By CELESTE E. WHITTAKER
(Cherry Hill, N.J.) Courier-Post

PHILADELPHIA - When Allen Iverson looks back at the 2003-04 NBA season, he probably won't have very fond memories.

The Philadelphia 76ers' star guard has already missed more games this season due to injury than any time in his eight-year career and that number will now grow.

The team announced Tuesday that Iverson will miss the remainder of the regular season due to swelling in his right knee.

Iverson was in New York on Monday to get a second opinion from Dr. Russell Warren, the team physician for the New York Giants. Warren said a small articular cartilage lesion underneath the kneecap has caused the inflammation in Iverson's knee, although there is no ligament damage to the knee.

"Allen saw Dr. Warren in New York, who concurs with the diagnosis and treatment of Allen's ailing right knee," Sixers team physician Dr. Jack McPhilemy said. "Allen has been bothered by recurrent swelling in the right knee and diagnostic studies have indicated some wear of the cartilage under the kneecap. Dr. Warren believes that this condition is likely to improve with rest and rehabilitation."

Team president Billy King said with it being so late in the season, he thought it was best for Iverson not to play. The Sixers have only seven regular- season games remaining.

"He's been six weeks trying to deal with it," said King, who on Monday had said Iverson was out indefinitely, but could play at any time. "He comes back and it swells up. It was better now to sit him down and try to get this so it's not something that lingers a lot longer."

King said in a "worst-cast scenario" surgery would be an option if the knee does not respond to treatment. He also said it's unclear whether Iverson would be able to participate in the playoffs - if the Sixers get in.

Despite Tuesday's night win over Golden State, they are 2 1/2 games behind Boston, which occupies the eighth and final playoff spot in the East, making a Sixers' playoff berth unlikely.

The 28-year-old Iverson has missed a career-high 27 games this season with injury, 21 due to right knee problems. He has missed five consecutive games and 13 of the last 19.

If he is traded in the offseason - as has been speculated - he may have played his last game as a Sixer.

The mercurial guard has bumped heads with Sixers interim coach Chris Ford on several occasions, the first time when Ford benched him for the start of a game on Feb. 17 because Iverson missed practice the day before. Iverson later declined to play in a game at Detroit on March 14 because Ford told him he would have to come off the bench.

Ford also fined Iverson after the star did not call the coach himself to notify him that he was ill and would not be at the home game against Minnesota on Feb. 29.

"What he doesn't want is for people saying he doesn't want to play because of Chris Ford," King said. "He loves to play basketball. The swelling in the knee doesn't allow him to move."

Iverson was at Tuesday's game, but was unavailable for comment.

In 48 games this season, Iverson is averaging 26.4 points, 6.8 assists and is shooting a career-low 38.7 percent from the field. The Sixers are 13-14 without him, but have won eight of their last 10.

"We've been playing without Allen for a while now in hopes that he would be back," Ford said. "But you just keep playing."