Sixers stats king Pollack recovering from car crash

PHOENIX - The 76ers' thoughts and prayers went out to Harvey Pollack before Friday night's game against the Phoenix Suns at USAirways Arena.

Pollack, the Sixers' director of statistical information, was in critical but stable condition midday Friday after being involved in one-car accident on Thursday evening. He suffered a broken hip, pelvis and jaw, as well as broken ribs and facial lacerations.

The 92-year-old had hip surgery scheduled for Friday afternoon and will have additional procedures. Pollack is the only person still working for the NBA since its inaugural 1946-47 season.

"I'm surprised he didn't walk out of the car and brush himself off," coach Brett Brown said after Friday's shootaround. "He's a stud, an absolute stud. Our thoughts are with him clearly."

Pollack started working for the Philadelphia Warriors in the NBA's first season. Over the years, Pollack has seen a lot of things and made his imprint on the game.

He coined the term "triple double" and was courtside when Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points on March 2, 1962. And Pollack earned the nickname "Super Stat."

"Somebody like that that has been involved with the league for over, what, six decades, he's a stud," Brown said. "I see him walking around all the time through the building, and he's always great to have a conversation with.

"We send our best wishes, and based on what he's done today, we expect him to bounce back."

Getting to the rim. Brown believes good coaches take the reality of their roster and maximize it. Well, the Sixers don't have any shooters outside of Robert Covington and Hollis Thompson (out with an upper respiratory infection).

"We have downhill track stars," he said. "We are trying to develop the perimeter game. But in the meantime, our best way to score is attacking the rim. We are No. 1 at the getting to the rim. We were last year. We are this year."