76ers’ Win Over Nets Is Sweet for Van Horn

Keith Van Horn waited five months to play this game. It took him 3 1/2 quarters to show up.

Van Horn scored eight of his 16 points in the last 5:06, and Allen Iverson had 34 points, including five free throws in the last 11.5 seconds, to help the host Philadelphia 76ers end a six-game losing streak with a 108-107 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Wednesday night.

It was Van Horn’s first game against his former team since the 76ers acquired him and Todd MacCulloch for Dikembe Mutombo on Aug. 6.

“It’s always good to get a win, but going against your former team makes it sweeter,” said Van Horn, who was in foul trouble most of the game. “This proves we have the ability to beat any team if we play our game.”

Lucious Harris scored a season-high 26 points, and Kenyon Martin had 24 points and a career-high 16 rebounds for Atlantic Division-leading New Jersey, which had won 10 of 11.

Jason Kidd had a season-high 16 assists for the Nets, but missed 17 of 21 shots and finished with only nine points.

“I had some great looks. It’s all part of the game,” Kidd said. “It doesn’t stop me from finding my teammates.”

Houston 102, Phoenix 96 -- Cuttino Mobley scored a season-high 30 points and Steve Francis scored 19 for host Houston before being ejected.

Houston’s 7-foot-6 center Yao Ming looked timid at times and finished with 11 points and seven rebounds. Amare Stoudemire dunked twice over Yao and finished with 24 points.

Francis and Randy Brown were ejected with 42.8 seconds left after two double technicals were called on them for jawing at each other after a foul on Brown.

Portland 100, Memphis 92 -- Rasheed Wallace scored a season-high 38 points at Portland, Ore., and the Trail Blazers won for the 13th time in 16 games.

The Trail Blazers trailed, 55-52, at halftime but rallied in the second half to lead by as many as 13 points.

Pau Gasol scored 19 points and Shane Battier had 17 for the Grizzlies, who have lost four of five.

Boston 86, Atlanta 66 -- Paul Pierce scored 28 points at Boston and the Celtics ended a three-game losing streak by beating the Hawks for the third time this season.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim had 19 points for the Hawks, who lost their 12th consecutive road game and have lost eight of 11 overall.

Milwaukee 99, Toronto 87 -- Sam Cassell led the Bucks to their fourth consecutive victory with 19 points at Toronto.

The Raptors dressed the NBA minimum eight players. Vince Carter sat out his 19th game in a row because of a strained right knee.

Indiana 104, Miami 81 -- The Pacers won their fifth in a row behind Brad Miller’s 21 points and Ron Artest’s 18 at Indianapolis.

The Pacers (28-10) are off to their best NBA start and improved to a league-best 17-1 at home.

Artest, who said before the game he would rather go to Walt Disney World than play in the All-Star game, scored 11 points in the third quarter.

Utah 92, Denver 81 -- Matt Harpring had 17 points and 11 rebounds, and Karl Malone had 16 points and 10 rebounds to help send the host Nuggets to their third consecutive loss.

Neither team could mount much of a charge until Utah pulled away late in the fourth quarter with a 20-4 run.

Golden State 108, Cleveland 80 -- Antawn Jamison had 24 points and 13 rebounds at Oakland to lead the Warriors, who ended a two-game losing streak and improved to 11-9 at home.