Iverson Regains Groove Despite Shoulder Injury

A partially torn rotator cuff didn’t stop Allen Iverson from regaining his shooting touch.

Iverson made 15 of 18 shots and scored 35 points Tuesday night as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Dallas Mavericks, 106-87, at Philadelphia.

Iverson had been listed as day-to-day because of the right shoulder injury, but he had no doubt he would be able to play.

“I’ve been playing with this injury but I don’t make excuses,” said Iverson, who wore a bandage on his shoulder blade. “I didn’t want to tell anybody about it because I didn’t want to risk someone telling me I can’t play.”

Iverson scored on his first shot and was seven for nine in the first quarter for 15 points. His 83% shooting was a career best.

The 76ers made a season-high 63% of their shots.

“Allen was phenomenal on both ends of the floor,” 76er Coach Larry Brown said. “He’s been playing hurt without saying anything. That’s more impressive. Maybe he had peace of mind with the diagnosis.”

Iverson, who injured his shoulder in an 87-84 loss to the Lakers on Feb. 20, had struggled in his last five games, shooting 40 for 121 (33%).

San Antonio 93, Miami 69--David Robinson scored 19 points as the Spurs took control early and held the Heat to a season-low point total at San Antonio.

San Antonio played its third consecutive game without forward Tim Duncan (abdominal strain) and Miami played its second in a row without center Alonzo Mourning (sore left ankle).

The Spurs received more bad news in the first quarter when Duncan’s replacement, Malik Rose, suffered a sprained right ankle and did not return.

P.J. Brown had 16 points for Miami, which had a four-game winning streak ended.

Indiana 115, Detroit 105--Reggie Miller scored 24 points and Jalen Rose had 20 as the Pacers overcame the absence of Dale Davis (pulled hamstring) and Al Harrington (bruised calf) at Indianapolis to extend their home winning streak to 23 games.

Grant Hill led the Pistons with 37 points.

Orlando 103, Seattle 94--Ron Mercer scored 27 points and the Magic never trailed in ending a five-game losing streak by beating the SuperSonics at Orlando.

Seattle’s Gary Payton had 29 points, including 25 in the second half. Horace Grant, making his return to Orlando for the first time since an off-season trade, had six points and a game-high 10 rebounds.

Charlotte 92, Minnesota 87--Elden Campbell scored 22 points at Minneapolis and the Hornets ended a three-game losing streak despite the absence of Derrick Coleman because of a sprained ankle.

Toronto 87, Chicago 80--Vince Carter had 26 points and Tracy McGrady tied his career high with 15 rebounds as the Raptors used a late 11-2 run to rally past the Bulls at Toronto and tie the franchise record with their 30th victory of the season.

Phoenix 100, Cleveland 93--Jason Kidd’s third steal helped the Suns finish the game with an 8-0 run at Cleveland.

Penny Hardaway scored 22 points to lead six Suns in double figures. Kidd scored 21, and his steal of a weak pass by Shawn Kemp with less than 40 seconds to play resulted in two free throws and helped Phoenix hold the Cavaliers scoreless over the final 2:35.

Sacramento 112, Vancouver 87--Chris Webber had 23 points, nine rebounds and seven assists at Sacramento as the Kings ended a four-game losing streak.

The Kings had lost six of seven games since the All-Star break to slip into the eighth spot in the Western Conference.

Around the League

Houston Rocket forward Matt Bullard was taken by ambulance from his home to the hospital Tuesday night because of extreme back pain. While no diagnosis was disclosed, Bullard could remain in the hospital for a day or two for observation. Meanwhile, center Hakeem Olajuwon has an asthma-like condition that can be controlled with medication, KRIV-TV said. Olajuwon sat out Monday’s game against the Clippers after complaining of fatigue.