Detroit (34-24) at Philadelphia (23-33)
Currently: - Game info: 7:00 pm EST Mon Feb 23, 2004
- TV: NBATV, CSP
The Philadelphia 76ers could be without All-Star guard Allen Iverson when they meet the Detroit Pistons at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
Iverson will be a gametime decision due to a sore right shoulder. The NBA’s second-leading scorer, who is also averaging 6.6 assists, did not practice Sunday and had his arm in a sling while riding a stationary bike.
“He does have soreness and range of motion is a problem right now for him,” Sixers coach Chris Ford said. “We all know when gametime comes, he usually gets out there. We’ll wait and see tomorrow.”
Iverson had 40 points and 11 assists Friday in a 112-101 win over Seattle, but bumped his shoulder on the scorer’s table while chasing a loose ball.
He noticeably struggled the next night, as the Sixers were routed by the Los Angeles Lakers 116-88. Iverson shot just 3-of-18 and finished with 13 points.
X-rays taken after the game showed no damage to the shoulder.
“He got banged up a little bit (Friday) night, but he competes,” Ford said.
With Iverson struggling, Kenny Thomas led the Sixers with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Glenn Robinson added 19 points for Philadelphia, which has lost four of its last six.
”(The Lakers) pounded the ball inside. We had no answer for it,” Ford said. “We’ve got to be able to get the ball to the hole and we settled on jump shots.”
The Pistons have lost two straight since acquiring Rasheed Wallace from Atlanta in a three-team trade Wednesday.
Wallace was limited to just 12 minutes Friday in an 88-87 loss to Minnesota. He was required to leave the game after the league informed the Pistons that paperwork from the trade had not been completed.
Cleared to play against Orlando on Sunday, Wallace hit a 3-pointer on the game’s first possession. However, he finished with 14 points on 5-of-19 shooting and missed a potential game-winning shot at the buzzer in an 87-86 loss.
Wallace claimed he was fouled on his final shot.
“I’m not going to shoot an airball like that at the end,” Wallace said. “But that’s just one they missed. Hopefully, we’ll get the call the next time.”
Team Comparison
| Team | Record | Standings | PF | PA | Road/Home | Streak | L10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit | 54-28 | 2nd Central / 3rd East | 90.1 | 84.3 | Road 23-18 | Lost 1 | 8-2 |
| Philadelphia | 33-49 | 5th Atlantic / 11th East | 88.0 | 90.5 | Home 21-20 | Lost 4 | 3-7 |
Detroit Bad Boys
Liberty Ballers
