Allen Iverson knew he would have to change his game when he joined the Pistons. He never thought he'd experience a scoring slump.
Iverson has not scored more than 17 points in the last five games, including a nine-point outing against Portland on Sunday. He was 2-for-9 from the field and had just three assists. It's not a matter of practice, including the one he skipped Thanksgiving. He's used to being among the league leaders in minutes but hasn't played more than 35 in any game during that stretch. "My rhythm is not there," he said. "It's kind of a different situation for me. I'm sitting more than I usually do, more than I have in my career. This is the most I've sat down in my career. My rhythm is not where I want it to be, but I'm positive and I've got a lot of confidence in my game. I know it will come back."
Iverson is used to having the ball in his hands more often, too, but many of his recent misses have been right at the rim. He's shooting 20-for-59 (33.9 percent) from the field while averaging 13.4 points since he scored 23 points against Cleveland Nov. 19.
The Pistons, who play at San Antonio Tuesday night, are 6-6 in games Iverson has played. Iverson knows there are better days ahead for him and his teammates, but that doesn't do anything to change his mood.
"This is the most frustrating time," he said. "You know it's going to happen and you know you'll get there but this is the point where it's most frustrating. It's just difficult to deal with."
TRAIL BLAZERS 96, PISTONS 85: The Blazers went on a late 18-3 run after the Pistons took a 77-75 lead Sunday at The Palace. Portland power forward LaMarcus Aldridge dominated Rasheed Wallace while scoring a game-high 27 points. Guard Brandon Roy had 19 points and five assists. The Pistons played catch-up most of the way after falling behind 25-13 in the first quarter.
