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As the 2023-2024 NBA regular season draws to a close, the playoff fate of the Philadelphia 76ers remains shrouded in uncertainty despite having played a whopping 80 games. This article will delve into the diverse playoff scenarios for the team, its current standing, and its possible future trajectory.
Present Position in the Eastern Conference
As of today, the 76ers find themselves placed seventh in the Eastern Conference. Despite having the same number of victories as the Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers, they are positioned lower due to losing the tiebreaker.
The Eastern Conference standings, as they stand today, are as follows:
- Boston Celtics
- Milwaukee Bucks
- New York Knicks
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Orlando Magic
- Indiana Pacers
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Miami Heat
The Tiebreaker Scenario
When it comes to tiebreakers, the first criterion is the head-to-head record. If the season series ends in a draw, the conference record serves as the second tiebreaker.
In case the Sixers end up with an identical record as another team, here’s how the tiebreaker scenario plays out:
- Sixers tied with Cleveland: Sixers get the advantage
- Sixers tied with Orlando: Sixers clinch the tiebreaker
- Sixers tied with Indiana: Pacers win the tiebreaker
- Sixers tied with Miami: Heat win the tiebreaker
However, a three-way tie could complicate things. If the Sixers, Pacers, and Magic finish with an identical record of 47-35, the Magic would take precedence due to leading the Southeast Division. The Pacers would take the next spot, leaving the Sixers in the last place among the three.
The Remaining Schedule
The Sixers’ remaining two contests are home games against the Orlando Magic and the Brooklyn Nets. Other teams within a two-game radius of the Sixers have the following remaining matchups:
- Cleveland Cavaliers: vs. Indiana, vs. Charlotte
- Orlando Magic: @ Philadelphia, vs. Milwaukee
- Indiana Pacers: @ Cleveland, vs. Atlanta
- Miami Heat: vs. Toronto, vs. Toronto
While no victory is a guarantee, especially in the final weeks of April in the NBA, the Miami Heat is expected to sweep their two-game home set against the Toronto Raptors.
The Sixers face a pivotal game against the Magic, which has lost six of their last 10 games. If the Sixers win, they will be in a strong position to avoid the Play-In Tournament.
The Play-In Tournament
If the Sixers win both their remaining games, they will finish no lower than the No. 7 seed. In such a scenario, they would likely host the Miami Heat in the first game of the Play-In Tournament. The winner of that game would face the No. 2 seed in a seven-game series, while the loser would face the winner of the Bulls-Hawks matchup.
If the Sixers win their final two games, they could avoid the Play-In Tournament entirely. Technically, they could climb as high as the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference. However, the chances of that happening are slim. The No. 6 seed is their most likely position if they do move up, with a slight chance of climbing to the No. 5 seed.
However, the No. 6 seed might be a better position than No. 5, as they would avoid the powerful Celtics until the Eastern Conference Finals, whereas they would have to face Boston in the second round if they won their first playoff series as the No. 5 seed.
The Bottom Line
The Sixers’ seed will be known in the next 72 hours, and so will their first playoff opponent. But for now, they must focus solely on the tasks at hand: winning a significant game against the Magic and handling the Brooklyn Nets. If they can accomplish these goals, they will have put themselves in a good position to be rewarded for what would be a season-ending eight-game winning streak by the basketball gods.
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