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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – The Philadelphia 76ers have home-court
advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs. Now their
sights are set on the best record in the NBA.
|  | | Dikembe Mutombo had 18 rebounds and seven blocks for Philly on Monday. |
Allen Iverson scored 37 points and Dikembe Mutombo added 12
points, 18 rebounds and seven blocks as the Sixers beat the Boston
Celtics 108-95 Monday night, clinching first place in the East.
The last time Philadelphia had the conference's best record was
1983.
"It's special," Iverson said. "We had a lot of bumps in the
road. We stayed focused, we got it done. But it's only the first
step."
The Sixers are one game behind San Antonio for the top record in
the NBA.
Antoine Walker scored 26 and Paul Pierce had 23 for Boston,
which fell 2 1/2 games behind Indiana for the final playoff spot in
the East. The Pacers beat Washington on Monday night.
"It's a difficult loss, but it's not over yet," Walker said.
"We just have to get our last four. We can't afford another
loss."
Iverson, who returned after a two-game absence due to injury,
hit four of his first six shots and scored 14 points in the first
quarter. Iverson missed seven of the last 13 games with a small
tear in a muscle near his left hip and a bruised tailbone.
"It's tough to really stop a guy like him, you just try to slow
him down," Pierce said. "We didn't do much of that either."
The Sixers scored eight straight points to start the game and,
except for an 11-11 tie midway through the first, they never were
threatened.
Iverson hit a running 5-footer on his first shot and made three
of his next five, but was 6-for-16 in the quarter. He finished
13-of-33.
Philadelphia took a 58-44 halftime lead following an 11-4 run.
George Lynch nailed a jumper to start the run and closed it with a
layup.
The Sixers took their biggest lead, 86-67, on a jumper by
Iverson at the end of the third quarter. Philadelphia outscored the
Celtics 10-2 to close the third.
Boston didn't get closer than nine in the fourth period.
"It doesn't mean anything to me right now," Sixers coach Larry
Brown said about clinching the top seed in the East. "It's a
tremendous accomplishment, but we won (two) series the last two
years without having home-court advantage so I don't think we can
take anything for granted."
In addition to Iverson, guard Aaron McKie returned from injury.
McKie, who missed five straight with a sprained medial collateral
ligament in his right knee, had 13 points and seven assists.
Eric Snow, advised last week to take five days off to heal
tendinitis in his left ankle, remained in the lineup. He had eight
points, nine assists and six rebounds.
Reserve center Matt Geiger, questionable after sitting out the
second half of Friday's game with swelling in his left knee, had
three points.
Game notes
Lynch left the game midway through the fourth after
pinching a nerve in the right side of his neck and right shoulder
following a collision. ... The Sixers swept the four-game season
series against Boston and have beaten the Celtics six straight.
Philadelphia hadn't swept a season series against Boston since
1977-78. ... On the bus to the arena, Celtics coach Jim O'Brien
learned that his mother passed away Monday. O'Brien, who coached
his first game at the First Union Center since taking over for Rick
Pitino on an interim basis on Jan. 8, went to Philadelphia's Roman
Catholic High School and St. Joseph's University. ... Pierce was
3-of-5 from the foul line after going 26-for-53 the last four
games.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Boston Clubhouse
Philadelphia Clubhouse
RECAPS
Philadelphia 108
Boston 95
Detroit 81
Atlanta 69
New York 113
Charlotte 98
Indiana 100
Washington 78
Utah 96
Houston 81
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Allen Iverson blows past everyone on the baseline and hits the layup.
avi: 540 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Boston's Milt Palacio is denied in the lane by Dikembe Mutombo.
avi: 370 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
 Allen Iverson says the road was bumpy, but the Sixers are at the top.
wav: 125 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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