Allen Iverson doesn’t expect his fractured right ring finger to feel better anytime soon.
Taking time off down the stretch, with the Nuggets fighting for a playoff spot, simply isn’t an option.
So, he’s learned to accept the pain.
Not that the finger affected him Friday night. Iverson scored 28 points, going 9-of-12 from the floor, as the Nuggets blew out the Toronto Raptors 137-105 for their fifth straight win at the Pepsi Center.
The veteran guard hit seven straight attempts before missing a 3-pointer early in the third quarter. He also made all 10 of his free throws.
“It felt OK before the game,” Iverson said. “Now, it feels that much worse. It’s throbbing like a heartbeat.”
Iverson, who hurt his finger against San Antonio on March 7, slips on a brace after every game per doctors’ orders.
“If I didn’t wear this brace to keep it straight after every game, there’s a chance it will get worse and I’ll have to get a pin,” he said.
Nuggets coach George Karl would like to get Iverson some rest, but there’s no time, not with the Nuggets currently on the outside glancing into the playoffs. They trail Golden State by 1 1/2 games for the last spot.
“I don’t think we can lose a (player) because of an injury the rest of the way,” Karl said. “It’s the time of year where we have to play like it’s a playoff circumstance.”
The Nuggets’ 137-point output is the second-most points the team has scored this season. They still have the NBA high mark for the season with a 138-point performance in a win at Seattle on Feb. 27.
The Nuggets are 13-2 against Eastern Conference teams at the Pepsi Center this season.
