Nuggets spoil AI's return to Philly with 93-83 win

Philadelphia 76ers' Allen Iverson
yells to his teammates while dribbling
the ball down court in the first half of
an NBA basketball game against the
Denver Nuggets, Monday, Dec. 7, 2009,
in Philadelphia.

PHILADELPHIA -- Chauncey Billups and Denver ruined Allen Iverson's homecoming.

Billups scored 31 points and Carmelo Anthony had 14 to help the Nuggets spoil Iverson's return to Philadelphia with a 93-83 win over the 76ers on Monday night.

The Nuggets went on a 22-3 run over the third and fourth quarters to rally for their fourth straight win.

Iverson's rousing return did little to mask the fact that the Sixers are a lousy team. They've lost 10 straight, and only one-win New Jersey has a worse record in the Eastern Conference.

Iverson received a standing ovation when he left in the fourth quarter. He scored 11 points on 4-for-11 shooting and had six assists in 37 minutes.

Iverson bowed and kissed the logo at midcourt when he was introduced as the sellout crowd of 20,664 stood and roared in approval.

Andre Iguodala led the Sixers with 31 points, Thaddeus Young had 21 and Samuel Dalembert grabbed 15 rebounds.

But this night for the Sixers was all about Iverson in his first game with the team since he was traded in 2006.

Iverson missed his first shot, a makable layup early in the first quarter. His first points came off a 4-footer he tossed up off a Dalembert miss.

Energized by the emotional pregame show, the 76ers played one of their strongest quarters of the season. Iguodala, who bristled at the end of Iverson's first tenure at being labeled "AI2," scored 14 points to show this was still his team.

It's still Iverson's crowd.

The building hummed every time Iverson touched the ball, and each basket was cheered as if it were a playoff winner.