Iverson misses fourth straight game

Iverson, who has been plagued with right knee synovitis, participated in the team’s shootaround before the game, but was in street clothes by the opening tip.

Sixers interim head coach Chris Ford claimed he was not aware of Iverson’s readiness to return until a few minutes before tipoff and relegated his leading scorer to the bench, citing a possible lack of conditioning.

"I wasn’t comfortable putting him out there in the starting lineup," said Ford. "I was concerned that if he would go out there and try to play, that we could now lose him for another five games down the road."

With that option in hand, Iverson changed his mind and sat out the contest against his former head coach Larry Brown, refusing to come off the bench.

"I’m a starter, I’ve been a starter here for eight years," Iverson said. "I’m not a sixth man. I know in this league, and it has been with us, the Sixers, if someone comes back from an injury, if he’s a starter, he starts. What’s the difference? If you’re going to cut my time down, cut my time down. It doesn’t make any difference. I’m a starter.

"I told him I’d rather get the conditioning at practice and come off and play my usual role, as a starter," Iverson added.

The Sixers had won the last three games without Iverson, who has been plagued by numerous injuries this season, but fell to 8-14 without him overall this season.

In 45 games this season, Iverson is averaging 27.0 points, 6.8 assists and 3.8 rebounds per contest.

"I feel real disappointed because I told the trainers I was going to play. You know, I was already taped and everything and had my uniform on. I had to take it back off, so that was rough. It’s just something I’ve never been through in my life."

Iverson and Ford have endured a tenuous relationship in the coach’s short tenure since he took over for Randy Ayers in February.

Ford benched Iverson in the first game after All-Star Weekend when his star guard did not make in back in time from Los Angeles for the team’s first practice. Iverson scored 27 points off the bench in that one.