MILWAUKEE, Feb. 2 (Ticker) -- Eric Snow found some offense until Allen Iverson relocated his shot.

Snow scored eight of his 10 points in the fourth quarter and the cold-shooting Iverson made a big jumper in the final seconds as the Philadelphia 76ers rallied for an 86-81 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

The 76ers showed much of the same grit they displayed in last year's Eastern Conference finals against the Bucks. They won that series in seven games, beating the flashier Bucks with defense and toughness.

"That's how we play when things aren't going well. We grind it out," Iverson said. "It don't matter if it's pretty."

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NBATV highlights from Sixers-Bucks: 56k | 300k Dikembe Mutombo simply dominated the game inside, with 18 boards to go with his 11 points. Gary Dineen/NBAE/Getty Images

"It was a great game," Bucks coach George Karl said. "It had a playoff mentality and intensity to it."

Philadelphia trailed by eight points entering the final period but received a huge boost from Snow, a 1995 second-round pick of Milwaukee. The point guard provided the offense missing from Iverson, the NBA scoring leader who missed 16-of-17 shots during one stretch.

Snow's turnaround jumper in the lane over the smaller Sam Cassell with 1:23 remaining gave the Sixers an 80-78 lead.

"I had Sam on my back and the play was broken," Snow said. "So when I got the ball, I just got the shot up and hit it."

Snow missed a 3-pointer on the next trip, but Iverson buried a step-back 18-footer with 19 seconds to go.

"I was due," Iverson said. "I couldn't throw a rock in the ocean tonight, but I kept playing, kept fighting. That's what separates the good players from the OK players in this league."

Iverson made just 9-of-30 shots but made three of his last five. He finished with 25 points.

"There weren't many shots he took that I was unhappy with," 76ers coach Larry Brown said. "He needs to be aggressive with Aaron McKie out. The fact that he has the nerve to take that shot, that's what Allen is all about."

Milwaukee's Michael Redd made a 3-pointer with eight seconds to play. Snow made two free throws and Redd was well short on a potential tying shot before Matt Harpring sealed it with a pair of free throws.

"The focus we had in the last two minutes is the focus we need throughout the entire game," Snow said.

Derrick Coleman scored 19 points (eight in the fourth quarter) and Dikembe Mutombo grabbed 18 rebounds for the Sixers, who have won two in a row, five of six and nine of 11.

"This is the way we used to win games and have been again lately," Brown said. "That's a good sign for the rest of the season."

Ray Allen scored 20 points and Glenn Robinson added 18 for the Bucks, who have dropped two in a row and five of six. Milwaukee lost for the first time in 23 games when leading after three quarters.

"They think they can bully us and after tonight's game you have to tip your hat to them," Karl said. "I don't think we played to our talents. We played their game and they beat us at it."

McKie missed his fourth straight game with a strained Achilles tendon. The Bucks lost their super sub when Tim Thomas suffered a sprained left ankle midway through the fourth quarter.

Philadelphia trailed 65-57 entering the final period but cut the deficit to one point as Snow made a pair of baskets around a 3-pointer by Iverson, who had missed his last 10 shots.

A three-point play by Robinson gave the Bucks a 74-70 lead with 6:26 remaining. Coleman made four free throws over the next two minutes and Iverson's jumper tied it, 76-76, with 4:14 to go.

Two more free throws by Coleman gave the Sixers a 78-76 lead with 1:57 left. Allen tied it with a corner jumper 21 seconds later.

Harpring had 14 points and nine rebounds for the Sixers, who shot just 37.5 percent (30-of-80) and were outrebounded, 50-45. But Philadelphia made 22-of-26 free throws and committed 14 turnovers, while Milwaukee was 7-of-10 with 21 giveaways.

"I thought we defended great," Brown said. "We forced them to turn the ball over and for the most part, we took care of the ball."

Redd scored 13 points and Anthony Mason added 11 and 13 rebounds for the Bucks, who shot 41.5 percent (34-of-82), including just 6-of-20 from the arc.

Milwaukee scored 14 of the game's first 16 points and threatened to run Philadelphia right out of the Bradley Center. But the Sixers regrouped and closed to 25-22 after one quarter and 44-43 at halftime.

"I feel better about this game than any game all season, because we could have thrown in the towel when we fell behind 14-2," said Iverson. "But we kept fighting."

Three-point plays by Joel Przybilla and Allen helped Milwaukee open a 10-point lead late in the third quarter.