The Philadelphia 76ers are one of the NBA's surprise teams this season, but they aren't catching anyone off guard any longer. At 21-15, they hold a three game lead on both the Boston Celtics and surging New York Knicks. Their success is built predominantly on lockdown defense, depth and protecting the basketball while snatching it at will from their opponents. That formula has worked wondrously for the first 40 minutes of most basketball games. ...

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