PHILADELPHIA -- Aaron McKie picked a good night to have the best game of his career.
McKie, starting in place of the injured Eric Snow, hit four consecutive 3-pointers and scored 13 straight points midway through the fourth quarter as the Philadelphia 76ers beat Charlotte 105-99 Monday night to win their first-round series 3-1.Philadelphia plays the winner of the Milwaukee-Indiana series in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
McKie scored a career playoff high 25 points and had 11 assists. Allen Iverson, playing with a chip fracture in his right ankle and an inflamed right elbow, scored 26. Matt Geiger came off the bench to score 17 and grab 10 rebounds.
After Charlotte took its biggest lead, 85-77, in the first minute of the fourth period, McKie took over. He nailed consecutive 3-pointers from the wing to cut it to 85-83.
Elden Campbell's jumper made it 87-83, but McKie tied the game by hitting another 3 and making a free throw to complete a four-point play. After Campbell sank a pair of free throws, McKie gave the Sixers the lead for good, 90-89, with a 3-pointer from near the top of the circle.
Then it was Iverson's turn. He scored seven straight points on a driving layup, a 3-pointer and baseline jumper to give the 76ers a 101-95 lead with 3:09 left.
After the jumper, Iverson cupped his ear and circled the floor, encouraging the raucous sellout crowd of 20,712 to make more noise.
Charlotte did not get closer than four points the rest of the game.
Anthony Mason and Derrick Coleman each scored 21 points to lead Charlotte.
BUCKS 100, PACERS 87: At Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Bucks are going back to Indiana with a chance to advance in the playoffs for the first time in a decade.
Ray Allen scored 20 points before taking a blow to the head, and reserve Scott Williams added 20 as the hot-shooting Bucks routed the Indiana Pacers 100-87 Monday night in Game 4 of their best-of-five series.
Game 5 is Thursday night at Conseco Fieldhouse.
Milwaukee is hoping to become the third No. 8 seed to upset a top-seeded team. When Denver upset Seattle in 1994 and the Knicks beat the Heat last year, both eighth-seeded teams won on the road in a fifth game.
In grand style, Milwaukee won a home playoff game for the first time since May 1, 1990 -- the last year they got out of the first round of the playoffs.