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Iverson aims for another 40-point outing vs. Cavaliers

Nov 25, 2006 - 2:39 PM Philadelphia (5-7) at Cleveland (8-5) 7:30 pm EST

CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- The Philadelphia 76ers could not be happier that Allen Iverson has a tooth missing.

A four-time scoring champ, Iverson takes aim at a second consecutive 40-point performance when the 76ers face the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday.

After missing two games following the removal of an abscessed wisdom tooth, Iverson scored a season-high 46 points - the 75th 40-point outing of his career - to lead the 76ers in Friday's 123-108 triumph over the Chicago Bulls.

The 2001 NBA Most Valuable Player, Iverson made 15-of-30 shots from the floor, 16-of-17 free throws, and collected 10 assists. He scored 32 points in the second half to help Philadelphia snap a four-game slide.

Philadelphia's fortunes continue to be directly related to Iverson's output. The team has lost six of seven when he scores less than 30 points and is 4-1 when he reaches that plateau.

Despite another solid outing from superstar LeBron James, the Cavaliers lost for the third time in four games with Friday's 97-87 defeat against the Indiana Pacers.

James made 16-of-20 foul shots en route to a 30-point performance. Drew Gooden added 17 with 12 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who scored just nine points in the third quarter after taking a 12-point halftime lead.

The 76ers have won six of the last eight encounters against Cleveland. However, James scored 37 points to lead the Cavaliers to a 124-91 rout in their most recent matchup on April 4.