When it's time, Evans will tell his younger teammates as much as he can about what to expect.

When it's time, he will tell them to expect an entirely new experience.

The time, Evans was saying before the 76ers defeated the Chicago Bulls last night, 121-99, is coming fast and hard.

"I've been there three times in a row," he said. "Think I want to stop now?"

He meant, of course, reaching the playoffs, something the Sixers have done just once in the previous four seasons. But they now have won 19 of their last 24, including 12 of 13 at the Wachovia Center.

A team that spent a big chunk of the season on the outside looking in had climbed to the No. 6 seed in the NBA East, threatening to move higher. With 10 games remaining after last night, they weren't officially in or out of the postseason, but Evans insisted he wasn't surprised by the recent success.

"If I felt we weren't working hard and somehow got in the playoffs, then I'd be surprised," he said. "But we're putting in the time, putting in the effort. We didn't argue with each other, we've been whipped by 30 points but we've kept a level head. For us, the situation we're in now, I'm not surprised at all."

It's fair to say, though, that the impact of Evans on this young group has been something of a surprise. He has been a starter, he has come off the bench, he has rebounded (72 in the last nine games), he has played defense with an infectious zeal. He breaks all the rules in terms of when and where he double-teams, but with this team it somehow works.

He is convinced this is all leading to a playoff experience.

"Why not?" he said. "Why think anything less?"

Why, indeed?

"When it's time, I'll tell [his younger teammates] not to expect any calls, that the refs are going to let them play," he said. "I'll tell them, if you've been going to the foul line 10 times [a game], you're going to go three."

He knows that, regardless what he tells them, they have to experience it firsthand to totally understand.

"I'll tell them not to worry about the fans, about the introductions, the lights, the media, anything," he said. "It's going to be real physical, and each possession becomes critical. Each possession has to be like the last possession of a [close] game.

"We'll listen to the coaches and watch film with them, but we'll watch on our own, too. That promotes team bonding, pride, love for the game, a willingness to learn, a willingness to sacrifice to advance. I want them to experience it at a young age, because once you take the first step, you want to take the second step. It becomes contagious."

Evans can look ahead. Maurice Cheeks can't.

"I've always talked about staying where we are, then looking to see where we want to go," the Sixers coach said. "Today's players are a little more excitable, but I like to see what we do, then come back to the huddle, get [our focus back].

"With the scoreboard up there, it's a little tougher. Every now and then, I'll glance over at the scores. I look at [the standings]. They're very visible, but I just usually concentrate on us. I don't want to depend on somebody else."

Cheeks has maintained his perspective, in part, by remembering the point in the season when the Sixers were 18-30.

"It was bad," he said before last night's game. "Did I think that, right now, we'd be [37-35]? I can't sit here and say that. If I could have said I knew that, I'd probably have looked a lot better at that time."

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