Chris Webber and Allen Iverson spoke at length on the telephone in the early hours of Wednesday morning. They posed various questions about the 76ers, didn't reach any new conclusions. Mostly, it was therapeutic.

"A.I. called at 3 in the morning," Webber said after a brief practice yesterday in Key Arena, preparing for tonight's game against the Seattle SuperSonics. "[It was] 'What can we do? What should we do?' I don't think people realize how much he wants to win. We usually talk after every game late at night; I didn't think he was going to call me [Tuesday] night."

Iverson, Webber have early-morning chat about how to get Sixers back on track

By PHIL JASNER
jasnerp@phillynews.com

SEATTLE - Chris Webber and Allen Iverson spoke at length on the telephone in the early hours of Wednesday morning. They posed various questions about the 76ers, didn't reach any new conclusions. Mostly, it was therapeutic.

"A.I. called at 3 in the morning," Webber said after a brief practice yesterday in Key Arena, preparing for tonight's game against the Seattle SuperSonics. "[It was] 'What can we do? What should we do?' I don't think people realize how much he wants to win. We usually talk after every game late at night; I didn't think he was going to call me [Tuesday] night."

The questions don't change much. Nor do the answers. This time, the Sixers faded badly in the fourth quarter of a 111-97 loss to the Toronto Raptors. This time, Iverson was out with a sprain and bruise of his right ankle and foot. This time, the Sixers shot 3-for-15 in the final period; 12 points and eight turnovers were a bad combination, leaving them 31-32, the No. 8 playoff seed in the NBA's Eastern Conference with 19 games remaining.

Iverson, the league's No. 2 scorer, did not travel with the team yesterday. Kevin Ollie, who has been the starting point guard, did, but he has missed the last two games with a sprained right ankle and could be out again tonight. Sonics star guard Ray Allen suffered a left quadriceps contusion in Tuesday night's loss to the Phoenix Suns, and was being listed as a game-time decision.

"[We were] just trying to figure it out," Webber said. "I know he's going to come back earlier than he should."

This three-game trip sends the Sixers against the Los Angeles Clippers tomorrow night and the Golden State Warriors Sunday afternoon, leaving Webber telling Iverson to "hurry up and be patient."

"I think [the trip] is just going to show our character, who we are, where we want to be," Webber said. "It's going to be tough for us, but that's the position we're in. We better make the best of it. It's a trip we can go 3-0, or we can go 0-3.

"We both sat on the phone kind of quiet and talked about it, about our zone offense, about the fourth quarter, how he and I have to be more aggressive. He told me I should be more aggressive in the fourth quarter as far as scoring, distributing when I can. We just had a real good conversation, just talking, brainstorming about things we should do, things we're going to try to do.

"He wanted to come out [yesterday], but that wouldn't have made any sense because he wouldn't have played [tonight], and you get more recuperation at home. I'm pretty sure, if he can, he'll be out here before the end of this trip. If not, then he couldn't."

The Iverson factor

Bob Hill, as studious and preparation-oriented as any coach in the NBA, could only muster a laugh when he was told Iverson would not be playing tonight.

"He kicked our butt when we played them in Philly," the Sonics coach said after practice yesterday in the Furtado Center. "I am absolutely thrilled he's not going to play."

Iverson had 41 points in the Sixers' victory over the Sonics Jan. 9 in Philadelphia.

"We couldn't keep him in front of us if we had to that night," Hill said. "I don't know what he's like to be around night in and night out, but coaching against his little butt is a nightmare."

And then Hill mustered a heartier laugh when he was asked whether his team might suffer a letdown, knowing that Iverson wouldn't be playing.

"Is that a setup question?" Hill yelped, in mock anger. "How many wins have we got?"

The answer: 25.

As for Ray Allen's injury, Hill said "I think he'll play. They haven't told me he wasn't going to."

Almost a Sixer again

Sixers president/general manager Billy King confirmed that he had considered signing director of player development Doug Overton to a 10-day contract to help out while Allen Iverson and Kevin Ollie rehab from their injuries. The move was apparently close enough that Overton thought it was happening Tuesday, and that a jersey with his name on the back had been prepared.