One of the many problems the Knicks are struggling through during their current five-game losing streak is a lack of defensive intensity. Dikembe Mutombo feels the problem could be linked to his recent benching.

"My own observation from the sideline is I realize after 50-something games my teammates got used to having somebody who is an intimidator in the back," Mutombo said, trying to sound diplomatic. "I think they're kinda confused defensively because we didn't practice all of this."

Adding insult to injury: Not only is Mutumbo buried on the bench, there is speculation that he may be released if the Knicks sign Vin Baker. Cutting Mutombo after tomorrow would be especially cruel since it would prohibit Mutombo from qualifying for a postseason roster.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Philadelphia 76ers guard Allen Iverson and forward Glenn Robinson did not make the trip to Indiana for Saturday night's game against the Pacers.

Iverson missed his third straight game with a bruised right shoulder. Robinson was out with a strained right elbow, which he hurt against Atlanta on Tuesday night.

Iverson is the NBA's second-leading scorer at 27.4 points per game, while Robinson is second on the 76ers with 17.1 points per game.

The Pacers were without forward Jonathan Bender, who went home to Mississippi for a funeral. He did not make the trip back with the Pacers after Friday night's 89-77 loss in New Orleans, but coach Rick Carlisle said he expected Bender to rejoin the team Sunday.

For the past 21 years, the Portland Trail Blazers have been part of the NBA playoffs.

Thanks to their recent surge - and general manager John Nash's remaking of the roster - the Blazers have a chance to match the league record for postseason perennials.

The mark of 22 consecutive playoff appearances was set by the Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers franchise from 1949-40 to 1970-71.

The Utah Jazz also are closing in on that mark, but their streak of 20 straight playoff appearances is in serious jeopardy. Portland, however, has moved within striking range of the Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets.

``We have to put pressure on these teams. It's certainly a goal,'' Nash said Thursday night in a telephone interview.

Nash has been one of the league's busiest executives this season, pulling off three major trades.

Nash's first deal _ Bonzi Wells to Memphis for Wesley Person _ was widely panned. His next two trades _ Jeff McInnis to Cleveland for Darius Miles, and Rasheed Wallace and Person to Atlanta for Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Theo Ratliff and Dan Dickau _ drew more praise.

``I wish we would have had more time to balance off the roster,'' said Nash, whose deals left the Blazers with voids in backcourt depth and outside shooting. Nonetheless, the acquisitions addressed some of the Blazers' long-standing weaknesses.

``Theo automatically makes you a good defensive team, and we were one of the worst defensive teams in the league before his arrival. He's been a major factor,'' Nash said.

Ratliff tied a franchise record with nine blocks Tuesday night against Orlando.

Abdur-Rahim had been coming off the bench behind Miles before moving into the starting lineup and playing 43 minutes against the Magic.

``He brings an attitude of doing whatever it takes to win,'' Nash said. ``Some players of his stature would have groused about not starting, but his is a classy professional attitude.''

Nash said he had been discussing separate trades with the Hawks for Abdur-Rahim and Ratliff, reaching a breakthrough two weeks ago when he and Atlanta general manager Billy Knight combined the two deals.

Since taking over as general manager last summer, Nash has vowed to change the team culture by ridding the Blazers of players with negative attitudes. His deals have gone a long way toward reaching that goal, and an unexpected benefit could be reaching the postseason.

``Most people have responded positively. They like the excitement of Darius Miles, they like the idea we have defensive presence, and they like that Shareef is a steadying influence,'' Nash said.

The Blazers have already lost the season series to the Nuggets, costing them a tiebreaker if they finish with the same record as Denver. Portland was 1-1 against Houston entering Friday night's game against the Rockets, who began the weekend in seventh place in the West _ four games ahead of Portland.

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HOME SWEET HOME:@ Forgive the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers if they seem a little exhausted. A month on the road, give or take a few days, will do that.

The Spurs didn't play their first home game of February until last Tuesday, getting kicked out of their arena while it played host to the rodeo.

San Antonio played seven consecutive road games and won six, mimicking its success of a year ago when a nine-game, rodeo-forced trip jump-started San Antonio's title run. (They went 8-1).

Beginning with Saturday night's game against Denver, the Spurs will play 12 of their next 17 at home as they try to make up ground on the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Midwest Division.

The Clippers, meanwhile, played just their second home game of the month Friday night when they hosted the Knicks. Los Angeles was forced out of the Staples Center by the Grammy Awards and the All-Star game.

The Clippers' 99-93 loss at New Orleans wrapped up a string of 13 games in 13 cities, and they played the role of the exhausted vagabond well. After not committing a turnover in the first half, the Clippers had 13 in the final 24 minutes.

``It's hard,'' coach Mike Dunleavy said. ``I just keep saying, `Hey, they're young and they'll learn.' We get so close, we get so many opportunities. I'm just hoping as I keep pounding it in and keep teaching that certain things stick better.''

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PRO-READY PREPSTERS?: Dwight Howard of Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy and Sebastian Telfair of Lincoln H.S. in Brooklyn, N.Y. made the Eastern squad for the McDonald's All-America game, while teammates Joe Crawford and Malik Hairston of Detroit Renaissance H.S. made the West team.

Howard and Telfair are widely expected to enter this June's NBA draft, as are McDonald's All-Americans Josh Smith (Oak Hill Academy) and Shaun Livingston (Peoria Central H.S.).

Slam Magazine senior editor Ryan Jones was spotted at All-Star weekend wearing Livingston's Peoria jersey, perhaps signaling a trend toward throw-forward gear instead of throwback stuff.

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HAITIAN HOMELAND:@ Philadelphia 76ers center Samuel Dalembert is worried about his grandmother, who was his primary caregiver in Haiti after Dalembert's parents left that country and emigrated to Canada.

Hypromene Charle, 72, lives in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, which could be attacked by rebels if President Jean-Bertrand Aristide does not resign.

``When I talk to her after a game, I feel better,'' Dalembert told reporters in Philadelphia. ``She tells me, `Oh, don't worry about it. Everything's fine.' But the main thing I'm thinking is, I know how crazy it is (in Haiti). When I was little, I saw things happen. I saw crazy stuff going on. I can imagine how it is right now.''

ATLANTA (AP) Allen Iverson did not travel to Atlanta for the Philadelphia 76ers' game Tuesday night against the Hawks.

Though X-rays taken on his right shoulder last weekend showed no damage, Iverson missed his second straight game. The Sixers are off until Saturday when they visit Indiana.

Iverson, averaging 27.4 points and 6.6 assists this season, bumped his shoulder last Thursday as he ran into the scorer's table in Philadelphia's 112-101 win at Seattle.

Iverson scored 40 points against the SuperSonics, but he was ineffective in a 116-88 loss to the Lakers Friday at Los Angeles, finishing with only 13 points on 3-of-18 shooting.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Allen Iverson, tied for the NBA's scoring lead, missed the Philadelphia 76ers' game against the Detroit Pistons on Monday night because of an injured shoulder.

Iverson hurt his shoulder in a victory at Seattle last Thursday. He shot 3-for-18 in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night, and later complained of soreness.

Iverson is averaging 27.4 points, tied with Orlando's Tracy McGrady for the scoring lead.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Allen Iverson will be a gametime decision for Philadelphia's game against Detroit on Monday night due to a sore right shoulder.

Iverson bumped his shoulder Thursday when he ran into the scorer's table chasing a lose ball in the 76ers' win against Seattle. He had the shoulder examined after Friday's loss to the Lakers, and X-rays showed no damage.

``He does have soreness and range of motion is a problem right now for him,'' Sixers coach Chris Ford said after Sunday's practice. ``We all know when gametime comes, he usually gets out there. We'll wait and see tomorrow.''

Iverson, averaging 27.4 points and 6.6 assists this season, sat out of Sunday's practice and had his arm in a sling while riding a stationary bike.

DENVER (AP) Philadelphia 76ers guard Allen Iverson was benched for the start of Tuesday night's game against the Denver Nuggets after missing practice a day earlier, coach Chris Ford said.

Iverson, the 76ers' only representative in Sunday's All-Star game in Los Angeles, failed to appear for Monday's practice at the Denver Athletic Club.

Iverson had contacted Allen Lumpkin, the team's director of travel and team services, to tell him he wouldn't be able to make it to practice. Ford was upset that Iverson didn't contact him personally.

Ford, chosen as interim head coach of the 76ers last Tuesday, called the two-hour practice an important one, during which he put in several new plays.

Ford declined to say if Iverson would be fined.

``He won't be starting,'' Ford said. ``He had an unexcused absence from practice. We will determine his playing time as the game unfolds.''

Ford, who said Iverson had no reaction to his benching, said John Salmons would take Iverson's spot in the starting lineup.

Iverson, dressed in a George Gervin jersey before the game, joked with his teammates in the locker room but declined to speak with the media.

Iverson has a history of disdain for attending practice. He and former Sixers coach Larry Brown had several battles over the issue, leading to a memorable news conference in May 2002 when Iverson said, ``Practice? We're talking about practice.''

LOS ANGELES (AP) Allen Iverson feels for Kobe Bryant.

Iverson, the Eastern Conference's starting point guard in Sunday's All-Star game, can relate to Bryant in many ways. Both have excelled during their careers despite strained relationships with coaches, and both have endured brushes with the law _ though Iverson has never faced anything nearly as serious as Bryant's pending trial on a sexual assault charge.

``It's draining,'' Iverson said. ``You try to be strong, but at the same time, you can only be so strong. When I come out in public (during troubled times), it don't look like it hurts. But when I'm in the house and you're talking about the possibilities of going to jail or not being able to play basketball, it hurts.''

Both players also are dealing with questions about their future. Iverson is the subject of trade rumors, while Bryant's likelihood of leaving the Lakers in the offseason has been widely debated this week.

Iverson said he couldn't give any advice to Bryant because he has no championship rings, while Bryant has three _ but Iverson also knows a good thing when he sees it.

``Kobe Bryant has Shaquille O'Neal,'' Iverson said. ``He's got the most dominant player in the league on his team. I don't know where my career would be if I'd been the one to play with Shaquille O'Neal. Maybe I'd be the one with the three trophies. Maybe four. Maybe more.''

Iverson is aware of the personality conflicts among the Lakers' stars and coach Phil Jackson. Though he enjoys strong relationships with all his teammates in Philadelphia, he believes such bonds are secondary.

``I would ride it out, if there was a championship at the end,'' Iverson said. ``It has everything to do with just basketball and winning. ... If I didn't have a great relationship with somebody on my team, and we win a championship, it doesn't matter.''

Though Iverson's future is under speculation, Bryant and the Lakers were the center of attention in the days leading up to the All-Star game _ which is just the way they prefer it, Iverson believes.

O'Neal feels the same way. He has been everywhere during the All-Star weekend, appearing at parties and youth events throughout the area. He got a standing ovation when he was introduced in front of the home crowd at Staples Center on Sunday.

``I'm glad I don't play for a perfect, bland organization,'' O'Neal said. ``It's fun here. We'll be remembered for a lot of things _ winning championships, having little arguments, having spats. It's kind of fun, because every day when I wake up, my children see a picture of me in the paper.''

Said O'Neal with a grin: ``It's called marketing.''

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BRYANT LATE:@ Kobe Bryant showed up late to the game, missing the team photo and arriving a few minutes after the pregame media availability concluded.

``He called after he was supposed to be here saying he was going to be late,'' NBA spokesman Tim Andree said.

Bryant, a starter for the Western Conference, entered the locker room at 4:30 p.m. PST _ an hour and 20 minutes before tipoff. His locker was conspicuously empty during the media availability as dozens of reporters awaited his arrival.

The late arrival didn't hurt his game, however: He hit a 3-pointer in the opening minutes.

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CASSELL THE COACH:@ Minnesota guard Sam Cassell got his first All-Star invitation this season, but he hopes to return _ if not as a player, then as a coach.

``I'm going to be a head coach in this league someday,'' Cassell said. ``You've got to connect with your guys. I want to be the coach of the next Allen Iverson. That's the challenge I want. You're going to have your conflicts, your spats, but it's all about respect, and I think I could do that.''

Cassell also believes his numerous moves during his career will make him more capable of dealing with the league's ups and downs. Cassell won a championship in his rookie year with Houston, but he has moved steadily around the league since then.

``You might be used to winning 50 games, and when 50 turns to 27, that can ruin you if you're not strong,'' Cassell said. ``I've been there.''

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'FRO ON THE FLOOR:@ Detroit's Ben Wallace wore his hair to its dizzying full height for his second appearance in the All-Star game. He laughed when asked if he had inspired Denver's Chris Andersen, who spiked and gelled his hair to the extreme during Saturday's dunk contest.

``I had to get it out,'' Wallace said of his own hair. ``It's for the fans. That's what they want to see.''

LOS ANGELES (AP) Allen Iverson bounced the ball off the glass to set up Vince Carter's dunk, lobbed an alley-oop almost straight up for another jam and threaded a perfect pass between defenders to Ron Artest.

Iverson, whose 20.8 scoring average was the highest in NBA All-Star history, turned playmaker Sunday night.

The Philadelphia 76ers' star went 1-of-6 from the floor and finished with only three points, but he had 10 assists in 23 minutes.

The West All-Stars beat Iverson and the East 136-132.

Before the game, Iverson said he expected ``some showtime, with guys being creative.''

He created some of the most crowd-pleasing plays.

When he bounced the ball off the glass in the first quarter and Carter slammed it down, the fans almost collectively gasped, then roared.

A few moments later, Iverson was behind the defense on a fast break, but he pulled up, lobbed the ball high, and Carter came sailing in for another perfectly timed dunk.

Iverson drew cheers when he dribbled back and forth between his legs several times, then put on a characteristic burst of speed to sweep around a defender and into the lane. But he missed the shot and there were sighs from the crowd.

It was the fifth All-Star appearance for Iverson, the MVP of the 2001 game.

The three-time league scoring champion is averaging 27.4 points and 6.3 assists for Philadelphia this season and appears to be back in form after missing 10 games in December because of a bruised knee.

Iverson's playmaking role might be a sign of things to come. He expects new 76ers coach Chris Ford to give him some more time at point guard.

Iverson said he wouldn't mind at all, because he would enjoy the ball-handling duty that goes with that spot and he wants to do anything he can to help the 76ers make the playoffs.

Since last season, Nets' former coach Byron Scott is just one of 14 Eastern Conference coaching casualties to fall prey to those NBA serial murderers known as "coach killers." Whether it's impatient general managers, egotistical new director of operations, burnout or petulant superstars, coaches are becoming a vanishing breed in the weaker Eastern Conference, where only five teams took records of .500 or better into the All-Star break.

Jason Kidd has gained a reputation as a "coach killer". He was blamed when his college coach, Lou Campanelli, was fired midway through his Freshman season at Cal. He was also held responsible for the dividing of the "Three J's" (Kidd, Jamal Mashburn and Jim Jackson) in Dallas in the mid 90's. Now the dismissal of Scott has landed on Kidds' shoulders as well.

"The only thing we run in the league is up and down the floor," Kidd said during All-Star media day on Friday. "If you get traded, do they feel guilty?

"From you guys [media], in my case I've always been a coach killer. Instead, I've been a coach maker, because if you look at the stats, of all the coaches I played for, they got fired after I left. ... except the one that just took place."