Then, the NBA's MVP put Lue and the Los Angeles Lakers away in Game 1 of the NBA final on Wednesday night, thus ending their dream of becoming the first team ever to sweep through the playoffs.
"After the game, Phil told us a loss will happen, just prepare for the next game," the baby-faced Lue said, referring to Lakers coach Phil Jackson.
Lue, who imitated Iverson in practice earlier in the week, even wearing a bogus protective sleeve on his right arm, shadowed the 76ers star throughout the fourth quarter and much of the overtime, holding him scoreless for some 15 minutes.
Then, Iverson scored seven straight points to give him 48 and put the 76ers ahead for good in a 107-101 victory.
"I didn't have anything to lose," said Lue, who entered the game for the first time with 5:23 left in the third quarter and the Lakers trailing 73-58. He would play the rest of the way.
"I just tried to keep the ball out of his hands," said Lue, who at six-foot and 175 pounds is about the same size as Iverson.
Lue, averaging 5.8 minutes in 10 previous playoff games, had five points, three assists and five steals.
Responding to Iverson's post-game claim that Lue was holding him, the third-year guard replied: "You've got to do what it takes to stop the MVP of the league, so I did a little bit of everything."
The loss was the first for the Lakers since April 1, ending their 19-game winning streak -- eight to finish the season and 11 to begin the playoffs.
"I'm kind of relieved it's over, in a way," Jackson said. "It puts pressure on us to win Friday."
Rick Fox of Toronto, who had 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists in a losing cause, said the Lakers can still make history.
"We definitely would have loved to have done that," he said, when asked if there was disappointment the Lakers lost an opportunity to become the first team to sweep through the playoffs. "We failed. The focus has always been to try and win the championship."
It appears that won't be as easy as most observers believed.
"We respected that team over there," Fox said. "I think they felt they needed respect from everyone else."
Kobe Bryant, anointed by Shaquille O'Neal as the best player in the NBA after Game 1 of the Western Conference final, said he didn't believe the nine-day layoff the Lakers had was a factor.
"They played excellent defence, they did an excellent job of pressuring us in the backcourt, not allowing us to get into our sets," he said. "Overall, we didn't execute like we wanted to.
"You know what? I think you have to give credit to their guards, (Aaron) McKie, (Eric) Snow, (Raja) Bell. They did an excellent job playing me, bodying me."
Bryant scored 15 points -- less than half his playoff average -- on 7-of-22 shooting, and also committed six turnovers.
O'Neal, who had 44 points and 20 rebounds, said he didn't believe anyone had a good game team-wise.
The Lakers had become the second team ever to open the playoffs with 11 wins, joining the 1989 Lakers, who were then swept by the Detroit Pistons.
Their playoff winning streak ended at 12 games, dating to Game 6 of the NBA final last year, when they beat Indiana to win the title.
Bryant, who has played exceptionally at both ends of the court during the playoffs, was torched by Iverson in the second quarter for 18 points.
Derek Fisher, who was also terrific against the Spurs in going 15-for-20 from three-point range, didn't score in this game, missing all four shots he tried and taking a seat for good when replaced by Lue.
By John Nadel
