It’s Been a Roller-Coaster Season for Surging Sixers

Their highs included 10 victories to open the season, an eight-game winning streak after Christmas, a 54-point outburst by Allen Iverson and back-to-back triple-doubles by a sub.

Their lows included more speculation about whether Larry Brown was quitting, a serious injury to their starting point guard, a four-game home losing streak and a blowout loss on national TV last Wednesday to the team with the best record in the West.

High highs and low lows, with the ups outweighing the downs to such an extent that the chaotic Philadelphia 76ers have owned the best record in the NBA for all but a few days this season.

Their mark of 25-9 entering the weekend includes a number of statistical superlatives:

* A record of 18-2 against teams from the East, including 10 wins in 11 road games.

* An NBA-best road record of 16-4, including a nine-game winning streak, entering Friday night’s game at Washington.

* A 13-0 record against sub-.500 teams.

* A 13-0 record when scoring 100 points.

* A 22-1 record when leading after three quarters, including 13-0 on the road.

* A 6-1 record in games decided by four points or less.

“A lot of these other teams really don’t believe,” said guard Aaron McKie, who has taken over as the starting point guard since Eric Snow broke his right ankle Dec. 6. “They’re not convinced we’re that good.”

The skepticism around the league comes from such evidence as the overall weakness of the Eastern Conference, several glaring Sixers’ flops, occasional dissent on the team and injuries.

For example:

* A two-day leave of absence by Brown after a team meeting in Chicago at which players complained he was speaking too negatively about them.

* Losses at home to Portland by 18, the Knicks by 20, the Mavericks by 18. A combined five losses in their last six home games.

* The injury to Snow, which will sideline him for at least two months.

* Surgery on Matt Geiger’s knee, not to cure his problem but to find out what was wrong, and the season-ending preseason injury to rookie Speedy Claxton.

Not to mention the old problems, such as the discord between the star player and vagabond coach, and the lack of a consistent second offensive threat.

“If you told me before the season it was going to be like this, I would say we must be playing really good,” Toni Kukoc said. “But we are playing well, so no, I’m not surprised.”

As much of the Eastern Conference changed in the offseason, the Sixers stayed intact. The players have taken advantage of their experience and familiarity with one another.

“We most nights play with unbelievable effort and that’s what has enabled us to win a lot of ball games,” Brown said.

The coach credited Iverson, McKie, Tyrone Hill and Theo Ratliff for helping to carry the team, but he also praised backups such as Jumaine Jones, Rodney Buford and Kevin Ollie.

“We’ve had a lot of guys that you might not even expect to be on our roster ... come in and help us win,” Brown said.

The most important component, of course, is Iverson, whose relationship with Brown has been evolving over four tumultuous seasons.

After Iverson missed or was late to dozens of practices last season, the Sixers explored the possibility of trading him.

Horrified when he heard a rumor he might go to the Los Angeles Clippers, Iverson came into training camp and asked to be the team captain, while promising to be on his best behavior.

So far, he’s kept his word. Not only off the court, but on it.

When the Sixers are playing their best, they are not the one-man show they resembled in Iverson’s first three seasons. The ball moves around, the other players get enough shots to keep them happy and each player performs his specialty--Ratliff blocking shots, Hill grabbing rebounds, McKie or Snow handling the ball, George Lynch playing defense.