helped the 76ers post their first win in Seattle since January 4, 1992. Philadelphia had lost seven straight on the road to the Sonics.
Iverson made 12-of-30 shots from the field and 9-of-13 from the line while grabbing six rebounds and handing out six assists.
While Iverson, the NBA's leading scorer, was the offensive spark as usual for the Sixers, coach Larry Brown pointed to the defense of Tyrone Hill, who held Vin Baker to 10 points.
"Our defense overall has been much improved over recent games," said Brown, who has 698 career wins. "Tyrone is a very underrated defender. We haven't been able to beat Seattle because we couldn't contain players like (Baker), but the two times this year we did a pretty good job on Vin."
Payton had 32 points, nine rebounds and nine assists for the Sonics but was ejected with nine seconds remaining after picking up his second technical foul. Until that point, he had played the entire game.
"Gary's still doing a good job when we need him, but Superman needs help every now and then from Lois Lane, so one of us has to step up and do something," said Seattle guard Brent Barry, who had 12 points.
Seattle has lost three straight for the first time this season and dropped to 7-1 in games decided by six points or less. The defeat halted the Sonics' seven-game home winning streak.
"We got to come out and want to win basketball games," Barry said. "Right now, we're not coming out with the effort we need. We need to pick it up."
Payton hit consecutive 3-pointers to give Seattle an 80-76 lead with 7:12 remaining, but Iverson scored seven straight points for Philadelphia, including a pair from the line that put the Sixers in front, 84-82, with four minutes to play.
After Payton's jumper staked Seattle to an 85-84 lead, Baker added a foul shot for a two-point edge with 1:49 left.
But Aaron McKie's jumper tied it with 1:12 left and Hill hit a pair from the line 24 seconds later to put the Sixers ahead for good.
"It's disappointing to lose this game," said Baker, who was 2-of-11 from the field. "When they set the double-team in the second half, that really make a difference. They really threw my rhythm off."
Larry Hughes scored 12 points and former University of Washington star Todd MacCulloch added 10 for the Sixers in his return to the northwest.
Philadelphia rebounded from Thursday's 99-94 loss at New Jersey and opened its four-game West Coast swing on a positive note.
"We're gonna try to get every win possible," Hill said. "If we go 3-1 on the trip, then we had a good road trip. We really bounced back here against a good team like Seattle from the start."
George Lynch grabbed 14 rebounds for Philadelphia, which shot 42 percent (34-of-81) from the field but held Seattle to a dismal 33 percent (37-of-81).
Trailing 50-47 at halftime, Seattle made only 3-of-18 shots in the third quarter. But the 76ers did not take full advantage, extending their lead by only one point in the period.
The Sixers also went more than six minutes before making their first field goal of the final period.
The Sonics turned a 70-66 deficit into an 80-76 lead before Philadelphia's Eric Snow hit 1-of-2 from the line to stop Seattle's momentum and set the stage for Iverson to take charge.