PHILADELPHIA, June 3 -- Allen Iverson was unstoppable in the biggest game of his life Sunday night, igniting a Philadelphia surge in the second quarter and making the big shots when needed to carry the 76ers into the NBA Championship Series with a 108-91 decision over the Milwaukee Bucks.
The 76ers will play for the league title for the first time in 18 years and face the very formidable task of taking on the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers. Game 1 of the best-of-seven championship series will be played Wednesday night in Los Angeles.
In the seventh and deciding game of the Eastern Conference finals, Iverson hit 17 of 33 shots from the field, six of seven from the line, scored 44 points, grabbed six rebounds and handed out seven assists.
The league's MVP scored 12 points in a 21-4, second-quarter run that rallied the 76ers from a nine-point deficit and capped a key flurry at the end of the third period by hitting a three-pointer at the buzzer.
That put Philadelphia in front by 10 with 12 minutes to play and Iverson promptly opened the fourth-quarter scoring with another three-pointer. The Bucks came no closer than 11 the rest of the way.
Milwaukee's effort was hampered when star guard Ray Allen suffered a bruised knee in the third quarter and limped to the locker room. He tried to play in the fourth quarter, but was unable to put forth a sustained effort.
Philadelphia reached the league finals with a series of pressure-packed victories that included a Game 7 win over Toronto in the conference semifinals in addition to the seventh-game victory Sunday night.
But the showdown with the Bucks was Philadelphia's 18th game of the playoffs and they have lost seven post-season outings. The Lakers, meanwhile, are unbeaten in the playoffs and have been virtually unchallenged in their 11 games. They will be well rested when the battle for the championship begins Wednesday night.
It will be the first appearance in the championship series for Philadelphia coach Larry Brown, who has spent 17 of his 28 coaching years in the NBA. Sunday night's win was his 789th and only Don Nelson and Cotton Fitzsimmons have had more victories without making it to the NBA Finals.
"It doesn't get much better than this when you consider what this team has been through," Brown said. "To have Allen play like he did, I'm just so proud. This team has great heart and great character, just like this city. Anything is possible when you try hard and try to make your teammates better.
"Los Angeles is phenomenal. They are playing so well. It will be an amazing test."
Philadelphia scored the first six points of the game while the Bucks missed their first four shots from the field. But Milwaukee battled back to take the lead with 3:20 remaining in the opening period and closed the quarter with a 26-25 advantage.
Milwaukee then ran off the first eight points of the second period to take a 34-25 lead two minutes into the quarter.
But over the next six minutes, Philadelphia managed only four points as the 76ers took charge behind a three-point barrange from Iverson and two layups each from Raja Bell and Tyrone Hill.
That run gave Philadelphia a 56-50 halftime lead, although Milwaukee was still within four heading into the final minute of the third quarter.
But over that last minute, Iverson made a technical free throw, handed out an assist, claimed a defensive rebound and then hit the three-pointer at the buzzer that brought a deafening roar from the home crowd and gave the 76ers a 10-point cushion.
Dikembe Mutumbo scored 22 points to back up Iverson and pulled down 17 rebounds as the 76ers shot 46 percent from the field. Milwaukee was led by its "Big Three" with Allen scoring 26, Glenn Robinson 24 and Sam Cassell 20.
