OK, SO WE know it takes a combination of skill and luck to win a championship.
But how far can a little "black magic" take you?
I'm not big on talking about the supernatural, but somebody in the Sixers organization appears to have some voodoo dolls of some of the top NBA players.
Last night, Sacramento Kings leading scorer Marcus Thornton was a scratch from the game against the Sixers because of a left thigh bruise he suffered in the previous game in Orlando.
Alone, that would not be all that strange. NBA players routinely miss a game here and there because of various circumstances.
But the Sixers have had more than their fair share of good luck in that department this season.
As Daily News Sixers reporter Bob Cooney pointed out after Indiana Pacers leading scorer Danny Granger got a case of food poisoning right before Monday's game, the Sixers have seen a bizarre trend of key players for the opposition missing games.
Thornton's absence marked the sixth time in nine games that a Sixers opponent has been without a significant starter.
Play Indiana; stick a pin in the belly of a Danny Granger doll. Go up against New Orleans and Detroit, stab the dolls of Trevor Ariza and Rodney Stuck in the thigh.
Face the Kings and send the Thornton doll to Tonya Harding and Jeff Gillooly for a knee massage.
After smacking Sacramento around, 112-85, the Sixers improved to 5-1 in such strange situations. The only game they lost was the first one, at Utah, when Jazz forward Al Jefferson sprained his ankle just before the game.
But all mysticism aside, the Sixers have done exactly what good teams do when they come up against an opponent facing adversity.
They've exploited it.
"We got a break tonight," Sixers coach Doug Collins, said while possibly putting what might have appeared to be a large stick pin behind his back. "Thornton is their leading scorer who can put up a huge night. We took advantage of that.
"The other night, there were a couple of guys out. When we played Detroit, their two starting guards were out. It's the attrition that's going to go with this season.
"It's interesting that if you're losing, you're losing. But if you're winning, it's, who are you beating? I don't get into all that nonsense. These are all professional teams."
The Sixers won the way they have all season, by attacking in waves with a lineup that legitimately can go nine deep and playing a suffocating defense that held opponents below 90 for the fourth straight game and sixth time overall.
