What is happening in Philly these days?  Allen Iverson, after missing one month with an injured right hand, told reporters yesterday that he had practiced.  This announcement by ?the Answer? came after the public relations staff had told the media that Iverson sat out practice because he was sick.  When told that senior director of communications Karen Frascona was the source of the information, he called her a "damn liar", stating that he did in fact practice but didn?t encounter any contact on his hand.

However in an article in the Boston Herald Iverson told reporter George Kimball that he did not participate, with Coach Larry Brown adding that Iverson had ?a sinus infection?.  ``I was feeling this way before the last game.  It must be something in the air in Boston,'' said Iverson.

So did Iverson practice or didn?t he, that still has not been answered.  "I practiced, I just didn't do any contact,'' Iverson insisted.  Iverson "ran up and down a few times?' said Brown.

"He practiced a little while. He was sick. He had. . .I guess it's this altitude [that] caused his sinuses to dry up,?' Brown added later.  Still another time Brown said  "Allen missed most of the practice. He had a sinus infection.''  It is enough to make a grown man dizzy!

John Smallwood of the Philadelphia Daily News writes that Iverson has a well-known distain for practice, and with the Sixers biggest game of the season scheduled to take place today in Boston Iverson may have hurt the team.  Brown said that his team has not had much time playing together during the season due to injuries now misses some much-needed unity time.  "We basically have a new team, 'cause so many guys have been in and out of the lineup so much we don't have any continuity," said Brown.

?I don't question any of Iverson's injuries, but as far as getting out of practice, he has milked each injury for as much as it possibly could be worth.  His injuries have given him the perfect excuse to sit out practice any time he wanted. And he has done that often,? writes Smallwood.

The Sixers looked completely disorganized in their loss to Boston in Game 1, and one would think that they would practice together as much as the could during their three day break to try to correct the ship.  Having Iverson back in the opening game after one month on the sidelines and without him practicing certainly took it?s toll on the team, but have the Sixers done enough to rectify this situation?

"It doesn't help when anybody misses practice with illness or injury; that's what happened to us all year,'' Brown said. "It's like coaching an All-Star team. It's important for everybody, not just Allen. When Allen's not out there, his cardio [cardiovascular conditioning] is affected. When you've missed a month. . .we need everybody out there so we can become a team. We have a big challenge ahead of us.''

"We're all right,? said Iverson.  ?We just lost a game. . .we know we can beat this team. I'm cool. My hand is fine. I don't have any problems. I'm ready to go. I'm ready to just put on a better performance than I did last time. I'm all about bouncing back. When I struggle, I'm looking forward to the next game so I can just try to get it done, to help my teammates the best way I can.''

?Will he or will he not? ,? writes Phil Jasner. ?That is the next question.?