Atalanta: The Philadelphia 76ers have a long, proud history.
They’ve been around since the NBA’s very first season, starting out as the Syracuse Nationals. Their resume includes three championships. The list of franchise greats runs from Dolph Schayes to Wilt Chamberlain, from Julius Erving to Allen Iverson.
They’ve never done anything like this. As if to put an emphatic stamp on their staggering turnaround from a 10-72 debacle just two seasons ago, the Sixers set a team record with their 15th consecutive victory, holding off the Atlanta Hawks 121-113 on Tuesday night in the penultimate game of the regular season.
Coach Brett Brown marvelled at the accomplishment. “It’s not like we’re a young club,” he said. “We are an old club, with a tremendous amount of culture and a tremendous amount of history. Taking that type of momentum into the playoffs, it’s important. It doesn’t guarantee anything, but it certainly lets you feel like you’ve been doing the right things. The team has been fantastic.”
