76ers fall to Clippers in overtime

After breaking the 11-game winning streak of the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Celtics on Friday, the Sixers returned to the Wachovia Center last night to meet the sub-.500 Los Angeles Clippers, looking to win two in a row for the first time since late-October.

The Clippers, on the other hand, had dropped a four-point decision at New York on Friday and were out to avoid losing consecutive games.

It took an extra session to decide the matter, and it was the visiting squad that took a 112-107 overtime victory.

A fallaway jumper at the end of regulation by the Sixers' Andre Iguodala was disallowed after an official review showed the swingman's shot did not beat the buzzer.

With the loss, the Sixers fell to 7-20, while the Clippers are now 12-14.

On a night when a blizzard crippled travel in the region, the Sixers announced a crowd of 13,752. Just before the opening tip, Iguodala went on the public address system and thanked those in attendance for showing up.

The Sixers, as a team, were slow to do the same.

After leading by 6-4, the Sixers began playing a game of catch-up. After trailing by as many as 14 points in the first half and 16 points in the third period, the Sixers went into the fourth quarter down by only five points, 78-73.

A three-point jumper by Iguodala with 9 minutes, 42 seconds left to play put the Sixers ahead, 82-80.

It was 89-89 with just under seven minutes remaining after a three-point play by Sixers forward Marreese Speights.

And it was 93-93 after a pair of Speights free throws with less than four minutes to go.

Speights finished with 28 points and nine rebounds.

Clippers center Chris Kaman finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out with 4:18 remaining in the game.

Sixers guard Lou Williams, who had his jaw wired shut after breaking it Nov. 24 in Washington, was back in uniform last night for the first time since being injured. Meanwhile, guard Allen Iverson sat out his second straight game due to knee, shoulder, and foot problems.

Included on the Clippers' roster were guard Mardy Collins (Temple) and swingman Rasual Butler (La Salle), a pair of native Philadelphians. Butler finished with 18 points off the bench, and Collins had six.

Sixers coach Eddie Jordan went with the same starting lineup last night that he used Friday against Boston. Willie Green again replaced Iverson, with rookie guard Jrue Holiday, center Samuel Dalembert, and forwards Iguodala and Thaddeus Young rounding out the quintet.

Dalembert lasted only about the first six minutes, however, before picking up his third foul and being relieved by Speights.

Williams took over for Holiday with 3:55 remaining in the first quarter, at which time forward Elton Brand, a former Clippers star, also checked in for the Sixers.

The different combinations led to a 30-18 first-period deficit for Philadelphia as the Clippers went 11 for 19 from the floor to the Sixers' 9 for 23.

The Clippers' Kaman - a seven-footer who, entering the contest, was the highest scoring center in the Western Conference with 19.1 points per game - had his way with the Sixers during the first half. In the absence of Dalembert, Kaman had 18 points on 8 of 11 shooting when intermission arrived.

The Sixers, who had trouble scoring on back-to-back possessions during the first two quarters, received consecutive baskets from Green to pull to 53-43 with 2:16 left in the second period. The Clippers led, 60-47, at intermission.

Young and Speights had each scored 12 points on combined 12 for 17 shooting, but the Sixers' leading scorer, Iguodala, had just two field goal attempts and four points.

Kaman was backed up by guards Baron Davis (13 first-half points) and Eric Gordon (10).

Williams made a steal as soon as he got in the game, and got his first hoop with 4:17 to go in the second quarter on a driving layup. Green had eight points and five assists before the break.