Sixers' Hawes resting sore back

NEW YORK - There really is no reason to take a chance, 76ers coach Doug Collins explained, so last night at Madison Square Garden against the Knicks, center Spencer Hawes did not dress in order to rest his aching back.

Hawes tweaked his back on Saturday when the team blew out the Toronto Raptors. He collected 16 points and 14 rebounds in Monday's win over Detroit in just under 34 minutes, but didn't make it back out on the court for the second half in Tuesday's win over Sacramento. He played just under 11 minutes without scoring a point. Collins said the back spasmed at halftime and they decided not to risk further injury.

Before playing their third game in as many nights, Collins decided to shut down Hawes before any more damage could be done.

"Spencer would like to play but this is one of those seasons where if you make a mistake on a guy and put him out there and all of a sudden it's a 2-week injury," Collins said. "I think 2 weeks could cost us about seven home games. You can't do that this year. You've got to be smart. All of the players want to play but sometimes you just have to say, 'If we get 72 hours of rest . . . Then we've got to take that route.' Spencer is too important to us."

Hawes played in 81 of 82 games last season and came to training camp in tip-top shape. His overall play has been one of the big surprises for the team so far in this young season.

In Hawes' place, veteran Tony Battie got the start last night.

"I thought Tony moved around pretty well [in Tuesday's win over Sacramento]. I like a veteran on the floor to start the game against the Knicks. I'd like to keep Nik [Vucevic] in his normal routine coming off the bench, his normal role."

The Sixers will have a complete off day today before they host the Washington Wizards tomorrow before traveling to Washington for a game Saturday.

Walking through the Sixers' locker room last night before they played the Knicks, two thoughts immediately came to mind: 1. There is certainly quite a different atmosphere in there after nine games this year as compared to last; 2. There was a lot of slow-moving athletes in the room, looking as if they are middle-aged men struggling to get of bed in the morning.

The good mood, of course, is directly related to the team's hot start, in which the Sixers have won five games by more than 20 points. The Knicks snapped their six-game winning streak with an 85-79 win last night.

Last night in the new visitors' locker room at Madison Square Garden, players were joking with each other, singing, interacting peacefully with the media and generally just having fun doing what they're doing, which is playing winning basketball.

"We started 3-13 last year, but the encouraging thing was that we were playing winning basketball, we were just making losing plays," coach Doug Collins said. "Now, we take care of the ball. And I have a group of guys who love playing basketball."

The slow movement was no doubt due to it being the third game in as many nights and fifth in six nights. Players walked gingerly before getting treatments and rub downs from the training staff. Most of the players are so young that these type of stretches don't bother them. For others, not so much.

Lou Williams sat at his locker about an hour and a half before the game, taking off his sneakers in frustration.

"Man, the game's at 7:30? I thought it was at 7," Williams said. "I was out on the court at like 5. Messed up, man. Messed up."

Before the game in an MSG interview that showed on the Jumbotron, Knicks great Walt Frazier said that the Sixers "play old-school basketball. They remind me of the team I was on that won an NBA championship."

Funny he should say that, because that 1969-70 Knicks team won six of their first nine games by 20 or more points. The Sixers won five of their first nine by 20 or more. They are the only two teams in NBA history with those kinds of victory margins after nine games.