(Reuters) ? The Philadelphia 76ers enjoyed a hard-earned day off on Thursday leading the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Atlantic division after capping a grueling stretch of five games in six nights with a loss to the New York Knicks.
The 76ers (7-3) lost 85-79 to the Knicks on Wednesday, which was their third tilt in as many days as the NBA scrambles to get 66 games into a lockout-shortened campaign.
"I feel like a baseball manager. I mean, we're playing every night," Collins said before Wednesday's game, adding that the intense schedule was a mental grind. "We try to keep ourselves in the present here, and take care of business."
The young 76ers, who swarm opponents with energetic players such as Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner, Thaddeus Young and Louis Williams, hit the court running compared to last season's 3-13 start. They finished 41-41 and made the playoffs.
Philadelphia began the current season on a Western road swing and won three of five games, then swept a four-game homestand before heading to Madison Square Garden.
"I feel like with youth and depth you've got a chance because of how many games you have to play and how quickly," said the upbeat Collins. "We say 'fresh legs, fresh minds.'
"If I can keep our guys fresh, where our activity level plays a part, we think that is a big benefit for us. We're a team with a lot of energy and we try to take advantage of that."
Despite seeing their six-game win streak come to an end, Collins was proud of the way his game-weary team fought back from a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter on Wednesday to draw with four points of New York with 51 seconds to play.
"I was so proud of our guys," Collins said after the game. "(They) battled, battled, battled."
After their day of rest, it will be right back into the fray for Philadelphia, who host the Washington Wizards on Friday in the opener of a home-and-home series that concludes on Saturday.
(Reporting by Larry Fine in New York; Editing by Frank Pingue)
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