It took Allen Iverson nine seasons, more than 12,360 shots and nearly 14,600 points before finally achieving the ultimate feeling (NBA regular-season division) - a game-winning field goal.

Iverson overcame a miserable shooting night with one simple flick of the wrist, draining a jumper from the free-throw line as the buzzer sounded to give the 76ers a 106-104 overtime victory over the shorthanded Indiana Pacers last night before an approving crowd of 15,729 at the Wachovia Center.

Winning Answer in OT

By Joe Juliano, Inquirer Staff Writer

It took Allen Iverson nine seasons, more than 12,360 shots and nearly 14,600 points before finally achieving the ultimate feeling (NBA regular-season division) - a game-winning field goal.

Iverson overcame a miserable shooting night with one simple flick of the wrist, draining a jumper from the free-throw line as the buzzer sounded to give the 76ers a 106-104 overtime victory over the shorthanded Indiana Pacers last night before an approving crowd of 15,729 at the Wachovia Center.

The bucket was only the fifth by Iverson in 23 attempts in the game. He finished with 15 points to go with nine assists and seven turnovers, despite a sore left Achilles tendon that, he said, started bothering him in the second quarter.

"It's something in my career that's never happened for me," said Iverson, who, after being mobbed by his teammates, latched a bear hug on coach Jim O'Brien. "I've had shots where we've won because of some free throws I made, but it's not the same thing as hitting the game-winning shot.

"It's a feeling I can't express. It's a great feeling when you hit the shot and there's no time left on the clock, and they can't do anything about it."

O'Brien smiled when he talked about Iverson's tough shooting night.

"He had some good looks at the basket," he said. "His shots didn't fall until the last one, but who cares about the other 18 [misses] or whatever it was?"

The Sixers, who trailed by 17 (sound familiar?) with four minutes left in the third quarter, rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to tie the game in regulation on Kyle Korver's 28-foot three-point basket with 3.7 seconds to play.

Korver, who established career highs with seven three-point field goals and 23 points, also grabbed the last rebound of the game - a missed shot by Indiana's James Jones that began the Sixers' last possession with 12 seconds remaining.

The ball went into Iverson's hands, and he dribbled the time down before starting his drive into the lane against the Pacers' Eddie Gill, who replaced Jamaal Tinsley after Tinsley fouled out in overtime.

Iverson got to the free-throw line, faked, and went up for the shot that swished through as the clock ticked to :00.

"It's one of those games little kids can learn from," he said. "Everything is going wrong for you the whole game. You keep your head in it and stay with it. Your teammates believe in you and you believe in them, and they get you over the hump.

"Those guys picked me up. They played great, and I was able to make something happen for us."

The Pacers, who started the game with only eight players because of injuries, were down to their last five after Jermaine O'Neal, who scored a career-high 39 points, Tinsley and David Harrison all fouled out in the extra period.

The Sixers wouldn't have forced an overtime, let alone won in regulation, if their bench hadn't kept them in the game. Korver, Corliss Williamson and John Salmons, playing his first game of the season, combined for 53 points. The Sixers' bench outscored the Pacers' by 54-5.

"That lineup really got us back in the game with their energy level and tenacity, and it snowballed until the end of the game," said O'Brien, citing a unit of Korver, Williamson, Salmons, Brian Skinner and Willie Green. "They really sparked us."

The Sixers opened the fourth quarter trailing by 78-68. A three-point basket by Ron Artest, who scored 29 points in his return from a two-game benching by coach Rick Carlisle, restored Indiana's 10-point margin at 89-79 with 7 minutes, 18 seconds remaining.

The Pacers looked to be in good shape when O'Neal's three-point play with 1:59 left gave them a 98-90 lead. But the Sixers kept battling, and Korver's jumper, a pair of free throws each by Iverson and Marc Jackson, and one foul shot by Josh Davis made it a one-point game with 16.1 seconds to play.

Austin Croshere put the Pacers ahead with two free throws before Korver's long-distance shot created the overtime.

"We needed a three, so I just went back as far as I need to go back to get the shot off," Korver said. "I got it, took the shot and it went in."

Note. The Sixers activated Salmons and guard Kevin Ollie off the injured list earlier yesterday. They also placed Aaron McKie (strained left rotator cuff) and Kedrick Brown (lower-back strain) on the injured list.