Clippers Can’t Turn Off the Laugh Track

It was open comedy night at First Union Center for fans sitting behind the Clippers’ bench during Philadelphia’s 108-93 victory Friday night.

Before Allen Iverson scored his 42nd point and before Philadelphia Coach Larry Brown notched his 1,000th professional victory, a small group of fans had fun with the Clippers, who allowed the 76ers to score the first 11 points of the game.

“Hey Alvin,” said one boisterous fan to Clipper Coach Alvin Gentry. “Whatever they are paying you to coach this team isn’t enough.”

The Clippers continued to get ripped until they made a field goal after missing their first five attempts. But they were still no match for Iverson, who knocked down shots from all over the floor--with or without a Clipper in his face.

Once Iverson scored his 20th point to put Philadelphia ahead, 33-14, with 1:42 left in the first quarter, another fan shouted: “Yea Clippers, Allen’s going for the house record tonight.”

Not quite. But Iverson’s 20 first-quarter points are the most anyone has scored in a quarter at First Union Center, which delighted the sellout crowd of 20,592.

After leading, 36-18, at the start of the second, Philadelphia opened a 43-22 lead before the Clippers began to rally when Darius Miles and Corey Maggette entered the game. With Iverson scoring only four points in the quarter, the Clippers closed to within 55-45 at the half.

Miles, who finished with 17 points and four rebounds , seemed inspired after a fan held up a sign that read: “Darius Miles-Bol” in reference to former NBA center Manute Bol.

In the second half, the Clippers continued to press the 76ers by making them play more defense. This novel approach worked enough to help cut Philadelphia’s lead to 63-57 with 5:47 remaining in the third quarter--and then the Clippers got another heavy dose of Iverson.

He scored nine points in the quarter and helped set up his teammates whenever the Clippers were able to get a good trap on him. The 76ers outscored the Clippers, 16-11, to close the quarter. Power forward Tyrone Hill, who finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds, had five points and six rebounds in the quarter.

By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, the fans who were tormenting the Clippers’ starters early began making jokes about the team’s bench. After kidding assistant coach Dennis Johnson about his days as a Boston Celtic, they turned on the team’s reserves as the 76ers outscored the Clippers, 29-25, over the final 12 minutes.

With a four-game losing streak on their backs, the Clippers are trying their best to stay together. But after their 21st road loss, frustration is again a major issue. Especially with center Michael Olowokandi, who finished with six points, three rebounds and five fouls in 30 minutes.

“It’s like we’re playing against ourselves when we are on the road,” said Olowokandi, who had three of the Clippers’ five missed shots to open the game.

“There’s a big difference when we play at home. We play together as a team then but once we get on the road, we sort of fragment and do our own thing. And, that needs to be addressed.

“There’s no point of doing it after the game. We have to do it during the game, so guys know what they need to be doing. . . . If individuals who are making mistakes are not pointed out and corrected during the game, they are going to keep on doing it.”

Gentry hinted at possible lineup changes before the Clippers play at New Jersey on Sunday, but he knows he’s running out of options.

“When you’re playing with so many young guys it’s tough,” Gentry said. “One thing [Brown] has with Philadelphia is that he is working with a lot of veteran guys.

“We have young guys who are still learning and trying to figure it out. Our start [Friday night] was bad because we kept turning the ball over [eight turnovers in the first quarter]. We have to keep trying different combination of guys. We have to make sure we are doing the right thing.”

Shooting guard Eric Piatkowski led the Clippers with 19 points. Lamar Odom and Maggette had 12 points each.