Iverson's layup with 3:28 left gave the Sixers an 84-79 lead but Webber answered with a three-pointer from the top of the key of the next possession to cut the deficit to 84-82.

Aaron McKie drained back-to-back jumpers to push the 76ers advantage to 88-82 with 2:02 remaining, but Rod Strickland converted a pair of free throws with 1:52 to play and Chris Webber drained a fadeaway jumper with 39 seconds left to lift the Wizards within two.

Calbert Cheaney's last-second chance to tie the game bounced off the front of the rim at the buzzer.

"I was able to play and make things happen," Iverson said. "I was trying to play as good an all-around game as I could."

Webber's basket gave Washington a 74-73 lead, their first since a 1-0 edge 47 seconds into the game. But Philadelphia responded with a 9-3 spurt, keyed by Eric Snow's free throw and layup, as the 76ers took the lead for good, 76-74. Smith capped the burst with a pair of free throws to make it 82-77 with 8:17 to play.

Webber finished with 34 points and 12 rebounds and Strickland had 18 points and 12 assists for the Wizards, who fell one-half game behind idle New Jersey for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot.

McKie finished with a career-high seven steals as the 76ers forced 21 turnovers.

The Sixers raced out to a 24-8 bulge with 2:53 to go in the opening quarter. Iverson, who had six of those points, capped the burst with a driving layup. Tim Thomas also had six points during the run.

"It was hard to get in the flow, and they jumped on us," Strickland said. "I don't know if we were ready in the first half. They were agressive, they got the jump and we were still trying to get into the flow."

"In the first half we just came out and we did a good job of executing," Smith said. "We didn't push any shots. We were patient on our offense and we were able to get the ball inside most of the time."

Thomas didn't play in the second half due to tendinitis in his right leg. He finished with nine points and six rebounds.

Philadelphia scored five straight points on free throws, three by Iverson and two by Theo Ratliff, to take its largest lead of the game, 49-31, with 55 seconds to go in the first half. The Sixers led at the break, 49-35.

Iverson's dunk gave the Sixers a 70-59 lead with 3:22 to go in the third quarter before Washington went on an 11-2 run to close the period. Webber drained a pair of three-pointers and Strickland had three points during the spurt.

The Wizards shot 40 percent (30-of-76) from the field, including 7-of-17 from three-point range, while Philadelphia hit 43 percent (33-of-76) and made 2-of-9 from beyond the arc.

The 76ers won for only the second time in six games and improved to 5-13 against Atlantic Division foes.