PHILADELPHIA — Andre Miller scored 28 points and the 76ers spoiled Allen Iverson's return to Philadelphia by beating the Denver Nuggets 115-113 Wednesday night.
Iverson, playing in Philly for the first time since being traded to Denver in December 2006, led all scorers with 32 points and added eight assists.
But the 76ers made the big plays down the stretch.
Samuel Dalembert scored the decisive basket with 32.9 second remaining. When Andre Iguodala lost possession of the ball over his head as he fell, Dalembert was there to grab it and turned for a lay-in.
Denver squandered a number of chances to tie in the final seconds. Iverson missed a jumper and Marcus Camby missed on a follow.
Iguodala emerged from a scrum, moved past half court and heaved the ball skyward in celebration.
Iguodala scored 21 points, Dalembert added 17 points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shots, including four in the last quarter. Willie Green added 16 points and Rodney Carney 11.
Carmelo Anthony scored 26 points, Kenyon Martin added 22 and Anthony Carter 12 for the Nuggets, who are scrambling for a playoff spot in the tough Western Conference.
The loss spoiled what Iverson had hoped would be a positive return to Philadelphia, where he spent the first 10-plus seasons of his career. And he didn't disappoint the fans that cheered his every drive, pull-up jumper and no-look passes for a decade.
On Wednesday, however, he had to settle for a rousing ovation and no victory.
All eyes were on Iverson when he trotted out for pregame warmups. The ovation from a jam-packed Wachovia Center crowd grew, and then Iverson made his way to center court, where he dropped down and kissed the 76ers logo.
The affection between the former 76ers MVP and the fans intensified throughout the pregame.
When Iverson was introduced, the fans showered him with raucous applause and a lengthy standing ovation. He worked the crowd by putting his hand to his ear and turning to each corner of the arena as the roar grew louder. The applause was only cut short by the introduction of the rest of the Denver lineup.
Just before the game started, Iverson trotted down the sideline to the Sixers' bench and embraced former coach Maurice Cheeks, the first time the two got together since he was traded 15 months before.
Iverson's impact was immediate as he fed Anthony for a game-opening 3-pointer and scored his first points on a 14-foot jumper at the 6:32 mark of the first quarter.
The Nuggets rallied from a seven-point halftime deficit with a 10-point run to open the third quarter.
Iverson, who had 12 points and five assists in the first half, added nine points in Denver's third-quarter run.
Notes:@ Philadelphia's Andre Miller turned 32 on Wednesday. ... The Sixers are 16-4 in their last 20 games and 10-1 in their last 11. ... The Nuggets move on to play the Nets in New Jersey on Friday. ... The 76ers travel to Orlando to take on the Magic on Friday night.
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