Ten-time All-Star guard Allen Iverson is a great basketball player, but not a very good patient. Iverson, 34, who missed the entire preseason and the first two games of the regular season with a partially torn left hamstring, finally got cleared for a full contact practice with the Grizzlies on Thursday. "It's harder being there, sitting on the bench and being so close but not being able to contribute," Iverson said. He won't be sitting much longer. The Grizzlies start a five-game West Coast road swing on Sunday at Denver, and the plan is for Iverson to make his Grizzlies' debut on Monday at Sacramento.
He said it can't come soon enough, because his hamstring hasn't given him any problems the last couple of days.
"I haven't felt any pain and I haven't felt fatigued," Iverson said. "I'm ready to play. It's up to them."
Coach Lionel Hollins still wants to take baby steps with Iverson, who hardly played this past summer, because he was a free agent and he didn't want to get hurt. Hollins is worried about Iverson's physical conditioning.
"Health-wise, he's fine, but he's just got to get in shape," Hollins said. "We want to make sure his conditioning is better so he doesn't get hurt again."
GRIZZLIES 115, RAPTORS 107: The Grizzlies trailed 88-80 before playing with a burst down the stretch, with Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol combining for 49 points and 14 rebounds. Unlike their 22-point loss to the Pistons in Wednesday's season opener, the Grizzlies played with energy from the opening tap, attacking the basket and sharing the ball, with 24 assists compared to 10 in the opener. Memphis had six players score in double-figures, and needed all of them to offset Chris Bosh's 37-point effort (25 in the first half) for Toronto.
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