Iverson done for the rest of the year!

[Male30Dan]

Tuesday, March 30, 2004

ESPN.com news services
Unless the 76ers somehow sneak into the playoffs, Allen Iverson will not suit up again this season.

The Sixers guard has cartilage damage in his ailing right knee and will sit out the rest of the regular season, sources told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith on Tuesday. Iverson's injury was diagnosed Monday by New York Giants team doctor Russell Warren.

Iverson needs to rest his knee for 2-4 weeks. The 76ers have only eight games left, and trail the Celtics by three games for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

The five-time All-Star has missed 12 of the team's last 18 games, the last eight because of synovitis, or swelling, in the ailing knee.

In total, Iverson has played in just 48 games this season, and has often clashed with first-year coach Chris Ford. Earlier this month, he refused to come off the bench for a game after he was told he was not going to start.

With Iverson on the sidelines, the Sixers are 12-14. But they have won seven of their last nine, as the team has appeared to take more of a "share-the-wealth" approach.

Iverson is the NBA's second-leading scorer at 26.4 points per game. The 76ers are in 10th place in the East playoff race with a 31-43 record.

Playing for the fifth straight game without Iverson, the 76ers scored only 65 points in a loss to the Celtics on Sunday. The Sixers set club records for fewest points in a half (23) and in three quarters (41). The 76ers sank 9 of 19 shots in the fourth quarter after hitting 15 of 70 before then. They finished at 24-for-89, or 27 percent.

The 76ers try to extend a six-game home win streak when they host the Warriors on Tuesday night.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.