Friday’s 125-113 victory over the Orlando Magic briefly put the Sixers in sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings with one game remaining.
To avoid the play-in tournament, Philly must defeat the Brooklyn Nets in Sunday’s regular-season finale and need a loss from Indiana or Orlando.
Meanwhile, the teams that finish seventh through 10th will compete in the play-in tournament for the final two playoff spots.
The seventh- and eighth-place finishers will get two chances to win a play-in game.
Though they’re still in the play-in zone, the Sixers extended their winning streak to seven games.
Joel Embiid went to the locker room with 1 minute, 15 seconds left in the half after appearing to injure his left knee.
The reigning MVP tore the meniscus in his left knee on Jan. 30 against the Golden State Warriors.
“It’s scary, of course,” Oubre said of when Embiid left the game.
Several 76ers players had automatic postseason berths in mind, even in these dire circumstances. And they’re about to make that happen.
With one game left, the Sixers briefly moved up to sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings after defeating the Orlando Magic 125-113 on Friday. However, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ victory over the Indiana Pacers meant that they dropped back into seventh place shortly after the final buzzer.
Matching 46-35 records are held by the Sixers, Magic, and Pacers. Philly needs a loss from Indiana or Orlando in addition to defeating the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday in order to advance to the play-in tournament.
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Kevin Oubre Jr. declared that the seedings don’t worry him.
“However, I am aware of the game’s mechanics,” he clarified. “Unless we attend to every single game that is placed before us, we will never succeed. Indeed, having that knowledge is beneficial, but it only serves to heighten the stress and anxiety already experienced in the league. I’m not, but ultimately all I’m trying to do is go out there, give my best effort, and win every game we play. “.
Starting on April 20, the NBA playoffs are open to the top six seeds in each conference.
The teams that place seventh through tenth will fight for the final two playoff spots in the play-in tournament. The competition is open from Tuesday through Friday.
There will be two opportunities for the seventh and eighth place finishers to win a play-in game. A second win is required for the winner of the match between the ninth- and tenth-place teams to guarantee a spot in the playoffs.
With their current winning streak at seven games, the Sixers are still in the play-in zone. Still, they had a scare.
With 1:15 remaining in the half, Joel Embiid appeared to have hurt his left knee and headed to the locker room. However, at the beginning of the second half, the seven-time All-Star returned to the court after receiving medical attention.
You really must continue playing. After Embiid left the game, Tyrese Maxey expressed his feelings, saying, “You have to finish out the half, which we did, happily.”. But he was fine to go when we returned and checked on him, so that’s a blessing. “.
In 32 minutes, Embiid finished with 32 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 assists. He made 8 of 9 free throws and 10 of 23 shots, including 4 of 7 three-pointers.
Making five of ten three-pointers, Maxey added 28 points and gave Jalen Suggs a scare in the fourth quarter. Of his total points, Maxey scored 11 in the fourth quarter. Kelly Oubre Jr., forwards. The other double-figure scorers for the Sixers were Tobias Harris (14 points, two blocks, and two steals) and Julian Grant (21 points, nine rebounds).
With a total of 22 points, a game-high 15 rebounds, and seven assists, power forward Paolo Banchero led Orlando. But with Harris covering him the majority of the time, the All-Star only made 7 of 24 shots. Franz Wagner scored twenty-four points.
The fear of Embiid.
However, Embiid appeared to hurt his knee late in the second quarter and nearly brought down the building.
At 1:38, after scoring on a Euro step to the basket, he injured his knee. After recovering from knee surgery in February, this was Embiid’s fifth game back. 6. The league MVP winner ruptured his meniscus on January 1. 30 against the Warriors of Golden State.
Embiid was preparing the Magic prior to the injury. In the first half of play, he finished with 21 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists in 17:41 of action. 6 of his 12 shots were made, 3 of which were three-pointers. Additionally, he made six of seven foul shots.
After the break, the 7-foot-2, 280-pound player came out of the locker room and scored five of the Sixers’ first seven points, putting them ahead 76-64.
Afterwards, the Sixers won by a score of twelve.
When Embiid left the game, Oubre remarked, “It’s scary, of course.”. Each of us is an expert. We play through things, and I have eye problems as well. I am aware of his military background, his toughness, and his willingness to persevere no matter what.
We all care about each other outside of basketball, though, so all I really want is for him to be happy and correct. Joel is a fighter, even though it was obvious that everyone gasped for a brief moment and that everyone’s heart dropped. You can hear the crowd. He had fought bears, tigers, lions, and other such animals. Therefore, this basketball stuff is on par. “.
Following two games out due to a left knee effusion, Kyle Lowry returned to the court and scored seven points. KJ Martin, a reserve forward, missed his second consecutive game due to a contusion in his left great toe.
striving for sixth place.
Having the fifth-most wins (151) in the previous three seasons, the Sixers team finds themselves in sixth place, which is disappointing. However, avoiding the play-in tournament would be a significant achievement given that they appeared like a lottery team during Embiid’s absence for the previous two months.
In their two losses to the undermanned and struggling Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans in March, the team was jeered. That followed their Brooklyn loss to a diminished Nets team.
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With 35 different starting lineups, first-year coach Nick Nurse’s Sixers are enjoying their second-longest winning streak of the year.
“Despite all of the year’s hardships, the rain doesn’t fall forever,” Oubre remarked. It appears that the sun is rising. Now is a great time to kind of click; all we need to do is keep our focus on every day, every game. “.
Next to come.
The Nets and Sun game will start at 1 p.m. on Sunday. me. In the first three meetings of this season, Brooklyn (32-48) has prevailed twice. Having scored 22 points in 80 games, shooting guard Cam Thomas led the Nets in scoring. Mikal Bridges, a former standout player for Villanova and Great Valley High School, finished second on the team with 19 points.
