SOMEWHERE IN the pages of history, Wilt Chamberlain wears a smile of satisfaction. The late legend of the game would relish sharing a spot in the record book with a player more than a foot shorter and roughly half his weight.

No one ever will match the 7-1 Chamberlain's overall offensive and defensive contributions to the NBA, but Allen Iverson - all 5-11, 165 pounds (maybe) of him - was in virtual lockstep on at least one level last night.

Iverson put up 58 points on 21-for-42 shooting from the floor, all career highs, taking command of the 76ers' 112-106 overtime victory over the Houston Rockets. The points were the most by a Sixer since Chamberlain scored 68 on Dec. 16, 1967. Iverson's previous career high was 54.

The points were also the most in the league since Kobe Bryant, of the Los Angeles Lakers, scored 56 Monday night against Memphis, matched the fourth-highest total in Sixers history (all the others were scored by Chamberlain) and were the most ever scored against the Rockets. Even Iverson's 14-for-14 foul shooting was a career best.

"I'm just trying to do anything it takes to win basketball games," Iverson said. "I think, in my heart, I'm the best player in the world. The rest of the guys in the league should feel that way, too, from one to 15 on the roster on every team. If you don't have any confidence, you're shot.''

OK, everyone can stop gasping.

"They won because he was hot, because none of the others wanted to shoot the ball when it was late,'' the Rockets' Steve Francis said, a touch of admiration in his voice. "At least it looked like it.

"He's the reigning MVP. His teammates give it to him because they believe in him. What's their record [17-20]?. . .He wasn't missing too many shots. Even though he missed 21, all his shots were in his rhythm. He had a career day today.''

Just as significant, Iverson wasn't out there alone. Point guard Eric Snow turned in a terrific defensive performance, including totally clamping Rockets guard Moochie Norris for the final 23.9 seconds of regulation, forcing Norris - who won four games this season with last-minute heroics - to loft an ineffectual missed jumper as the clock wound down.

And coach Larry Brown, seeing the Rockets effectively using Franics, Cuttino Mobley and Norris, went to a completely small lineup of Iverson, Snow, Speedy Claxton, Matt Harpring and Aaron McKie to counterattack. The result? The Sixers, down, 94-87, with 5:04 left in regulation, won for the first time in 20 games when they have been down with 5 minutes remaining.

In an unusual dichotomy, the Sixers were out there together at the same time Iverson seemed to be alone at the center of the universe.

"You knew when Kobe got 56, he'd have a big game,'' Brown said. "I was kind of laughing. He was incredible. He played 50 minutes; I can't see see many of the shots that were bad shots, especially in the second half. He defended; he played a phenomenal game. 

"Allen's performance was about as good as you could ever see, but a lot of guys along with him did an unbelievable job. Harpring's defense helped us when we went small; Speedy was great.

"They doubled Allen, but it wasn't blatant, like so many teams we play against. He was aggressive every time he received the ball early [in the shot clock]; he shot it, he didn't even think about it.''

There wasn't much time to think, because the Rockets were launching three-pointers, finishing with 10, matching the most by an opponent this season. Mobley, who had his Cardinal Dougherty jersey retired Monday night, scored 25 points; Kenny Thomas had 20 points; Eddie Griffin 17; and Francis and Kelvin Cato 13 each.

Griffin, the rookie forward from Roman Catholic High, and Mobley knocked down four triples each. But they all knew where the ball would be at crunch time. It was as if they expected Iverson to be racing at them, and they could do nothing about it. 

"He has the ultimate green light,'' Mobley said. "It's hard to stop someone with the ultimate green light and he gets hot and he's as fast as Allen Iverson.''

Iverson was more than willing to take the 58 points, but insisted that is nowhere close to his ultimate goal.

"I've won scoring titles, I've scored 50 points before, I've won individual awards and done individual things before, but I haven't won a championship,'' he said. "That's the only thing I'm concerned with. If it takes me scoring 58 for us to have a chance to win a championship, that's what I'll try to do. If it takes me shooting less, that's what I'll do."

The ultimate green light? 

"If I could shoot every time I wanted, I'd shoot every time I come down the court,'' Iverson said. "I don't think, as far as basketball, I have a selfish bone in my body. I just believe in myself. I just want the ball when you're going like that.

"It's the same every game. If it's a game I'm struggling, I still want the ball. If I miss 20 in a row, I feel I can make the 21st. That's just the way I play. . .I'm just a scorer. I feel I can put the ball in the basket for my team. That's what they want me to do.''

Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich tried switching defenders, tried running double-teams at him. Iverson was oblivious to all of that.

"Iverson just shot it before we could get anyone across the floor,'' Tomjanovich said. "He was winging them from all over the place.''

Brown wanted only for his team to follow his basic precepts: compete, play hard, refuse to give up.

"They did that for 53 minutes,'' Brown said.

Still, Brown wasn't sure what to expect at intermission. The Rockets scored 18 of the last 24 points of the second quarter, transforming a seven-point deficit into a five-point lead.

"It wasn't a pretty sight at halftime in our dressing room,'' Brown said. "But that's the Sixers. This team needs some wins. We need some positive things to happen, because there haven't been a lot.''

Last night, there was Iverson. And there was a remarkable defensive stand by Snow. And there was a victory.

"I want my team to depend on me at the end of the game,'' Iverson said. *