They Shut Down Iverson Once This Season

It seems like years ago that the Clippers last faced Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers. Rookie Lamar Odom was the new hit of the league and the Clippers held Iverson to 21 points in a 91-81 victory at Staples Center on Nov. 5.

Since then, the Clippers have faded and are riding an 11-game losing streak. Meanwhile, the 76ers are playing like a playoff team again and added more firepower by recently acquiring veteran forward Toni Kukoc from Chicago.

But the Clippers still know the key to defeating Philadelphia is controlling Iverson, the league’s leading scorer.

“We’re at the point where we are working on a team [defensive] concept,” interim Coach Jim Todd said. “Not that we’re not going to be aware of [Iverson]. We had to double him a lot the last time we played them and we did a good job trying to take the ball out of his hands.”

After Tuesday’s practice, Todd was not sure who would start at shooting guard, opposite Iverson, but he said a lot of players would get their chances.

Derek Anderson, who returned to play Monday at New York after sitting out two games because of an ankle injury, will be one of those.

“He’s an offensive threat,” Anderson said of Iverson. “The key is going to be team defense. If we can control him like we did in the first game we’ll be all right.”

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Losing 25 of the last 27 games can get any team down and Todd is doing his best to keep the Clippers’ spirits up.

“It’s not something we’re discussing,” Todd said. “But it is on all of our minds.”

Todd, a head coach at Division II Salem State for nine years, said he has never experienced a losing stretch like this.

“We lost two games in a row once,” Todd said. “We never lost too many games in a row.”

TONIGHT

at Philadelphia

4 PST

* Site--First Union Center.

* TV--None.

* Radio--KXTA (1150), (6:30, delayed).

* Records--Clippers 11-43; 76ers 28-24.

* Record vs. 76ers--1-0.

* Update--Iverson is leading the league in scoring at 30.5 points a game but is coming off a poor shooting game in a loss to the Lakers on Sunday. Philadelphia, 18-10 at home, has won only four of its last 10 games. Kukoc has averaged 10 points in two games with the 76ers. Clipper point guard Eric Murdock is out because of swelling in his left ankle.