Iverson can't quite make fairy tale ending

Allen Iverson had the ball in his hands and the game on the line, yet couldn't produce the ending he'd hoped for.

Iverson, playing in Philadelphia for the first time since being traded to Denver in December 2006, led all scorers with 32 points Wednesday night. But it was the 76ers who made the big plays down the stretch and spoiled their former MVP's return with a 115-113 victory over the Nuggets.

"I dreamed it up a certain way, and it was better than that," Iverson said. "Everything was perfect but one thing, and that was not winning the game."

Iverson misfired on a 20-foot jumper and Marcus Camby missed a putback in the final seconds as the Nuggets lost their second straight and failed to pick up any ground in their bid for a playoff spot in the tough Western Conference.

"I almost had a perfect trip at my home away from home," Iverson said.

Samuel Dalembert scored the decisive basket with 32.9 seconds remaining. When Andre Iguodala lost possession of the ball as he fell, Dalembert was there to grab it and turned for a layup.

Andre Miller, acquired by the Sixers in the Iverson trade, scored 28 points on his 32nd birthday and the Sixers reached the .500 mark (34-34) for the first time since opening the season at 2-2.

Even in defeat, the night belonged to Iverson, who received a hero's welcome from the sellout of 20,674 at the Wachovia Center.

All eyes were on the former 76ers star when he trotted out for pregame warmups. The ovation grew louder, and then Iverson made his way to center court, where he dropped down and kissed the 76ers logo.

The affection between the 2001 NBA MVP and the fans intensified throughout the pregame.

When Iverson was introduced, the fans showered him with raucous applause and a lengthy standing ovation. He worked the crowd by putting his hand to his ear and turning to each corner of the arena as the roar grew louder. The applause was only cut short by the introduction of the rest of the Denver lineup.

"It almost got to me," Iverson acknowledged. "It made me feel good. It made me feel appreciated."

Just before the game started, Iverson trotted down the sideline to the Sixers' bench and embraced former coach Maurice Cheeks, the first time the two got together since he was traded 15 months before.

"It felt great for him to do that," the Sixers' coach said. "We didn't want to make a scene. I thought everyone was excited about it when it happened."

Raptors 96, Heat 54: Andrea Bargnani and Anthony Parker each scored 14 points and host Toronto held Miami to the third-lowest point total in the shot-clock era.

Miami was just five points off the NBA record-low since the shot clock was introduced in the 1954-55 season, the Bulls' 49-point effort against the Heat in April 1999.

Nets 125, Hawks 117: Vince Carter had a season-high 39 points and 10 assists, and host New Jersey moved into a tie with Atlanta for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Hornets 90, Rockets 69: Former Houston swingman Bonzi Wells helped host New Orleans hand the Rockets their second straight loss after a 22-game winning streak, scoring 20 of his 25 points in the fourth quarterts' 90-69 victory Wednesday night.

Cavaliers 89, Pistons 73: LeBron James scored 30 points, moving closer to becoming Cleveland's top career scorer, and the host Cavaliers beat Detroit.

Wizards 87, Magic 86: Antawn Jamison had 31 points and 11 rebounds, and Washington shut down Dwight Howard offensively in a win over host Orlando. Hedo Turkoglu had a career high with 39 points for the Magic.

Pacers 102, Bobcats 95: Flip Murray scored 22 points, and host Indiana won its second straight game while handing Charlotte is fifth consecutive loss.

T'wolves 98, Grizzlies 94: Al Jefferson scored 22 of his 29 points in the second half to help host Minnesota erase a 14-point deficit and beat Memphis.