Allen Iverson 54pts vs Vince Carter Raptors 00/01 NBA Playoff Game 2

Allen Iverson could not be stopped. Iverson scored 54 points -- including 19 straight for his team in the fourth quarter -- and singlehandedly lifted the Philadelphia 76ers to a 97-92 victory over the Toronto Raptors that evened their Eastern Conference semifinal series at one game each. Iverson was simply incredible as he refused to let the 76ers lose. The NBA scoring champion rebounded from a poor 11-of-34 performance in a loss in Game One with perhaps the best game of his career. The 6-foot guard was absolutely electric, making 21-of-39 shots -- mostly from the perimeter -- and 9-of-9 free throws. He was too much for Raptors guards Alvin Williams and Chris Childs. "It's very frustrating for me personally," Williams said. "It is my job to get him stopped. For my man to score 54 points, I am not sure how many points his team had, but it is just ridiculous on my part." "He made a pledge to me," Sixers guard Aaron McKie said of his teammate. "(He said), 'I missed those jump shots the other night, but I'm playing the way I want to play. I'm not settling for anything. I'm going to take what I want to take.' That is what he went out and did." Iverson set a team playoff record for points, surpassing the 50 scored by Billy Cunningham against Milwaukee on April 1, 1970. He shattered his NBA postseason high of 45 vs. Indiana in Game Two of the opening round and scored the most points in a playoff game since Michael Jordan had 55 for Chicago vs. Washington on April 27, 1997. "I always feel like the only person who can stop me is myself," Iverson said. "The first game, I took what they gave me. They gave me wide-open jumpers. I took a lot of quick shots. Guys weren't in rebounding position. "Tonight, I said, 'Whatever they give me, I'll just take whatever I want. Don't settle for anything. If I want a layup, try and get it, if I want a jumper and they are playing me to drive, take the jumper.'" Iverson scored 20 points in the second quarter as Philadelphia erased a 14-point deficit. But it was the fourth quarter when he took over the game in a style reminiscent of Jordan's. With 8:52 remaining, Iverson drilled a 3-pointer for an 80-75 lead. That began a stretch of 19 straight Philadelphia points by Iverson, all in his usual electric fashion. He turned back every challenge from the Raptors, who received 28 points from Game One hero Vince Carter. They tied it twice in the fourth quarter but never could get the lead because they never could stop Iverson. "How many guys are you going to see come into a playoff game and just dominate, at six feet, doing what you want to do on the floor? It's a beautiful thing," McKie said. "I'm just so proud of him. I'm at a loss for words just watching his performance. He carried us the whole game." "A couple of times we wanted to turn him into a double-team area but we didn't do it," Raptors coach Lenny Wilkens said. "Allen got it going and he was incredible. He made big shots." Games Three and Four are Friday and Sunday in Toronto, one of two Eastern Conference buildings Philadelphia did not win in this season. However, the Sixers were a league-best 27-14 on the road this season and won twice at Indiana in the opening round. "We feel like we can win both games but we don't look at the regular season records or things like that," Iverson said. "When you look at that and you think all you have to do is just walk into the gym and you got a win, you'll get beat that way." After Iverson's 3-pointer, Dell Curry made one and Antonio Davis hit a jumper to give Toronto its last tie at 80-80 with 7:52 to go. Davis had 19 points and 10 rebounds. Iverson answered with his third 3-pointer and a pull-up jumper to rebuild the lead to five points. Two jumpers by Williams, a Philadelphia native, made it 85-84 with 5:21 remaining before Iverson snaked through three Raptors for a banker and added two free throws for an 89-84 edge with 3:49 left. Charles Oakley made a jumper, but Carter missed a tough driving layup with 1:37 to play. On the next possession, Iverson blew past Williams for a running banker with a foul. The free throw gave the Sixers a 92-86 lead with 1:16 to go. Curry made another 3-pointer just inside a minute remaining and again Iverson responded, beating Williams off the dribble for another pull-up jumper with 39 seconds left. "That mid-range shot he is shooting, that is one of the best shots in the game and he makes it look so easy," McKie said. "In the fourth quarter, he was phenomenal," Sixers coach Larry Brown said. "He didn't settle for shots. He took it to the goaal and got inside. His last field goal he made was a 12-footer and I commented, that has to be his mind-set. It was an amazing performance."