"I mean, who would have thought that, right?" the 76ers coach said last night, before facing the Detroit Pistons in Game 5 of their NBA first-round playoff series.

He meant: Who would have thought that Cheeks, in charge of an 18-30 team earlier this season, would finish fourth in the NBA Coach of the Year balloting?

But the Sixers surged to a 40-42 finish and earned their first postseason berth in three seasons. Cheeks finished behind winner Byron Scott, of the New Orleans Hornets, Boston's Doc Rivers and Houston's Rick Adelman in the media voting.

"Whoever voted for me, I'm very appreciative," Cheeks said. "But you wouldn't have gone wrong with Byron, Doc, Rick, any of those guys.

"From where we were to where we are now, it's an honor to be even mentioned in that category." *

- Phil Jasner