Sixers will play Atlanta Hawks without Joel Embiid, James Harden, entire starting lineup and De’Anthony Melton

ATLANTA — The 76ers were without their top six players in Friday night’s game against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena. But they were far from the lone NBA team that rested key players in the second to last the regular-season game.

None of Friday’s 11 games had both teams playing all of their main players. Nor were both teams trying to win these their games. For a Sixers squad that’s locked into Eastern Conference’s No. 3 seed, it was matter of being cautious for the postseason. With nothing to play for in the final two regular season games, Sixers coach Doc Rivers wants to be cautious and rest nagging injuries.

“Since we’re in Georgia and you have the Masters right down the road, it’s called rub of the green,” Rivers said. “It really is. It’s unfair to some teams. There’s teams that we played four times where we played all of our guys and now there’s teams that we won’t. Those teams are still trying to win, but most importantly, the other teams.

‘It’s just the way that it is. It hasn’t changed since forever. This has always been the case and there’s no way around it.”

The Hawks (41-39) came into Friday’s contest needing a victory or Toronto Raptors loss to take eighth spot for the play-in game. Their chances to get that desire spot quadrupled with the Sixers sitting starters Joel Embiid, James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, P.J. Tucker andd Tobias Harris and sixth man De’Anthony Melton.

The Sixers are also expected to rest key players in Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center. As of Thursday, the Nets needed one win or a Miami Heat loss to clinch the East’s sixth seed.

So even if they lost to the Orlando Magic on Friday, they would have a great chance to obtain that seed against an undermanned Sixers squad on Sunday.

» READ MORE: Sixers vs. Miami Heat takeaways: Lacking energy, Embiid still contributing, Jalen McDaniels comfortable

Sources told The Inquirer following Thursday’s home loss to the Miami Heat that Embiid wouldn’t play against the Hawks (41-39).

However, he was officially listed out with right calf injury recovery on Friday. Maxey missed his second game with neck stiffness. Harden was sidelined with what the team is calling left Achilles injury recovery, while Tucker’s diagnosis is right calf tightness. Harris was on the injury report with left hip injury recovery. And Melton missed the game with right calf tightness.

A source said the players had an option of staying back in the Philadelphia area following Thursday’s game instead of traveling with their teammates.

Jaden Springer, who led the Delaware Blue Coats to the G League title Thursday, was cleared to play despite dealing with a sprained right ankle.

Springer was called up to the Sixers Friday morning after being named G League Finals MVP.

Delaware clinched the title with a 114-110 Game 2 victory over the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the best-of-three series. Springer had 21 points and nine rebounds in the clincher. That came after he scored 43 points while making 8 of 13 three-pointers to lead the Blue Coats to 134-120 Game 1 victory.

With the G-League complete, two-way players Mac McClung and Louis King were scheduled to make their Sixers debuts.

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McClung led the Blue Coats with a team-high 30 points and eight assists Thursday night. The point guard won the NBA Slam Dunk contest on Feb. 18 at NBA All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City.

McClung, King and Springer joining the team and the starters having the night off was something Rivers tipped his hand on following Thursday’s loss.

“The G League team is up seven, I think,” he said. ”That’s really important. That really is. You have no idea how important that is.”