NEW YORK, Jan. 29 (Ticker) -- In the fourth quarter, it was hard to tell who was Charlie Ward and who was Allen Iverson.

Ward scored 11 of his season-high 14 points in the final period and helped hold Iverson to a season-low 15 as the New York Knicks notched their season-high fourth straight win, an ugly 78-71 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Ward came in averaging 4.4 points on 31 percent shooting and always has had his troubles with Iverson, the NBA's reigning Most Valuable Player and scoring leader.

But in the final period, Ward outscored Iverson, 11-0, and for a while appeared to be the only player on the court capable of making a shot.

NBA.comTV highlights from Sixers-Knicks: 56k | 300k Shandon Anderson scored 11 for the Knicks. Don Echevarria NBAE/Getty Images

"If you get any offense from me, it's surprising," Ward admitted. "You just try to make plays and make a difference."

"One thing I like about Charlie is, pound for pound, he's probably the toughest player on our team," Knicks coach Don Chaney said. "I thought he took the ball to the basket and finished several times very strong. I thought that was the key."

Meanwhile, Iverson had perhaps his worst game of the season. Hounded by Ward and Latrell Sprewell, he made just 6-of-25 shots and attempted only six free throws, all in the second half.

"I didn't play well at all," Iverson said. "I couldn't throw a rock in the ocean. I was just frustrated out there. I know that at this point in my career I'm not supposed to let the referees get into my head, but tonight they kind of got the best of me."

New York's defense stopped Iverson's teammates as well. For a nine-minute stretch of the second half, the 76ers scored as many baskets as the Knicks City Dancers. They made just 11-of-42 shots and finished with season lows in points and field-goal percentage (35 percent, 28-of-80).

"We buckled down and played solid `D,'" Chaney said. "A good part of it is fundamentals, but I would say 80 percent of it is effort."

Mark Jackson had 11 points and nine assists and Shandon Anderson also scored 11 points for the Knicks, who shot under 38 percent (32-of-85) and won rather easily despite poor offensive games from Sprewell and Allan Houston.

The team's top scorers managed just nine points each on a combined 6-of-27 shooting. But the Knicks won this one the old-fashioned way.

"This was definitely a Knick type of win, where you just grit it out," Houston said.

Iverson and Sixers coach Larry Brown thought the Knicks used a bit more than grit.

"The refs weren't giving me any calls tonight," Iverson said. "I felt like a rookie.

"I'm amazed," Brown added. "The MVP of the league can't get to the free-throw line until the last three minutes of the game. That's unfair. I don't like to whine; this is the first time I've said anything about (the treatment of Iverson) this season. (But) he got beat up tonight. It's unacceptable."

Sixers center Dikembe Mutombo thought Ward was sharing some of his Heisman Trophy-winning skills with his teammates.

"Guys were holding me, playing football tackle," said Mutombo, who had nine points and 13 rebounds.

Matt Harpring had 17 points and 10 rebounds and Derrick Coleman added 12 and 13 for the Sixers, who had a three-game winning streak snapped.

A layup by Harpring gave Philadelphia a 54-52 lead with 4:53 to play in the third quarter, but the Sixers did not score again from the field until Eric Snow's layup with 7:52 remaining cut the deficit to 64-59.

Ward, who had a 3-pointer and a driving layup to open the final period, followed a corner jumper by Kurt Thomas with a reverse layup. He drew a foul and completed the three-point play for a 69-59 advantage with 5:27 left.

"Charlie's not someone looking to score," Houston said. "But if he's open and in position, he's gonna take it."

"I don't do it on a consistent basis, so it's surprising," Ward added.

A drive by Anderson and a layup by Ward off a steal by Marcus Camby gave New York its largest lead at 73-61 with 3:42 to go.

Iverson, who averages nearly nine foul shots per game, finally got to the line in the fourth quarter with 1:05 to play and the Sixers down eight. He missed both foul shots.

"It was obvious they weren't gonna give me anything tonight," Iverson said.

The Knicks had a drought of their own in the first half. After 3-pointers by Ward and Houston gave New York a 37-30 lead, it did not score again until Jackson banked in a 45-footer at the horn, erasing a 38-37 deficit.