CHARLOTTE
Allen Iverson isn't ready, and the Memphis Grizzlies have run out of preseason games with many questions still unanswered.
The Charlotte Bobcats have just as many concerns.
Long after Iverson left the court after a brief early-morning workout yesterday, the Grizzlies reserves held off the Bobcats 95-92 to close the exhibition season for both teams. Zach Randolph looked good early with 16 points and eight rebounds, Sam Young added 13 points, and DeMarre Carroll hit the tiebreaking layup with 13 seconds left.
The Grizzlies (3-5) lost point guard Mike Conley when he re-injured his right ankle in the first quarter of the game, which started at 10:30 a.m. and was played in front of more than 16,000 middle-school students.
"I'm just glad nobody else got hurt and we got through training camp unscathed," Coach Lionel Hollins said.
Iverson avoided the noise by staying in the locker room during the game. Iverson did work out before tipoff but said it's a "long shot" he'll be cleared for the Grizzlies' opener Wednesday against Detroit.
Even so, Iverson was upbeat, saying he has "not one bit of pain" in his partially torn left hamstring and is confident he'll quickly learn the offense and his teammates' tendencies after missing all eight exhibition games.
"I feel 100 percent, but they've been telling me with this injury that's the way it is," Iverson said. "You feel well and then you go out there and try to take it to fifth gear and it can tear again"
The Bobcats (2-6), who have their own injury concerns, got 15 points from Raymond Felton and 14 from Boris Diaw. But Diaw, the power forward, had just one rebound, and Memphis controlled the boards 48-37.
"Our 4 man doesn't rebound the ball at all," Coach Larry Brown said. "That's been an issue."
Conley lasted only seven minutes, leaving Marcus Williams with the bulk of time at point guard. Williams had two driving layups as Memphis built an 82-75 lead. Charlotte rallied to tie on Vladimir Radmanovic's 3-pointer with 36 seconds left. Carroll's layup put Memphis back ahead, and Radmanovic missed a 3-point shot at the other end.
Charlotte's Tyson Chandler played his second game back from ankle surgery but still appeared far from being in game shape. He had eight points on 4-of-6 shooting and six rebounds but struggled on defense and was often trailing the play.
"Healthwise I'm OK, but still the timing, getting my legs under me and getting back in rhythm, that's the difficult part," Chandler said. "But I'm going to be fine."
The Bobcats played without shooting guard Raja Bell, who said before tipoff that he would get the results later yesterday of a second opinion on the partially torn ligament in his left wrist. Bell expects to decide soon whether to play through the injury or have surgery, which would sideline him up to four months. Bell's absence would mean more playing time for rookie Gerald Henderson, who showed off his athleticism in scoring 10 points.
"I hate to even say it, but his movements remind me a lot of Kobe (Bryant)," Chandler said.
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