Vince Carter

It almost felt like Hollywood. Actor Michael Douglas was in the building. So was the artist formerly known as Prince, wearing purple pants and boots, presumably in support of Toronto Raptors sensation Vince Carter. The Raptors were in a second nationally-televised matchup with Allen Iverson and the 76ers, who were trying to extend their franchise record for consecutive road wins last night. Carter reaggravated his injured left knee less than four minutes into the game, putting his all-star appearance in jeopardy.

First he attacked the basket. Then he made the free throws. Then, after a hard foul from Charles Oakley sent him to the floor, Allen Iverson got up and walked it off. A jumper followed seven seconds later. Then a three-point conversion. Then a driving layup and two more free throws. Long before last night's game at the First Union Center was decided, before Toronto Raptors star Vince Carter left Iverson's turf with his head bowed in defeat, Iverson's message was loud and clear: "This is my house.

IF BEN Franklin had had his way, the Washington Redskins would be hosting the Philadelphia Turkeys on this upcoming NFL "Monday Night Football. " Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird, not the eagle. How appropriate. Wayne E. Williams, Camden Yo, NBA stars! I am very upset about the U.S. basketball team ending its perfect streak in international play. The rest of the world is catching up with us, and we cannot sit back and watch it happen. I hope this is a wakeup call to those players in the NBA who should be representing our country rather than making excuses why they cannot.

Whether Allen Iverson is in uniform or not, the 2000-01 season will begin for the 76ers on Halloween night, against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. The Sixers' home opener will be the next night, against Vince Carter and the Toronto Raptors. The Oct. 31 game will be televised nationally, marking the first of four scheduled appearances by the Sixers on TBS and 18 nationally televised appearances overall. The Sixers will appear eight times on TNT and six times on NBC, including a Dec. 30 date with the Sacramento Kings, a Jan. 21 game against the Raptors, and two games against the defending Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers (Jan.

The Sixers will be well-represented when they play host to the NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 10 at the First Union Center. Guard Allen Iverson and center Dikembe Mutombo Saturday were named to start for the Eastern Conference. Iverson, the MVP of last year's game, will be making his third All-Star Game appearance. It will be Mutombo's eighth appearance in the game. The other starters for the Eastern Conference will be guard Michael Jordan (Washington), and forwards Vince Carter (Toronto)

Paul Pierce scored 28 points, Rajon Rondo had 25 and the Boston Celtics again avoided a late collapse to take a commanding lead in the Eastern Conference final with a 95-92 victory over the Orlando Magic last night. Boston bullied and bruised its way to a 2-0 series lead on the road. Dwight Howard had 30 points, and Vince Carter and J.J. Redick scored 16 apiece for the Magic, who overcame an 11-point deficit to take a brief lead in the fourth quarter. Jameer Nelson's three-point attempt airballed at the buzzer.

The Sacramento Kings' Mike Bibby is the latest original member of Team USA to surrender his Olympic spot, according to ESPN.com. Cleveland forward Carlos Boozer has been added to the team, an NBA source told the Associated Press yesterday. Bibby had been considered on the fence by USA Basketball for weeks, but sources say the selection committee has formally moved on in hopes of securing commitments from four players to fill out the roster. Six replacements have already been chosen to join San Antonio's Tim Duncan and the Sixers' Allen Iverson: Cleveland's LeBron James, New York's Stephon Marbury, New Jersey's Richard Jefferson, Detroit's Ben Wallace, and the Phoenix duo of Shawn Marion and Amare Stoudemire.

Butch Carter has been blaming officials and contract problems for his Toronto Raptors' two losses in New York. Now his players are blaming him. "One thing you don't do is take the focus away from what the real objective is, and that's to win games," guard Dee Brown said yesterday. "If you bring the outside stuff to the team you're going to have splinters. " On Thursday, Carter blamed contract issues for his team's 2-0 playoff deficit against the New York Knicks. "The biggest advantage the Knicks have over us is that their top eight guys are all under contract and focused on winning," Carter said.

Carter injured Vince Carter says he has a "mild separation" of his left shoulder but doesn't expect to miss much time for the Orlando Magic. Carter was out of the lineup against the Atlanta Hawks last night. He is day-to-day. He said that his shoulder was mostly sore and that he hoped to be back as soon as Tuesday, when Orlando begins a four-game West Coast trip at Sacramento. Trainers told him the injury does not require surgery. Carter, in a difficult shooting slump, was hurt in a collision with Andray Blatche in the second quarter of the Magic's 104-97 loss at Washington on Friday night.

Tonight, the 76ers open the 2009-2010 season against the team that ended the last season: the Orlando Magic, 2008-09 Eastern Conference champs. The Sixers practiced yesterday at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine before flying to Florida. Tonight's game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. tip-off at Amway Arena. Orlando, led by all-star center Dwight Howard, has three other current or former all-stars on its roster: Forward Rashard Lewis, guard Vince Carter, and point guard and former Saint Joseph's University star, Jameer Nelson.

Kevin Durant scored 30 points and hit a three-pointer at the final buzzer to lift the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 104-102 victory against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night in a rematch of last season's Western Conference finals. The Thunder let Dallas wipe away a five-point deficit in the final 46 seconds to go ahead on Vince Carter's three-pointer with 1.4 seconds remaining. That was just enough time for Oklahoma City to get the ball to Durant, who drilled a three from the right wing that improved his team to 4-0. Dirk Nowitzki had 29 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Mavericks, whose title defense is off to an 0-3 start.

Kevin Durant thought he might have just given away a victory and let the Dallas Mavericks steal another one in heartbreaking fashion. Then he found a way to take it right back. Durant scored 30 points and hit a three-pointer at the final buzzer to lift the host Oklahoma City Thunder to a 104-102 win against Dallas last night in a rematch of last season's Western Conference finals. "As a kid, of course you dream about hitting a game-winning shot in the NBA," said Durant, who has hit two other game-winners at the buzzer in his five seasons.

DALLAS - While Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks were on the court celebrating the championship they won over LeBron James and Dwyane Wade last season, the Miami Heat were gathered in another part of the building. It wasn't because they dreaded watching the ceremony, they insisted. They were simply getting ready to show everyone why they are favored to win it all this season. James and Wade led a series of scoring waves that put Miami ahead by 35 points midway through the third quarter, the lead peaking when James soared to the rim and tipped an alley-oop pass to Wade so he could have the dunk instead.

76ers Notes PHOENIX - On Wednesday night against the Phoenix Suns, the 76ers returned Lou Williams to the lineup but were still without Andre Iguodala . Williams, who missed the previous two games to witness the birth of his daughter, took a private plane from Philadelphia on Wednesday morning and landed in Phoenix hours before the start of the game. Iguodala, who did not participate in the morning shoot-around, remained on the inactive list for the second straight game, suffering from right Achilles tendinitis.

We are days away from flipping the calendar to 2011; we are balanced between this year and next year. In the same way, the 76ers seem suspended between two places: the poorly formed roster that has lost more than it has won and the future moves that would change the team's core. For the Sixers, this is where we are as 2010 winds to a close: bouncing between what exists now and what needs to be done. It's been a long time coming, but it seems that as of today the Sixers are closer to change - thanks in part to the additions of Doug Collins and Rod Thorn - than they were one year ago. Change has been necessary for at least a year, but change has been slower here than in other places.

ORLANDO - Forget whatever you thought you knew about the 76ers. That they can't shoot, don't defend, and aren't worth the price of admission. Because right now the Sixers are reinventing themselves. They're morphing into a playoff basketball team. On Saturday night inside the Amway Center, the Sixers defeated the shorthanded Orlando Magic, 97-89. It took a heck of a lot of defense and a stroke of good timing. Only hours before the game's tip, Orlando's front office executed two separate trades, sending four key players - two of them starters - to two different teams.

Paul Pierce scored 28 points, Rajon Rondo had 25 and the Boston Celtics again avoided a late collapse to take a commanding lead in the Eastern Conference final with a 95-92 victory over the Orlando Magic last night. Boston bullied and bruised its way to a 2-0 series lead on the road. Dwight Howard had 30 points, and Vince Carter and J.J. Redick scored 16 apiece for the Magic, who overcame an 11-point deficit to take a brief lead in the fourth quarter. Jameer Nelson's three-point attempt airballed at the buzzer.

Ever since they lost in the NBA Finals, the Orlando Magic have been determined to get back - and, this time, win it all. Two series down, two to go. Vince Carter scored 22 points to lead another dominating performance by the Magic, which finished off its second straight playoff sweep with a 98-84 victory over the Hawks last night in Atlanta. Orlando won the four games by an average of 25.3 points - a total blowout that no one could have expected in a matchup between the teams that finished second and third in the Eastern Conference.

A relaxed Michael Jordan broke into a wide smile as he sat at his desk last night amid his whirlwind week of realizing a longtime goal of becoming an NBA owner. Soon, though, that steely resolve that defined his superstar playing career peeked through as he fielded a question about his commitment to turn the Charlotte Bobcats from a money-losing, nonplayoff team into a winner in both areas. "It's motivating," the six-time NBA champion said of the naysayers who joke he'll be more worried about tee times than season-ticket renewals.

Vince Carter had 23 points to help the Orlando Magic pull away early and cruise past the injured Chicago Bulls, 111-82, last night for a season-high seventh straight win. Matt Barnes added 14 points, and reserve Brandon Bass scored 13 in another blowout victory against a struggling team for the Magic. And one that was dealt a big blow. All-Star point guard Derrick Rose sprained his left wrist in a midair collision with Dwight Howard in the first quarter and didn't return for the visiting Bulls, the latest setback in a season that's quickly going sour.