Pep Talk by Iverson Lights a Fire in Iguodala

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Allen Iverson talked to 76ers teammate Andre Iguodala about being more aggressive before last night's 105-97 win over visiting Washington.

Iguodala then had a talk with himself at halftime on the same subject.

Whether it was Iverson who finally got through, or Iguodala who finally heeded his own advice, the 6-foot-6, second-year swingman was a difference-maker in the second half.

The Sixers trailed, 54-50, at halftime, and Iguodala had as many turnovers (two) as points. He was 1 for 3 from the field and down in the dumps at his locker.

"I definitely wanted to come out more aggressively," said Iguodala, who finished with 19 points, six rebounds and six assists. "In the first half, I was thinking a little bit too much. I would be wide open and passing on shots, and had to do something about that."

The statistics show that when Iguodala is aggressive offensively, the Sixers win a lot more than they lose. Last night was the 12th time this season he has scored 19 or more points. The Sixers are 10-2 in those games.

Iverson may not have had those statistics at his disposal, but he felt that Iguodala needed a little pregame pep talk.

"I asked him why in some games he is not aggressive and some games he is," Iverson said. "He gave me an excuse, and I didn't buy it."

"It's on me," Iguodala added. "I just have to attack when I am in the game and have the opportunity."

In the third quarter, Iguodala took six shots, making four. More important, he hit 3 of 4 shots from beyond the arc, scoring 11 points in the period.

In the fourth quarter he added six more points. For the game, Iguodala was 7 of 13 from the field.

"We are looking for him to do it in the first, second, third and fourth quarter," said Iverson, who had 26 points and 15 assists. "Once he does that, it will get his confidence going, and it drives him even more on the defensive end."

It is sometimes easy to forget that Iguodala is the Sixers' best defender, meaning he cannot take a break on either end of the court.

"Sometimes [not being aggressive] is a little bit me and sometimes the coaches want me to defend, and I don't shoot the ball," Iguodala said.

"I am having problems with the NBA ball and still trying to adjust," Iguodala said. "I still can't get a good feel for it, and once I do get a good feel for it, my confidence is increasing more and more."</div>

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