PORTLAND, ORE. — Allen Iverson, where are you?
Clippers fans eagerly await Iverson's possible arrival in a trade, hoping there's still something to salvage if he eventually joins a team that took another wrong turn on the road Friday night in a 109-99 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers in front of 16,210 at the Rose Garden.
While Clippers officials in Los Angeles continued to explore ways to acquire the Philadelphia 76ers' disgruntled star guard, the team struggled again away from its home court.
The Clippers dropped to 1-8 on the road and lost their third in a row overall despite shooting 58.8% from the field. At 10-12, the Clippers are in last place in the Pacific Division, already six games behind the division-leading Phoenix Suns.
Shaun Livingston -- the main player the 76ers want for Iverson -- had 16 points and 10 assists in a strong performance, but many of his teammates again appeared lost on defense.
Two days after the Utah Jazz made many uncontested jumpers and shots in the lane in a 19-point victory at Staples Center, the Trail Blazers also faced little resistance from the Clippers. Portland (11-14) got a game-high 26 points from Zach Randolph and made nine of 15 three-point shots in winning its fourth straight game.
The Iverson trade speculation has become a distraction in the locker room, co-captains Elton Brand and Sam Cassell said, and it could continue to stir problems for a team that's already reeling.
The Clippers are still in the mix for Iverson, front-office sources said Friday, but have not found a match with the 76ers despite making at least two proposals that included Corey Maggette. And the Clippers remain opposed to trading Livingston, although including him in offers might prompt the 76ers to focus on trying to make a deal with them.
Just another day with a struggling bunch that's awaiting word on A.I.
"It's definitely a distraction," said Brand, who led the Clippers with 23 points and 10 rebounds, but scored only four points in the second half.
"We've had injuries and a lot of different things that just haven't gone right for us, and now there's a lot of trade rumors and speculation going on.
"I'm not distracted by it, but I think other guys are. You just have to try to forget about it, bond together and get through it, but guys are human. We've all heard the names out there."
