Little things adding up to big wins for Sixers

DOUG COLLINS might have a hard time being an American League manager. He is not a fan of the big play, of the three-run home run that managers in that league often play for.

Collins probably would be a small-ball skipper, doing the little things right, which ultimately would lead to bigger and better outcomes.

It is the way he coaches his 76ers. And it is the primary reason his team is 18-7. He would prefer that his players stick to the basics and skip the highlight-reel plays.

They've bought into it, in a big way. After Monday's four-giveaway performance in a 95-90 win against the Lakers, the Sixers trimmed their turnover-per-game average to a paltry 10.7, tops in the league. Over the past six games they've given it up only 42 times - the lowest six-game total by any team since the stat started being tracked by the NBA in 1970-71, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

"Sometimes you make risky passes and try to go for the home run pass, which I've probably heard about a million times, 'Don't go for the home run play,' " said point guard Jrue Holiday, with a roll of the eyes after yesterday's light workout at the team's practice facility at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. "For me, coach has been on me about it and you don't want to hear coach's voice. His voice is always ringing in my head about turnovers. Usually with turnovers the other team goes down and has a better chance of scoring. We play better without turnovers. So why not not turn it over?"

Good point. It also helps to hide other deficiencies the team may have. In Monday's win, the Sixers were outrebounded by an astounding 25 (55-30) yet were able to attempt the same amount of shots (81) as the Lakers and pull out their 13th win in 16 home games.

What is even more impressive is that the Sixers have a style of play that is so not NBA. There is no superstar. The offense isn't predicated on isolation or two-man pick-and-roll. Instead, there is ball movement, unselfishness, smart cuts and passes and, above all else, efficiency.

"We're not careless, we don't make a lot of unforced errors," said Collins, whose team faces the San Antonio Spurs tonight at the Wells Fargo Center. "We try not to make home run plays. We've got guys who are good passers and I think our guys see the game pretty good. There's a comfort within our offense that they know what to look for, they're good at reading defenses. All those things play into it.