Philadelphia 76ers guard Allen Iverson was in the starting lineup against the Memphis Grizzlies, two days after sitting out a game rather than come off the bench.
Iverson, Philadelphia's leading scorer with 27 points a game, missed three straight games with a swollen right knee before Sunday's matchup against the Detroit Pistons. He said he was ready to play and was in uniform but changed his mind when interim coach Chris Ford told him he'd be a reserve. Iverson watched the game from the Sixers bench in street clothes. The All-Star guard said he was a starter, not a sixth man.
Ford said he was trying to protect Iverson from aggravating the injury.
Sixers president and general manager Billy King, who came to Memphis to soothe the situation, talked to Iverson for about an hour Tuesday afternoon.
"We're trying to move forward," King said. "The sun came up today. He's going to start. We're going to play, and try to get a win."
Iverson was not available for comment before Tuesday's game, but King said they discussed the relationship between coach and player, Philadelphia's drive to the playoffs and trade rumors involving Iverson. King came to Memphis to talk to Iverson face-to-face rather than by telephone.
"The bottom line is, I think Allen understands what the goal is at hand," King said. "That's to try to get in the playoffs and do as well as we can there."
But King acknowledged the matter was getting in the way of that goal. He said the showdown between coach and player had been "very very distracting."
As for the trade rumors, King assured Iverson there is "no intention" of trading him. "He said, `Billy, I want to be Sixer. This is where I want to be. I want to die a 76er. I don't want to leave Philadelphia.'"
King had not talked at length with Ford, but expects to discuss the matter with him Wednesday.
Ford, who has dealt with the issue for the past two days, wasn't interested in dwelling on it before facing the Grizzlies.
"I'm just coaching, that's all I'm doing," Ford said. "It's always over for me at the end of the day. It's a new day everyday."
Nets 94, Kings 77
Rodney Rogers hit his first six shots and the New Jersey Nets showed the Sacramento Kings a thing or two on both offense and defense in posting a 94-77 victory Tuesday night.
The win ended New Jersey's three-game losing streak against the Kings and went a long way in avenging a 105-92 decision in Sacramento on Nov. 30, a game in which the Kings led 60-28 at the half.
The Nets hit 18 of their first 27 shots from the field and held the Kings to just nine first-quarter points, the lowest quarter of the season for the NBA's top-scoring team.
Kerry Kittles, who hit four straight baskets early in the third quarter to end any hopes of a second-half comeback by Sacramento, led New Jersey with 24 points. Rogers finished with 20, hitting eight of 11, and Richard Jefferson added 19.
While he scored only four points, Jason Kidd had 13 assists as New Jersey held a 30-6 advantage on the fast break.
Mike Bibby had 17 points for Sacramento and Chris Webber added 15, missing his first five shots and finishing 5-of-17. Peja Stojakovic had 11, all in the first half.
Cavaliers 111, Bulls 87
In Cleveland, Zydrunas Ilgauskas scored 24 points with 17 rebounds and Cleveland won its seventh straight -- its longest winning streak since 1997.
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