DENVER--Willie Green, who sat out the 76ers' loss in Boston Tuesday night, is back in the starting lineup tonight against the Denver Nuggets. And Theo Ratliff, who m issed the Celtics game because of the flu, is also in uniform and available to play.

This is the first leg of the five-game Western swing that continues Monday night against the Utah Jazz, then moves to Los Angeles (the Clippers) New Year's Eve. The trip concludes with games in Dallas Jan. 2 and San Antonio Jan. 3.

The Nuggets, even without Anthony, won't easy. At 18-11, they need a victory to match the second best record after 30 games in franchise history. The Sixers, meanwhile, are 3-2 under Tony DiLeo.

Something to watch: The Sixers 0-for-19 on three-point attempts in the last two games.

DENVER--With the Boston Celtics out of the way, the road gets easier for the 76ers, right?

Well, sort of.

There is, for example, the obligatory ray of hope. In this case, it's the belief that Denver Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony will miss a third game in succession and not face the Sixers Friday night.

That's something, isn't it?

But here are some sobering numbers for the 12-16 Sixers to digest:

The remaining five opponents on the current trip--the Nuggets, the Utah Jazz, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Dallas Mavericks and the san Antonio Spurs--are a combined 77-64. Take the struggling Clippers out of the equation and the other four are 69-43.

Then there are the home court numbers: The same five teams are 42-30 at home, but excluding the 3-11 Clippers they're a more robust 39-19.

And the Nuggets will be rested. After last night's 101-92 loss in Portland, coach George Karl gave his players today and tomorrow off. The Sixers were scheduled to work out today in Philadelphia, then head West late tomorrow afternoon.

BOSTON--Dikembe Mutombo is going after this harder than he has ever gone after a block or a dunk or a rebound.

Much, much harder.

The 7-2 free agent center who helped the 76ers reach the NBA Finals in 2000-01, and who says ''I will be in Boston or San Antonio by the end of the year,'' is trying to raise at least $2 million to help treat the thousands of patients who have been coming, mostly on an out-patient basis, to the hospital he has built in his native Democratic Republic Of The Congo.

His Atlanta-based charitable foundation has teamed up with Denver-based Mobile Accord, Inc. to create a system by which people can make a contribution of $5 by sending ther text message CONGO to 90999. The mobile channel is supported by AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint/Nextel, T-Mobile asnd US Cellular. (Anyone wishing to donate more than $5 should dial 1-800-251-0942.)

''If we can get 400,000 people to send a text, we can raise the money,'' Mutombo said in a telephone interview the other day. ''We'll know in three months what we have done. It is to save the lives of children in Congo. So many of them have malaria. A child dies every 35 seconds of malaria or measles. I know I am not the solution, I am just a piece of the puzzle.''

The hospital Mutombo has built is the first modern medical facility there in 40 years.

Mutombo was a guest at the Dec. 17 premier of ''Gimme Shelter,'' a documentary short prepared by actor-director Ben Affleck about the war-ravaged Congo, where more than four million people have died since 1998.The film was presented at the United Nations Refugee Agency to help raise awareness for the need for financial aid.

''The volume of patients at my hospital is about 250-300 outpatients a day,'' Mutombo said. "Sixty-five percent have malaria. This is a call to the American public and my fans in the Delaware Valley to respond, a call for a Christmas spirit.''

Tony DiLeo reminded the 76ers in their pregame meeting tonight that the Indiana Pacers--missing Danny Granger, Troy Murphy and Marquis Daniels--could still be dangerous.

As it turned out, the Pacers weren't only dangerous, they were good enough to turn back the Sixers 95-94, handing them their first loss in four games under DiLeo, who became the coach when Maurice Cheeks was fired last Saturday.The Pacers came from 15 points down in the second quarter and from five down with 2:59 remaining.

The Sixers, though, were still clinging to a 94-93 advantage on a steal and fast-break dunk by Lou Williams with 17.2 seconds to go, but T.J. Ford--playing through a sore left groin--dropped in the decisive 18-foot pullup jumper over Andre Iguodala with 3.9 seconds left.

The Sixers came out of a 20-second timeout with a play designed to get Iguodala to the rim. The play worked nicely, but Iguodala's twisting left-handed layup fell off the rim with four-10ths of a second on the clock.

''We got the shot we wanted,'' DiLeo said. ''We executed the last play, got a pretty good look. It just didn't fall for Andre.''

With Granger, Murphy and Daniels hospitalized in Indianapolis with flu-like symptoms, the Pacers got 25 points from Ford and 12 each from Jarrett Jack and Travis Diener. Iguodala had 26 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists for the Sixers, while Williams contributed 17 points and Andre Miller posted a triple-double of 14 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds. Samuel Dalembert had one of his better games, producing 11 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks.

''I talked to the team (before the game) and told them you're never out of a game (with the Pacers) and you never have a safe lead,'' DiLeo said.

The Sixers came out of it a man short when Willie Green aggravated a sore left ankle in the second quarter, prompting DiLeo to start Kareem Rush in the second half. Green said he initially hurt the ankle against Milwaukee Wednesday night, and that he expected to be able to practice Monday.

''This was a win we should have had,'' Iguodala said. ''It's one of our tougher losses. We've got to get them. When you lose them, you wish you could have them back when April comes.''

One other little detail:

The victory gave Pacers coach Jim O'Brien a 4-1 record against the Sixers, the team he coached for one season in 2004-05.

The Indiana Pacers are here tonight to face the 76ers.

Well, at least some of them are.

And some of them are hospitalized in Indianapolis. Those would be Troy Murphy, Marquis Daniels and Danny Granger, all suffering from flu-like symptoms that kept them out of last night's 117-109 double overtime loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. They've been without forward Mike Dunleavy all season because of a right knee injury. T.J. Ford played against the Clippers, but did not start because of a sore left groin, and Maceo Baston has struggled with back spasm.

In the Sixwers' pregame meeting, new coach Tony DiLeo reminded the players that a wounded team can still be a dangerous team.

''We don't want any letdowns,'' DiLeo said. ''We're trying to build something for the future. Our main priority is to build our defense and offense like we want, then have a game plan against the team we're playing, no matter who it is.''

The Sixers came in holding a three-game winning streak, all since DiLeo stepped out of the front office to succeed the fired Maurice Cheeks.

Sixers forward Elton Brand is expected to miss a month after an MRI exam of his dislocated right shoulder revealed a fracture and a tear of the labrum.

Sixers team physician Jack McPhilemy does not believe the injury will require surgery at this time.

"It's unfortunate that this happened, but we're starting rehab right away and I'm going to do everything I can to get back as soon as possible," Brand said in a statement. "While I'm disappointed that I can't be on the court, during this time I'm going to continue to support my teammates and the coaches in any way they need me." 

Brand was injured in the third quarter last night against Milwaukee. He had an MRI exam after the game.

Brand left the game with 7:23 remaining in the third quarter. He got caught on a pump fake and flipped over the Bucks’ Luc Mbah a Moute and landed awkwardly on the floor as both men hit the floor. Brand got up and went directly to the locker room. The Sixers announced the injury a few minutes later.

''It was such a nasty fall, especially how big he is, and then to bring the guy down on his shoulder . . . having seen the fall and how nasty it was, I guess we're fortunate that it could have been worse,'' team president/general manager Ed Stefanski said.

Brand played 22 minutes with four points and six rebounds. On the season, Brand is averaging a team-high 15.9 points and 9.8 rebounds in 23 games.

Sixers forward Elton Brand suffered a dislocated right shoulder in the third quarter tonight against Milwaukee. Brand had an MRI exam after the game and was not available to the media.

It certainly looks like Brand could be out of the lineup for a while.

“Unbelievable," president/general manager Ed Stefanski said in the locker room.

Brand left the game with 7:23 remaining in the third quarter. He got caught on a pump fake and flipped over the Bucks’ Luc Mbah a Moute and landed awkwardly on the floor as both men hit the floor. Brand got up and went directly to the locker room. The Sixers announced the injury a few minutes later.

"That would be a big blow," interim coach Tony DiLeo said about a possible prolonged absence by Brand. "Usually, teams can compensate for a short amount of time, but then it usually catches up to teams. If he's not there, if it's an extended period of time, that would be a big blow."

Brand played 22 minutes with four points and six rebounds. On the season, Brand is averaging a team-high 15.9 points and 9.8 rebounds in 23 games. 

The Sixers ended up winning the game, 93-88, to give DiLeo his second consecutive win since taking over as interim coach for the fired Maurice Cheeks.

Tony DiLeo has coached one game and directed two full practices, and this is what the 19-year veteran of the organization sees:

''It's right in the season, (so) we can't change a lot of things. We're just trying to adjust. Yes, we're putting in some new things, but we don't want to completely change things around.

''When we get out in the open court, we're a great team. I mean, we're really, really good. We're trying to pur oursleves in situations to get in the open court, and that includes our defense. If we can improve that, and our rebounding . . . ''

I think the Sixers clearly are at their best when they run, but I struggle with ''great'' being attached to a team that is 10-14.

Still, in an effort to make the necessary adjustments as clear and specific as possible, DiLeo began having individual meetings with the players, including some just hours after being named Saturday as the successor to the fired Maurice Cheeks. Those meetings continued after today's practice.

To me, that means no player is going to be able to say he doesn't know his role.

Hey, DiLeo has to st art somewhere. Why not there?

As you would expect, Maurice Cheeks was gracious and thanked everyone associated with the 76ers organization in his first meeting with the media since he was fired Saturday.

The Sixers were 9-14 at the time the move was made and Cheeks had a record of 122-147 and one playoff appearance in three-plus seasons.

“The bottom line is you have to win games when you take this position,” he said. “You understand what it is about. A lot of things in this world are just not fair, but I’m not going to get into the blame game. There is no point to it for me.”

Cheeks said he was interested in continuing to work for the team, although he did not know what might be offered to him or what his duties might be. Team president/general manager Ed Stefanski had indicated his desire for Cheeks to remain with the team in some capacity.

“No one who gets fired feels good about it,” Cheeks said. “I would suspect the Sixers organization doesn’t feel good about it. I’ve been in the city a long time, with the exception that I got traded five times. My allegiance is here. I would rather not have to go somewhere.”

Cheeks said he did not know whether he would be a head coach again after his stints with Portland and the Sixers, but said, “to step away for a little bit is healthy thing.”

For now, Cheeks’ immediate plans are a trip to Miami, which is where he was heading before Sixers PR director Michael Preston had asked him to talk to the media.

“It’s still going to be 80 degrees tomorrow,” Cheeks said, smiling.