76ers conclude first round, down Hornets 3-1

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Allen Iverson didn't want to play the Charlotte Hornets in the playoffs. Neither did Philadelphia 76ers coach Larry Brown.

Now, they're both glad they did.

The Sixers, led by Iverson's 26 points and clutch shooting from Aaron McKie, beat Charlotte 105-99 Monday night to win their first-round series 3-1.

Philadelphia plays the winner of the Milwaukee-Indiana series in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Game 1 is scheduled for Saturday.

Milwaukee routed Indiana 100-87 Monday night to force a fifth game of that series on Thursday night.

Tonight, Portland is at Minnesota, with the Trail Blazers ahead two games to one; San Antonio visits Phoenix with the Suns on top 2-1, and the Los Angeles Lakers are at Sacramento, with the visitors leading 2-1.

''Aaron told me he wanted to play these guys,'' Iverson said. ''I kept telling him to root for somebody else. I never wanted to play this team from Day 1. They're a great team, a big team. They played us hard, even in our house.''

Said Brown: ''It was almost my worst nightmare when we drew Charlotte.''

McKie, though, wanted the Hornets instead of Toronto, which could have been Philadelphia's first-round opponent.

''Toronto reminded me of us last year,'' said McKie, who started his second straight game for the injured Eric Snow, out with a chip fracture in his right ankle. McKie was comparing the 1999 upstart 76ers to the current Raptors.

McKie must have known something Iverson and Brown didn't. He made four consecutive 3-pointers and scored 13 straight points midway through the fourth quarter as the Sixers rallied from an 8-point deficit.

''They were giving me looks throughout the game and I had it in my mind that I was going to take the shots if they were there,'' McKie said, downplaying his performance. ''I just got in a groove. I just wanted my team to win.''

McKie had career playoff highs with 25 points and 11 assists. The four 3-pointers tied McKie's career high in any game. Iverson scored 26 despite playing with a chip fracture in his right ankle and an inflamed right elbow. Substitute Matt Geiger scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

''I knew if you leave him open, he's going to make the shot, and we left him open a lot,'' Charlotte's Eddie Jones said about McKie, his close friend and former teammate for three years at Temple.

After Charlotte took its biggest lead, 85-77, in the first minute of the fourth period, McKie took over. He nailed consecutive 3-pointers to make it 85-83.

Elden Campbell's jumper made it 87-83, but McKie tied the game by hitting another 3 and making a free throw to complete a four-point play. After Campbell sank a pair of free throws, McKie gave the Sixers the lead for good, 90-89, with another 3-pointer.

Iverson set up the shot by holding the ball at the top of the circle, faking a drive and waiting for McKie to come open.

''It's nice to see Allen, one of the best scorers in the league, sit there and wait for Aaron to come off a screen,'' Geiger said.

Then it was Iverson's turn to score. He had seven straight points on a layup, a 3-pointer and baseline jumper to give the 76ers a 101-95 lead with 3:09 left.

After the jumper, Iverson cupped his ear and circled the floor, encouraging the raucous sellout crowd of 20,712 to make more noise.

''There are teams with more talent, but nobody has more heart,'' Iverson said.

Charlotte get no closer than four points the rest of the game.

Anthony Mason and Derrick Coleman each scored 21 points to lead Charlotte.

McKie shot 9-of-15, including 4-of-7 from 3-point range. He did not commit a turnover in 36 minutes as the Sixers had just eight turnovers.

McKie, who held Jones to 18 points in Game 3, limited him to 17 on Monday. He held Jones to just three shots in the first half.

''I've always thought Aaron is a very underrated player,'' Brown said. ''He's a real pro, so I'm not surprised. I think I'd be a coach for a long, long time if they were all like him.''

Iverson aggravated his injured elbow on a driving layup at the end of the second quarter that gave the Sixers a 54-50 halftime lead. He stayed in the game and wore extra padding on it in the second half.

Bucks 100, Pacers 87

Milwaukee won a playoff game at home for the first time in exactly 10 years. The Bucks also haven't won a playoff series in a decade.

They still have the opportunity because they got off to a big lead and never faltered. Ray Allen scored 20 points before taking a blow to the head, and reserve Scott Williams added a season-high 20.