The meeting, over eggs and coffee, was somber yesterday morning as the 76ers players and coaches tried to digest the previous night's debacle. How had they squandered a 13-point fourth-quarter lead over the defending NBA champions, and how could they best rebound from that depressing 88-82 loss to the Lakers?

"I know how I hurt," coach Larry Brown said before the Sixers regrouped last night against the Los Angeles Clippers. "I don't think there was one person in that room that didn't hurt."

The hurt subsided, a bit, last night. After nine losses in 12 games, and 11 road losses this season, the Sixers finally, mercifully notched a win, 100-86, over a young Clippers team loaded with potential. So they leave the Staples Center with a bit of dignity. It is, at least, a start.

"After the disappointment of [Tuesday] night, to have our guys respond like they did, it was kind of nice, Brown said.

This seven-game road trip now swings to Game 3 in Denver, where the 12-16 Sixers will play the Nuggets, whose coach, Dan Issel, resigned yesterday after a furor over insulting comments he directed toward a fan.

Brown said he hated to see Issel, like Jeff Van Gundy and Tim Floyd before him, leave the NBA. If Brown had his way, every coach would get to reach the 800-win plateau in the league, a level he hit last night with the victory.

But right now, Brown has bigger issues than the employment status of his coaching colleagues. He has his own tenure to consider.