Allen Iverson Live

Allen Iverson proved that he is still a difference maker in the latest Sixers win against the Kings.

The 34-year-old Iverson showed he still can score, getting 11 of his 20 points in the third quarter. And his presence alone was a factor as the 76ers pulled away in the final period for a 116-106 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night.

verson is not happy about being limited to 28-30 minutes a game, which are recommended by the team’s medical staff to come in shorter increments due to his arthritic right knee. He missed four recent games with a sore knee, but played 32 minutes against the Kings in his second game back, making 6-of-14 shots and adding five rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Iverson was at his best in the third quarter, when the 76ers took the lead for good and went into the fourth ahead 79-76. He had 11 points, scoring on a variety of shots, including a 3-pointer that put Philadelphia in front 72-70.

“It’s important for me to do whatever I can to help the guys and give them confidence that we can win games,” Iverson said. “I was telling them when we were down 13 in the first quarter to stay with it, and make them believe we could come back.”

The return of Allen Iverson to the Sixers line-up and the subsequent win has shown some positive signs for the Sixers.

Brand was quick to point out how much the addition of Allen Iverson has benefited him and other inside players, noting that defenses pay so much attention to Iverson, it opens things up for other players.

Iverson, in his first game back from a four-game absence with a bum left knee, was everything this team needs him to be – an offensive threat but one that is under control.

It is a different Iverson, obviously, from the player he was when he played here before. Maybe it’s because of the ailments that have limited his play, or maybe he’s just become a more mature player, knowing that his role on this team isn’t to be the 25-point-a-game player who has to have the ball in his hands most of the time.

“That’s what I hope to do for these guys, to just give them that added confidence and believe that we can win basketball games regardless of the situation,” he said after the Portland win. “I’ve been through a lot of wars in my career, and I’ve won a lot of games. Just to share the experiences that I’ve had with them and just try to stay as positive as I can with these guys and keep them positive.

“With a young team, a lot of times when things are not going right, people start pointing fingers and turn a positive thing into some negative thing not going right. I’m just going to be that voice to make sure that it doesn’t go downhill.”

In other news, there’s speculation that T-Mac could join Iverson and the Sixers

In Allen Iverson’s first game back from knee injury, Philadelphia rallied to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 104-93.

Philadelphia (8-22) shot 75 percent during the third quarter and made 26 of 40 shots after halftime as the Sixers wiped out Portland’s 10-point lead in the third quarter.

The return of Iverson appeared to give Philadelphia a boost. Iverson’s first game since Dec. 16 wasn’t easy for the 34-year-old guard.

“Once I got my second wind I was all right. The first couple minutes I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest,” said Iverson, who in 31 minutes also handed out five assists and collected four rebounds.

Philadelphia lost three of four games with Iverson sidelined.

“Having Allen back helps. He’s a finisher. He can get to the line and get the ball to guy at the right time. We’ve missed that,” Brand said.

Allen Iverson’s line: 19Pts, 5Ast, 4Reb, 31Min

Report by the Oregonian: Allen Iverson spent about 20 extra minutes working out after the 76ers’ shootaround this morning, trying to get himself ready for tonight’s game against the Blazers.

“I feel a little better, just a little winded as expected,” Iverson said.

With Philadelphia coach Eddie Jordan feeding him passes and watching him intently, Iverson ran through a series of jump shots, lay ups, cuts and lateral movement drills to work his sore left knee.

“I’m ready to go as far as the knee is concerned,” Iverson said. “I’ll be ready to play tonight.”

Iverson said he didn’t know if he would start, but he didn’t seem too concerned about starting or coming off the bench.

“I feel like I can start, but it don’t matter,” Iverson said. “Whatever he asks me to do, that’s what I’ll do.”

Iverson had missed the 76ers’ previous four games after the knee started swelling and was drained three times two weeks ago. Iverson said the knee is better, but his legs need more work.

“We’ll just have to see how it goes playing in limited spurts and see what happens,” Iverson said. “Just the fact that I’m trying to get my legs back up under me, that’s the toughest part. Coming back the way I did.”

Just want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Holidays. Thanks for all your support! Don’t forget that A.I. returns to action on Monday against Portland.

This is amazing stuff. Allen Iverson is now on track to be in the starting line up for the East Team in the NBA All-Star Game 2010. This is in no small part due to the fans (you guys!) for continuing to vote for Allen. Allen Iverson has moved into second among Eastern Conference guards in the latest voting released Thursday by the NBA.

Here are the top three guards in the East:

1. Dwyane Wade (Mia) 1,314,215;
2. Allen Iverson (SIX) 635,084;
3. Vince Carter (Orl) 554,779.

It’s not over yet – so please continue to vote for Allen to maintain his starting spot.

Good news is that Allen Iverson is scheduled to come back on Monday in Portland. He has been resting his arthritic knee for what will be four games. It will be interesting to see who Jordan starts in the backcourt then.

When Allen Iverson heard from doctors that he was diagnosed with arthritis in his left knee, only one word popped into his head: Old.

“That was the worst part of the whole thing,” Iverson said with a laugh yesterday after he watched the team practice at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. “You could have said anything but arthritis. I mean, that sounds so old. But it’s something that I’ve got to deal with and that’s what it is.”

After not playing for close to a month after his brief three-game stint with the Memphis Grizzlies this season, Iverson jumped right into the fray with the Sixers, admittedly out of shape and lacking his normal basketball skills. That didn’t stop him from putting in major minutes in his five games back in Philadelphia, as he’s averaged 34.4 minutes since returning.

It could have been what has cost him the past three games and perhaps two more.

“Just trying to jump back into it too soon,” Iverson said, when asked what he thought caused the injury. “I wasn’t ready, in no type of shape. I had the problem in my right leg [stress reaction of right fibula] and obviously I was favoring that leg and put all the pressure on my left and it flared up. It was just being out that long and coming right back and trying to jump right back into the war. My leg didn’t respond.”

Good News is that Iverson may be returning on Monday for Sixers’ game against Portland.

Iverson will rest his hurt knee and miss Tuesday’s game in Washington. Allen Iverson isn’t practicing Monday and won’t travel with the Sixers to Washington for Tuesday night’s game.

Iverson has missed the last two games with arthritis and synovitis in his left knee, as well as a bruised left shoulder.

Let’s home Iverson gets some rest and recovers soon to help the ailing Sixers.

Bad news is that Allen Iverson is still out of action due to a knee injury.  He sat out the game against the clippers, where the Sixers lost in overtime.

Sixers coach Eddie Jordan made the announcement before Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers, saying Iverson will not return until Philadelphia’s game against Portland on Dec. 28 at the earliest.

“Rest is the best thing for him, for about a week now,” Jordan said. “He feels confident that he’ll feel great the rest of the year.”

The Sixers received good news with guard Lou Williams returning to the lineup after missing 12 games with a broken jaw. Williams was hurt in a Nov. 24 game against Washington and had surgery the next morning. He was expected to miss at least eight weeks.

With Williams back, Jordan will have to address the issue of playing time when Iverson returns.

“I need to buy a nice $100 bottle of wine to sort that out,” he said. “That would be some thought process, a good thought process. We have some good, skilled guards and it’s just a matter of how does it fit.”

With a last minute tip in, Sixers snapped another streak.  Days after snapping their own 12-game skid, the 76ers ended Boston’s run at 11 wins, beating the first-place Celtics 98-97 on Friday night on Elton Brand’s tip-in with 7.7 seconds left.

They had won only once in their previous 14 games and they were without newly acquired Allen Iverson, who has arthritis in his left knee and had it drained twice this week.

Hopefully AI returns to action against the Clippers.  Report say that he he may – or may not – play tonight against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Some bad news for Allen Iverson and Sixers’ fans.

Allen Iverson has arthritis in the left knee and will not play for the Philadelphia 76ers at Boston on Friday night.

Iverson had an MRI on Thursday after he needed the knee drained twice this week. The Sixers listed Iverson as probable for Saturday’s game against the Clippers.

Allen Iverson and the Sixers made a valiant effort to dig themselves out of a 12-point hole to lead in the fourth quarter, but it was too much star power from James, who led Cavs to their 4th straight win over the Sixers. Andre Iguodala led the Sixers with 26 points, and Thaddeus Young and Allen Iverson each had 16. The Sixers have lost 13 of 14 games. verson had his left knee drained before the game for the second time this week and will have an MRI on Thursday.

“This one’s on me. I let us down tonight,” Iverson said. “I feel bad, that’s a game we should have won. We didn’t make shots at the time we needed to make shots.”

The crowd chanted “We Want A.I.!” with Iverson on the bench as the Sixers made a fourth-quarter charge that put them ahead against a team that has 13 more victories. Iguodala’s 3-pointer with 5:50 left stretched the lead to 94-90.

Finally! AI and the Sixers have snapped their 12-game losing skid with a convincing 117-101 victory over the Golden State Warriors. Thaddeus Young(notes) had 26 points and 14 rebounds, Allen Iverson(notes) scored 20 points
The Sixers had all five starters and two reserves score in double digits.

“We felt like once we did get a win, it was going to be extremely hard, one of the hardest games to win,” Iverson said. “It was totally opposite.”

Allen Iverson’s third game back with the Sixers shared the same faith as the two previous games. For the second time in a week, a shot in the closing seconds kept the Philadelphia 76ers from getting back in the win column. Allen Iverson(notes), in his third game back after his short retirement, shot 7 of 18 from the field and had 12 of his 20 points in the fourth as Philadelphia charged back. His pull-up jumper with 1:06 remaining pulled the Sixers within three points.

Be sure to vote for Allen Iverson in the NBA All-Star Game 2010.  Let’s all do our part to vote for Allen into the starting line-up.  His main competitors in the category are Dwayne Wade and Vince Carter.

According to the latest poll results, Allen Iverson has 136,976 votes.  (*While Allen Iverson appears among Western Conference guards on the paper ballot because he began the season with Memphis, his votes will count toward the Eastern Conference guards due to his signing with Philadelphia Dec. 3.)
Allen needs your help.  Please help out and do your part.  Click here to Vote Now or Use the Link on the right to vote for AI EVERY DAY!

It was another chance for Allen Iverson to play against his former team, this time it was the Detroit Pistons.  Unfortunately, Sixers came close but not not enough for a win as they fall to the Pistons and lose their 11th straight.

“It’s gonna get better,” Allen Iverson said, after his second start since returning to the team. “This is one of those times you find out what kind of character you have, especially as men but as basketball players as well. You find out how much you trust your teammates, how much you believe in them. It’s easy to feel good when everything is going right. It’s easy to not point fingers, but when things are going wrong, you buckle down and trust each other and believe in each other. You go out there and go hard and do things for your teammates, and then when things are going well, you realize that’s how you got to that point.”

Ninety minutes before last night’s tip-off, Kuester called Iverson “one of the most special athletes” he’s seen.

A full house, video tribute and enough No. 3 jerseys in the crowd to fill two or three merchandise stands. Iverson kissed the 76ers logo, danced with his teammates and bowed to his adoring fans.

20,000 fans came out to support Iverson on his first night back home.  Unfortunately, the Sixers came up short as Denver Nuggets spoil Iverson’s return to Philadelphia with a 93-83 win over the 76ers on Monday night.

“I just felt like I was back home,” Iverson said. “It was deja vu. Just a real good feeling. The fans made it hard on me because they made me more nervous than I already was.”

There is no question about it – Allen Iverson is the answer and will be starting in today’s game versus his former team the Denver Nuggets.

Coach Eddie Jordan said Iverson will start Monday night and may start the rest of the season for the struggling Sixers. Iverson will play his first game with Philadelphia since 2006.

“I feel like I am home,” Iverson said at shootaround. “Just seeing people I’m accustomed to seeing, seeing the reporters, seeing some of the fans when I go out to eat. Just the smell of Philadelphia when I go outside.”

Iverson’s not sure how many minutes he can play because of his limited basketball activity over the past year. His stint in Detroit was cut short with a back injury and he played only three games for Memphis this season.

Iverson said he has some concerns about playing in game condition.

“If I can’t get my scoring on like I want to, I just want to do other things on the basketball court that will help us win,” Iverson said.

The Sixers have lost nine straight games and hope Iverson can lead them back into the win column. He’ll play against Denver, one of three teams he played for after leaving Philadelphia.

Full Story

Here’s an in-depth view of how Allen Iverson’s homecoming unfolded since last Tuesday. His agent, Leon Rose, knew late Tuesday night that it was happening when he said to the press “Get Ready”.

For the first time in a spectacular, controversial, lightning rod of a career, careening through his 14th season, the barely 6-foot guard doesn’t hold all the cards. There’s no multiyear agreement. There’s no $20 million salary. By all accounts, there’s not even his signature entourage.

There’s just a 34-year-old guard, not brought in to be a centerpiece or a savior, but simply to help in desperate times. There’s just a free agent trying to extend his career, accepting a non-guaranteed contract for the remainder of the season at a prorated $1.3 million, the NBA veterans’ minimum for a player with at least 10 seasons of experience.

Iverson had to accept a non-guaranteed contract, which likely was a blow to Iverson’s pride.  However, it wasn’t about the money, it was about getting Allen back into Philly and extending his career, giving him an opportunity to show the world he can still play.

Full story on Daily News.