Iverson, Brown

If Philadelphia 76er guard Allen Iverson won’t listen to his coach, Larry Brown, maybe he’ll listen to Alvin Gentry.

Gentry, the Clipper coach, learned his trade under Brown, as his assistant both at Kansas, where Brown won an NCAA championship, and with the San Antonio Spurs.

Having watched the love/hate relationship of Brown and Iverson from afar, Gentry finally told Iverson, “If you listen to him, he’ll make you the best player you can possibly be.”

Just not tonight, Gentry hopes, when his Clippers face the 76ers.

“I think there is always respect there between the two of them,” Gentry said. “You have to have that. But they are never going to be best friends.”

Iverson may have listened to Gentry, because he and Brown worked together to get the 76ers to the NBA Finals last season, and Iverson was the league’s most valuable player.

As for slowing Iverson down tonight, Gentry said, “The only one who can slow Allen down is Allen. You just have to hope it’s one of those nights where he’s missing his shots.”

Guard Eric Piatkowski, out the last nine games because of a strained right hip flexor, is expected to miss a 10th tonight. Although Piatkowski has improved, he is still not able to cut or run laterally.

Forward Lamar Odom continues to be bothered by a sore right wrist, but it won’t cut into his playing time because Gentry won’t allow that to happen.

“He keeps telling me his wrist hurts,” Gentry said, “and I keep looking the other way.”

Because of the holiday, there was no practice Tuesday, giving the Clippers their second day off out of the last three. They can use the rest with three games in the next four days starting tonight.

TONIGHT

vs. Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.

Fox Sports Net 2

Site-Staples Center

Radio-KXTA (1150)

Records--Clippers 15-11, 76ers 11-16.

Record vs. 76ers (2000-2001)-1-1.

Update-Through all of the anguish of recent seasons, the Clippers could always look at the schedule and feel confident there was at least one respite from all the losing: a visit by the 76ers. The Clippers have won seven consecutive home games against Philadelphia, the last loss coming in December of 1992. Last year, the Clippers used the home-court advantage to beat the 76ers, 88-77, led by Lamar Odom’s 25 points and Michael Olowokandi’s 12 rebounds.