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SAN ANTONIO
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PHILADELPHIA
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MILWAUKEE
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Iverson suits up for Sixers
Associated Press
MILWAUKEE -- By the time Game 4 of the Eastern Conference
finals tips off, Allen Iverson will have had 90 hours to recuperate
from his hip injury.
With his team desperate for his offense, an upbeat Iverson said
Sunday he will "definitely" play Monday.
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"I don't feel that much better, but as long as I can run up and
down the court I'll be all right," said Iverson, who has even had
trouble sleeping because of his pain.
The Philadelphia 76ers trail the Milwaukee Bucks 2-1 in the
best-of-seven series after losing 80-74 Saturday as Iverson sat out
to rest his left hip.
Iverson shot jumpers with his teammates Sunday but did not do
any running. Like other members of the team, he spoke with an
optimism that would ordinarily be ill-suited for a team facing the
closest thing to a "must win."
The 76ers seemed to draw some inspiration from their six-point
loss, emerging with a heightened sense of pride for playing such a
close game despite the NBA's MVP staying behind at the team hotel
and watching the game on TV.
"I was so happy with their effort, I couldn't wait for them to
get back to the hotel so I could tell them. I almost jumped in a
cab," Iverson said.
His injury is officially listed as a left sacroiliac contusion.
The sacroiliac joint connects the hip to the buttocks. The injury
makes it difficult for Iverson to run -- a huge detriment to a
player who relies so heavily on his speed.
"It's the kind of injury that gets better with rest, and he has
unbelievable healing powers and an unbelievable pain threshold, so
we'll see," coach Larry Brown said. "If this kid can play,
whatever he can give us we'll be happy with."
Injuries have hampered both teams since the middle of the second
round, and 76ers forward Tyrone Hill is playing despite a family
emergency. His 66-year-old father, Eddie, is in a Cincinnati
hospital after having two strokes in the past two weeks that were
caused by diabetes.
Reserve forward Matt Geiger said he was almost fully certain he
would be unable to play Monday because of quadriceps tendinitis.
Brown said he was surprised Saturday when Geiger changed into
street clothes and sat out the game.
"He shaved his head, he had therapy, a rubdown and an
adjustment," Brown said. "The only thing he didn't have was a
pedicure, so I don't know. I have no idea with Matt."
The 76ers shot just 36 percent from the field and missed 11 free
throws in Game 3 yet managed to keep the game close by controlling
the tempo and playing intense defense.
Aaron McKie had four steals and helped hold Ray Allen to 20
points on 6-for-18 shooting, and Jumaine Jones had 16 points, eight
rebounds and three 3-pointers.
The player who made the biggest difference was Bucks point guard
Sam Cassell, who scored 24 points and shot 9-for-16 in dominating
his matchup with Eric Snow.
Bucks coach George Karl put his own spin on Game 3, dismissing
talk that it was an ugly affair while arguing that Milwaukee had
proved it could beat the Sixers in different ways -- with the
high-octane offense they prefer or the slow-paced style the 76ers
like.
"I think they put their eggs on going after one win. Last night
they went out and said let's see if we can outhustle them and
outwork them," Karl said. "And they did a good job with it. And
guess what? We did a good job with it, too. And tomorrow they come
in with their big guns."
Karl told his team to expect the same defensive intensity from
Philadelphia in Game 4 with Iverson providing the offensive
firepower that was missing in Game 3.
"It's an urgent game. If we're not ready for basically a
seventh game mentality from them, I think we'll be in trouble,"
Karol said. "They're going to give us everything tomorrow. They're
going to try to take it back to Philadelphia even."
Cassell, wearing a flack jacket to protect ribs he bruised in
the semifinals against Charlotte, had the wind knocked out of him
when he banged into Snow with two minutes left. He said he was
still sore but would be ready to play Monday.
When Karl wasn't expressing his displeasure with all the
discussion of injuries, he singled out center Ervin Johnson for
praise.
Johnson shot 4-for-4 with 13 rebounds and two blocks, arguably
outplaying Dikembe Mutombo.
"His individual defense on Mutombo where we don't have to
double-team Mutombo, and then his team defense around the basket
and rebounding, he's just gone to a different level. This is the
best basketball he's ever played," Karl said.
History has not been kind to teams that fall behind 3-1 in a
best-of-seven series. Only six teams in NBA history have come back
from such a deficit, the last being the Miami Heat in 1997 against
the New York Knicks.
Game 5 will be played Wednesday night in Philadelphia, and Game
6, if necessary, would be Friday night in Milwaukee.
"The pendulum swings tomorrow to the team that wins, and I hope
that's us," Karl said.
If the Bucks win the next two games, the NBA Finals would begin
next Sunday in Los Angeles. If the series goes six games or more,
the finals will begin June 6. Los Angeles beat San Antonio 111-82
on Sunday to sweep the Western Conference finals.
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AUDIO/VIDEO
 Despite being hampered by injury, Allen Iverson says he is a go for Game 4.
avi: 992 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN
Cable Modem
 Larry Brown and the Sixers express their need for Allen Iverson in the lineup.
wav: 96 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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