Despite Sixers' struggles, A.I. keeping his spirits high

[NJNJ]

Allen Iverson isn't having what you would classify as an All-Star season.

 

Unless, that is, you're one of the million or so people who cast votes for Iverson to start in the Eastern Conference backcourt when the All-Stars take the field, er, court at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Feb. 14. To those folks, Iverson has nothing but All-Star seasons -- which is very nearly true, given his 10 selections in the 13 years as arguably the greatest little man in league history.

 

His numbers thus far, and impact on the Philadelphia 76ers since returning after a three-year absence -- and ending one of the briefest, least convincing retirements ever from his unsatisfying-all-around stint in Memphis -- have been modest. At 15.1 points per game, 4.8 assists and 0.7 steals in 33.4 minutes, his individual stats are down across the board from his career output (26.8 ppg, 6.2 apg, 2.2 spg, 41.2 min), though he has shot a little more accurately (45 percent to 42.6 for his career). Twice in the past eight games, Iverson has attempted fewer than seven shots -- something he did only twice in his first 896 games after being drafted No. 1 overall by Philadelphia in 1996.

 

The guy who scored 30 points or more on 345 occasions -- topping the 40-point mark 79 times and 50 on 11 occasions -- has a season high of 22, which he got two weeks ago against Toronto. Still, that began a four-game stretch in which Iverson averaged 17.8 points (compared to 9.3 in his three previous games). And he had 11 points and nine assists when he exited the Sixers' game at Minnesota on Monday afternoon in the fourth quarter, never to return, his team up 99-98 with 51.6 seconds left in what would become a 108-103 overtime loss. Needless to say, that affected the conversation a little when I spoke with Iverson afterward, a few other media folks chipping in:

 

NBA.com: For as long as I've covered the NBA, I guess it's nice to know that there still are surprises to be had. I'm thinking I just saw something that never has happened before in this league -- Allen Iverson sat out an entire overtime period. Has that ever happened?

 

Allen Iverson [with one brief laugh]: No. Nah.

NBA.com: You played the first 23 minutes of the first half [shooting 3-of-9 with three turnovers]. Had you hit any sort of minutes limit?

 

AI: Aw, no. I know it wasn't like I reached my minutes or anything. That's something you've got to ask Coach [Eddie Jordan].

 

NBA.com: Eddie told us that he wanted to keep you in while you were going good in the third quarter and beyond. But with you matched up most of the game with Timberwolves guard Corey Brewer [listed as 6-foot-9], he felt he needed bigger bodies in at the end. Did you still have enough left to keep playing? No problems with your [arthritic left] knee? Good to go?

 

AI: Yeah. Come on now, overtime, that's the time I really want to play. Fourth quarter and overtime. That's what players like myself look forward to. I didn't tell anybody that I couldn't go.

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