No Revenge For A.I

john1981cr · Joined: 16 Aug 2006 Posts: 111

By Marty Gitlin
Inspin.com/WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Allen Iverson had nothing to prove against his old teammates Tuesday night. But he certainly expected to beat them.

Instead, his Nuggets lost at home to the lowly Philadelphia 76ers, against whom he took plenty of shots verbally and physically. The 108-97 defeat was Denver’s fourth in six games since trading for the talented point guard.

Iverson spent the final two minutes in the locker room, courtesy of an ejection following his second technical foul. He spent much more time before the game blasting the 76ers organization.

“Things still linger, and I still feel bitter about the way things happened,” Iverson told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “It didn’t have to happen like that, and I think I deserved a lot more respect than I got. These people had the chance to give me the respect I deserve, and they weren’t willing to do that. So why should I try to give any respect back?”

Iverson added that he suggested specific changes he felt could have helped the team, but they were ignored. He specifically noted his disagreement with the move of Andre Igoudala to point guard.

“I had been there for 10 years, and I thought that my opinion mattered to help us win basketball games,” Iverson told the Inquirer. “When I found out that what I was saying didn’t matter to the organization or the coaching staff, then I just felt it definitely was time for me to go.

“When I thought another style or something else would have worked, I felt like they owed me enough to just try it out. They weren’t willing to do that. They were willing to keep losing basketball games, and I didn’t want to be a part of that.”

Iverson scored 30 points before the ejection by official Steve Javie, whom Iverson claimed has a personal animosity toward him.

“I thought I got fouled on that play, and I said I thought he was calling the game personal, so he threw me out,” Iverson told the Inquirer. “His fuse is real short anyway, and I should have known that I couldn’t say anything anyway. It’s been something personal with me and him since I got in the league. This was just the perfect game for him to try to make me look bad.”

Meanwhile, point guard Andre Miller, who was traded to Philadelphia for Iverson, racked up 17 points and 10 assists. The Sixers are 4-4 since the trade and play at Utah on Wednesday night. They are 12-point underdogs, according to WagerWeb.com

ONE HERE, ONE GONE: The Toronto Raptors didn’t collapse during the absence of all-star forward/center Chris Bosh. In fact, they played quite well, even taking over first place in the albeit horrendous Atlantic Division.

And now they have him back.

Barring a setback, Bosh will play Wednesday night against the visiting Suns. He had missed 12 games with a sore left knee. But rookie starting forward Jorge Garbajosa is doubtful with a calf injury and waterbug point guard T.J. Ford is questionable with a sprained ankle.

The uncertain status of those players has played a role in the Suns being a 7.5-point road favorite, according to WagerWeb.com.

One player who might not be back at all this season is New York guard Steve Francis. He has reportedly returned home to Houston to continue rehabilitation on his injured right knee.

Knicks coach Isiah Thomas is a bit skeptical.

“I don’t this is serious enough to keep him out,” Thomas told the Associated Press. “But I’m not a doctor.”

The Knicks have played quite well without Francis, who is averaging 10 points and four assists a game. WagerWeb.com lists them as 6-point underdogs in Portland on Wednesday night.

TIGHT SQUEEZE: Only a half-game now separates the top three teams in the Central Division, with Detroit alone at the top. Cleveland caught Chicago in second place with an 82-78 comeback home win Tuesday night San Antonio while the Bulls were falling back with a 97-96 loss to visiting Phoenix.

The Suns snatched victory from the jaws of defeat on a 3-pointer by Leandro Barbosa with 1.5 seconds remaining.

Chicago guard Ben Gordon made history by scoring a career-high 41 points off the bench after exploding for 40 against Miami on Saturday. Former Milwaukee sharp-shooting guard Brian Winters had been the only player in NBA history to register two 40-point performances off the bench during a career. It took Gordon one week to accomplish the feat.

DRIBBLES: Gordon wasn’t the only player to establish a personal best Tuesday night. Enigmatic Sacramento forward Ron Artest scored a career-high 39 points in a 112-100 defeat of New York three days after going scoreless in a win over Golden State. … Aside from Ray Allen, Seattle starters shot 8-for-29 from the field in a 112-88 loss to Dallas on Tuesday night. The Sonics were outscored, 57-33, in the second half. They can redeem themselves Wednesday night in Houston, where they will be 9-point underdogs, according to WagerWeb.com. … A personal season-best was set by Orlando point guard Jameer Nelson, who scored 29 points Tuesday night in a 91-86 home win over the Los Angeles Clippers. Nelson will try to follow up with another strong performance Wednesday night in Miami. WagerWeb.com lists the undermanned Heat as 2-point underdogs.

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