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Trail Blazers-Grizzlies Preview

Nov 10, 2009 - 2:46 AM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

Portland (4-3) at Memphis (1-6), 8:00 p.m. EDT

After opening the season injured and with Memphis spending the first week of November on the road, Allen Iverson was expected to make his home debut for the Grizzlies on Tuesday night against the Portland Trail Blazers.

This no longer looks like it will happen with the 10-time All-Star taking an indefinite leave to deal with a personal matter.

At least for the Grizzlies, this Iverson controversy is taking some of the focus away from the team's poor play.

With Iverson likely out, Memphis tries to avoid losing its sixth consecutive game when it hosts a Trail Blazers team looking to win its third straight with a new lineup.

The Grizzlies (1-6) signed Iverson to a one-year, incentive-laden deal in September hoping the four-time scoring champion could provide a spark off the bench and offer experience to a young roster filled with players like Rudy Gay, O.J. Mayo and Michael Conley. The franchise was also hoping a big-name attraction could help attract fans for a team that finished 24-58 last season.

Iverson opened the season recovering from a partially-torn left hamstring and made his Memphis debut in a 127-116 overtime loss at Sacramento on Nov. 2. He averaged 12.3 points in 22.3 minutes in three games for the Grizzlies, but left the team to return home before Saturday's 113-110 loss to the Clippers.

The Commercial Appeal newspaper reported Monday that Iverson is contemplating retirement.

"I'm not in Allen's head. I don't know what he's thinking," Memphis owner Michael Heisley said.

"I know he went back to take care of a personal problem. Whether he does something else, I don't know. I'm hoping he comes back."

Heisley would love to see Iverson playing for the first time in Memphis on Tuesday, but did not put a timetable on his return.

With Iverson's status in question, the Grizzlies will likely have to rely on the core of Gay, Mayo and Conley.

Gay scored a season-high 33 points against the Clippers but missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer for Memphis, which went winless on a five-game trip.

The Grizzlies, who haven't won since beating Toronto on Oct. 30, have lost seven straight to the Trail Blazers since a 96-92 victory March 29, 2007.

Portland (4-3), which is opening a five-game road trip, has won two in a row since switching to a three-guard lineup featuring Brandon Roy, Andre Miller and Steve Blake. The Blazers defeated San Antonio 96-84 on Friday and beat Minnesota 116-93 on Sunday.

Against the Timberwolves, Portland finished with a season high in points and had a season-best 35 assists, led by Roy's seven.

"Having two point guards on the floor makes it easier when I run the floor. I know one of those two guys is going to see me," said forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who had 19 points and 10 rebounds. "When you run the floor and you get the ball I think it makes you feel like you're doing it for a good reason."

Coach Nate McMillan's new offense looks to continue its production against a Memphis team allowing an average of 120.0 points on 51.6 percent shooting during its skid.

Roy averaged 22.3 points in four games against the Grizzlies last season and is trying to bounce back from a two-point effort Sunday - his lowest output since Nov. 10, 2006, when he failed to score in seven minutes against New Orleans.

"Guys were making plays and I didn't need to score," said Roy, who averaged 25.2 points in his first six games.