Amway Center

ORLANDO - It was like the day after Christmas for 76ers coach Doug Collins in the team's first exhibition game against the Orlando Magic. While not all of his toys were readily available, as Andrew Bynum did not make the trip to rest his knees, Collins excitedly examined all the other new pieces he now has. He had to be excited by the team's new three-point ability, as the Sixers drained nine of 18 on the way to a 102-95 victory Thursday night....

ORLANDO — With all the excitement he could gather — which never is much — Lavoy Allen talked in the hallways of the Amway Center Wednesday about his new, 2-year contract with the Sixers, which a source confirmed is for close to $6 million. "I wasn't really sure how much I was going to get, I'm just grateful that they offered for me to come back and be a 76er for the next 2 years," said the always humble Allen. "I'm just going to continue to work hard, continue to be focused, listen to the coaches and work with them, and I'm just going to be very competitive.

ORLANDO - Andre Iguodala could be suffering today from culture shock, or the bends, or maybe vertigo. The 76ers forward made his NBA All-Star Game debut last night at the Amway Center. He played well in his 13 minutes, collecting 12 points and four rebounds. But for the most part, he watched as the Western Conference scored in about as many varieties as can be done in a 152-149 win over the East. The West scored 88 points in the first half, an All-Star Game record. That's about five more points than the Sixers have averaged over their last five games (83.2)

Popular belief is that there is about as much coaching in the NBA as there are plows clearing city side streets during a snowstorm. Someone forgot to tell Doug Collins about the supposed lack of coaching. To label Collins a micromanager when it comes to coaching would be a terrible overstatement to micromanagers around the corporate world. But there is no detail in a basketball game or practice that Collins doesn't see a way to do differently, or better. Saturday night, with his team holding a three-point lead against the host Detroit Pistons and just 5.8 seconds remaining, Collins informed his team that he wanted "contact switches.