DENVER-
The Denver Nuggets were without stars Allen Iverson and Marcus Camby for their game against the Phoenix Suns on Monday night.
Camby, the league’s No. 2 rebounder and shot blocker, strained his left groin Saturday night at Sacramento. Iverson missed his fourth straight game with a sprained right ankle and said he hoped to return Wednesday night against the Hornets.
“I don’t feel good,” said Iverson, who was hurt a game against Charlotte on Jan. 29. “I knew the next morning it was going to be sore. I didn’t know it was going to be this bad.”
Iverson knows the Nuggets sure could use him during this tough stretch.
“If we weren’t struggling, then it wouldn’t be so bad,” he said. “That’s the most frustrating part. I won’t try to rush back. I think it will hurt us more if I try to rush back and then hurt it even worse and have it linger for the rest of the season.”
Several other Nuggets were ailing. Carmelo Anthony has a swollen middle finger on his right hand and a sore left wrist, Reggie Evans has a sprained right ankle and Steve Blake has 12 stitches in his upper lip after catching an inadvertent elbow from Ron Artest on Saturday night.
All the injuries had coach George Karl on edge before tip-off, a makeup of the Dec. 20 game that was wiped out by a blizzard. Karl took exception when asked if he still viewed this as a barometer game given all the injuries.
“For me to come out and give them a crutch and act like we have no chance, (no way). Get ready to play, let’s go,” Karl said.
