For every NBA team that is on a roll, there is a team that isn't. That's why we need the doctor -- Dr. Jack Ramsay. Each week in Dr. Jack's Prescription, the Hall of Fame coach analyzes a team in distress and offers a cure to what ails it.

This week: Philadelphia 76ers.

The Symptoms

	Iverson

What does a coach do when he loses the league's scoring leader (31.4 points per game) and ball-stealer (2.8 steals per game), his "go-to-guy" and the player voted the most valuable in the NBA last season? When Allen Iverson went down with a fracture of the second metacarpal bone in his left hand and his team trailing Boston by five points at the half last Friday, the future looked bleak for Philadelphia. The Sixers had struggled with injuries all season and were experiencing a "one step forward, two steps back" kind of year. This injury appeared to be a crushing blow to their hopes of returning to the NBA Finals. There were some who even counted them out of the playoff race, although they were 36-32 at the time and holding fifth place in the Eastern Conference.

It would have been easy for that coach to bemoan his fate, throw up his hands and take a "wait 'til next year" attitude. Instead, coach Larry Brown rolled up his sleeves and went to work.

The Diagnosis

	McKie

Brown is a master at plugging players into critical pinch-hitting roles, modifying his game plan and finding ways to win. His game plan for success is simply to "play the right way." That means moving the ball unselfishly to get high-percentage shots with each possession, minimizing turnovers and playing hard and together on defense. Brown didn't like the fact that Iverson took 25 to 30 shots a game, but he accepted it because of A.I.'s incredible scoring techniques and the fact that they enabled the Sixers to be title contenders.

But with Iverson sidelined (probably for the rest of the regular season) the coach can now go back to the game he loves -- good ball and player movement where everybody gets a "touch" on offense, and harassing ball pressure to force turnovers or get good, old-fashioned defensive stops at the other end of the court.

So far, it has worked. The Sixers came back to beat Boston 96-91, then kept Latrell Sprewell and Allan Houston in check down the stretch for a 90-82 win over New York. In both games, five players scored in double figures for Philadelphia, and the defense kept opponents' field-goal accuracy around 40 percent.

The Sixers are tough and resilient. Aaron McKie came back early from rehabilitating a sprained ankle to play against New York, and injured Derrick Coleman also suited up because Brown was short-handed. Coleman, who has been a problem at times for other coaches, loves playing for Brown. He's having a fine season and in the last two games has collected a combined 33 points and 25 rebounds. Speedy Claxton, a 5-foot-11 guard who missed his entire rookie season last year with a torn ACL, stepped up to score 11 and 17 points, respectively, and grab five rebounds in each game. Coach Brown loves Speedy's tenacity pressuring the ball on defense.

So, with Iverson out and McKie back, Brown starts Eric Snow, whom Brown calls the team's most valuable player, and McKie in the backcourt, 7-2 Dikembe Mutombo at center and 6-7 Matt Harpring and 6-10 Derrick Coleman at forward. He comes off the bench with Claxton, Corie Blount, Derrick McKey and Raja Bell. It's a solid starting lineup and a steady bench group ... and they'll play the "right way."

	Speedy Claxton, right, gives the Sixers scoring and intensity on defense.

The Cure
Coach Brown says the Sixers have to hold the fort until Iverson returns. It won't be easy, but with tough defense and unselfish offense, it's a reachable goal. The Sixers have been among the top five defensive teams in the league all season in both points and field-goal percentage allowed. There's no reason for that to change.

While Iverson was great at stealing the ball, he was not as good in defending his man. Strong team defense starts at the perimeter, and Snow, McKie and Claxton are all excellent individual stoppers. That eases Mutombo's load inside and permits him to focus more on basket-area defense. Coleman and Blount are both good post defenders, and Harpring, McKey and Bell play tough against quicker small forwards. With Brown's constant focus on defense, the Sixers might now be even more difficult to score against.

The biggest problem for the Sixers is scoring and being without Iverson's ability at crunch time. That's where Brown's ball-movement offense comes in. There won't be isolations for anyone -- only the ball movement to free up an open man. That player -- and it may be a different one each game -- then must knock down the shot.

Sixers players have already accepted this challenge. It continues Wednesday night when they take on the New Jersey Nets at home.