Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson probably thought on occasion during the summer that he wouldn't be accompanying the 76ers on their European trip, considering all the trade rumors involving him that swirled for two months of the off-season. The idea of playing elsewhere most likely wasn't far from his mind last month when, on the plane to Barcelona, Spain, he talked to some of his younger teammates about his time with the Sixers. "I was just sharing experiences with them about being here for as long as I've been," Iverson said.

The shot clock was winding down, and Allen Iverson was in control. As the seconds ticked away, his Georgetown University teammates lined up along the baseline, clearing a path to the basket. Only one Providence College defender stood between Iverson and two points. It was Iverson's Big East debut at USAir Arena in Landover, Md., early in the season, and Iverson was about to give the crowd a peek at the magic in his game and show it just why coach John Thompson had taken a chance on him when most other big-time college coaches turned their backs.

Yesterday's official cancellation of the Feb. 14 All-Star Game in Philadelphia didn't surprise many NBA players, but it still stung. The loss of their midseason bonanza was evidence that the league is not bluffing in threatening not to play a 1998-99 season at all. "I'm sure we're convinced now," said 76ers free-agent center Theo Ratliff. "I can't believe there was anyone that thought the league wasn't serious, but if they did think they weren't, they shouldn't be thinking that now. I expected them to cancel the game.

Perhaps winning cannot ever be appreciated too much, particularly for a team that last season went 18-64, but the NBA's preseason is more for answering questions than for seeing who wins or loses. Last night, the Sixers beat a lightweight version of the San Antonio Spurs, 109-98, to go to 2-0 in the preseason. Still, as savory as any win is for this franchise, the Sixers left for Phoenix with at least a couple of equipment bags full of questions. Some are fundamental, such as how long it will take the defense to learn to consistently stop an opponent driving up the court with the ball.

This was one instance when nobody was complaining about an athlete going into the stands. After making a steal and a game-winning layup with two-tenths of a second remaining in the extra period of the 76ers' 116-114 overtime victory over the Washington Wizards yesterday, Allen Iverson headed directly toward the crowd at the Wachovia Center. Where did he think he was - Lambeau Field? After performing the Wachovia Leap, Iverson was embraced by a giddy group of fans who were more than happy to revel with him in his late-game heroics.

Maurice Cheeks will tell you that he was never "the man. " Cheeks was not the man on the basketball court at Du Sable High School in Chicago. Nor was he the man at West Texas State, where he played four years of college ball. And when he arrived with the 76ers as the 36th pick in the 1978 NBA draft, he certainly was not the man on a team stocked with Julius Erving, Bobby Jones, Doug Collins and Darryl Dawkins. Maybe that's why Cheeks, 40, has a well-deserved reputation for being so quiet.

The 76ers' losing streak had reached four games, and their shooting woes indicated no relief in sight. Cleveland was riding a five-game winning streak. So, how were the Sixers able to handle the Cavaliers so easily in their 106-97 victory last night? A lackadaisical effort by Cleveland? That's what the Cavs said. Was that all? Hardly. Fact is, the Sixers, sparked by a game-high 37 points from an inspired Allen Iverson, got great effort from everyone playing in front of 13,203 fans at the Gund Arena.

Home after five straight losses, four on the road, the 76ers are not panicking. They're just concerned. And after listening to coach Larry Brown yesterday, there are legitimate reasons for both calm and concern. Allen Iverson practiced yesterday, going hard for the first time in nearly two weeks. He was listed as questionable for tonight's game against the Milwaukee Bucks, but he said: "I am going to dress for the game. I'll be there. " That may be good news for the team, but Aaron McKie's chronic shoulder problems and Eric Snow's problems with his right ankle and with a lack of conditioning are not. In addition, his teammates' thoughts are with Matt Geiger.

The frustration is obvious. Trailing the Boston Celtics by two games to none in their best-of-five playoff series after a brutal 93-85 road loss Thursday night, the 76ers returned to Philadelphia yesterday and had a film session, followed by two airings of grievances. No surprise, the subjects were Larry Brown and Allen Iverson. In separate 17-minute interviews, the star and the coach collided on basketball philosophies, distinctions and labels, then disappeared into Brown's office for a five-minute meeting.

He slipped ever so slyly, foxlike, behind his long-armed opponent and stripped the basketball away, dribbled downcourt, and triumphantly laid it in. A few seconds later, Allen Iverson again stole the ball from Toronto's Vince Carter and again streaked down the court unimpeded for a layup. Those two plays virtually assured the 76ers of their third consecutive victory, their first in their last six attempts against the reeling Raptors, who lost their 11th straight game. Behind Iverson's 42 points, the Sixers led from start to finish yesterday and claimed a 96-84 win. They are now 30-28, with a game tonight at the First Union Center against the Boston Celtics.