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http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3945657
Detroit guard Allen Iverson will miss his third straight game with a back injury Tuesday night when the Pistons host the Denver Nuggets, sources told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith.
Iverson will see a specialist in Washington to get a second opinion on his injury, which he fears may be more serious than first thought, sources said.
Iverson, traded from the Nuggets in November for guard Chauncey Billups, left Wednesday's loss to the Hornets in the first quarter after aggravating the back strain he sustained in last Tuesday's loss to the Heat.
Iverson was replaced in the starting lineup Friday by Richard Hamilton, who scored 31 points to fuel a victory over the Orlando Magic. Hamilton led the Pistons again Sunday with 25 points in a win over the Celtics.
Coach Michael Curry said last week he was hoping a new lineup would jump-start his Pistons (29-29), who are tied for sixth in the East with Philadelphia. The top eight teams in each conference advance to the playoffs.
"This change is more than about Allen and Rip," Curry said last week about the timing of the lineup shift coming amid Iverson's injury. "We hope that with this change, more guys will play better. That's what we are seeking. Hopefully this will allow us to execute better, get us back in sync and rejuvenate us."
Iverson, averaging career lows with 18.0 points and 37.5 minutes per game, told Curry and a Pistons trainer that his back was feeling better and that he could likely play Tuesday, the Detroit News reported.
Detroit guard Allen Iverson will miss his third straight game with a back injury Tuesday night when the Pistons host the Denver Nuggets, sources told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith.
Iverson will see a specialist in Washington to get a second opinion on his injury, which he fears may be more serious than first thought, sources said.
Iverson, traded from the Nuggets in November for guard Chauncey Billups, left Wednesday's loss to the Hornets in the first quarter after aggravating the back strain he sustained in last Tuesday's loss to the Heat.
Iverson was replaced in the starting lineup Friday by Richard Hamilton, who scored 31 points to fuel a victory over the Orlando Magic. Hamilton led the Pistons again Sunday with 25 points in a win over the Celtics.
Coach Michael Curry said last week he was hoping a new lineup would jump-start his Pistons (29-29), who are tied for sixth in the East with Philadelphia. The top eight teams in each conference advance to the playoffs.
"This change is more than about Allen and Rip," Curry said last week about the timing of the lineup shift coming amid Iverson's injury. "We hope that with this change, more guys will play better. That's what we are seeking. Hopefully this will allow us to execute better, get us back in sync and rejuvenate us."
Iverson, averaging career lows with 18.0 points and 37.5 minutes per game, told Curry and a Pistons trainer that his back was feeling better and that he could likely play Tuesday, the Detroit News reported.
