It was “Elton Brand Night” last night at the Wachovia Center. All Elton Brand merchandise was 25 percent off.

Only one problem. Brand was not in the lineup. He’s nursing an injury.
He won’t make the trip to Atlanta either.

Seems about right for this team. They haven’t done much right this year.

Their “brand” has become just that, the signing of Elton Brand now somewhat emblematic of their mistakes.

On the other hand, all was not lost for local hoops fans at the Wachovia Center last night. They could take comfort in a familiar face doing good things on the court, even if it was in the uniform of the Orlando Magic.

Chester’s own Jameer Nelson was back in the neighborhood. The Chester High and Saint Joe’s star celebrated his homecoming by torching the Sixers for 22 points and 10 assists as the Magic cruised to a 126-105 win that wasn’t that close.

After the game, the ugliness that was spilling out of the stands, amid “Fire Eddie” chants, flared up in the Sixers locker room.

Sixers Coach Eddie Jordan continued his penchant for dumping on his struggling team.

“We lost the passion to compete,” Jordan said, admitting he called a couple of timeouts to correct what he saw as “poor body language” on the court.”

Some people call that a team quitting on its coach.

“I wasn’t going to have it,” Jordan declared.

He might soon learn the Sixers management isn’t going to have something else – him continuing as head coach.

This season has been a disaster, with the hiring of Jordan near the top of the list of the blunders pulled out of his hat by Drexel Hill native G.M. Ed Stefanski.

Now there is word that Allen Iverson made be done for the season.

It’s about the way this season has gone. It can’t be over soon enough.

To be quickly followed, one can only hope, by the end of the Eddie Jordan era.

Jameer Nelson showed Sixers fans what hoops once was about in this town.

And Eddie Jordan reminded them of how far the local team has sunk.