There’s still hope the Sixers can avoid play-in tournament and earn an automatic playoff seed
The seventh-place Sixers have to beat the Nets Sunday and need a loss from Orlando or Indiana to get one of the Eastern Conference’s automatic playoff seeds.
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Initially, one gets the impression that the 76ers don’t really care about postseason seedings. Moments later, one realizes they do indeed care. They just don’t totally control their own fate.
That’s why there’s a nonchalant attitude exuding from the Sixers, who are looking to avoid the play-in tournament.
The seventh-place team heads into the final regular-season game on Sunday with an identical 46-35 record as the fifth-place Orlando Magic and sixth-place Indiana Pacers.
To get one of the Eastern Conference’s automatic playoff seeds, the Sixers must defeat the Brooklyn Nets at the Wells Fargo Center and get a loss from Orlando or Indiana.
The top six seeds in each conference automatically qualify for the NBA playoffs, which begin April 20.
Meanwhile, the teams that finish seventh through 10th will compete in the play-in tournament for the final two playoff spots. That tournament runs from Tuesday to Friday.
» READ MORE: Sixers top the Orlando Magic to win their seventh straight but remain in play-in tournament picture
“For us, we have to keep stepping in the right direction come playoffs, play-in whatever the situation is,” said Tyrese Maxey. “We want to be playing our best basketball. We want to have our guys healthy. I think everybody being healthy, everybody coming back is great for us. … So that’s our biggest thing and let it play out how it plays out.”
The Sixers take a seven-game winning streak — matching their longest of the season — into Sunday’s 1 p.m. contest against the Nets (32-49). Brooklyn isn’t expected to put up much of a fight with nine players — including former Sixer Ben Simmons (back) — listed out for the game with injuries.
Former Villanova and Great Valley High School standout Mikal Bridges and Cam Thomas will be available to play. But on paper, Brooklyn will need much more than just their two leading scorers and several non-rotation players to pull off a major upset.
For the Sixers, Joel Embiid is listed as questionable with recovery from a left knee injury. The reigning MVP has been back for five games after being sidelined for two months due to tearing the meniscus in his left knee.
Embiid had a scare in Saturday’s 125-113 victory over the Magic. The seven-time All-Star center went to the locker room after his left knee buckled on his way to a late second-quarter basket. Embiid returned after intermission and finished with 32 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists.
Sixers coach Nick Nurse said Embiid participated in all of the game prep and walkthrough portion of Sunday’s game at Saturday’s practice.
“So it responded good,” Nurse said of the knee.
De’Anthony Melton (back) and KJ Martin (left great toe contusion) are also listed as questionable. Meanwhile, Robert Covington (left knee bone bruise) will remain sidelined.
While the Sixers are expected to have an easy contest, the Magic will have stiffer competition.
They’ll entertain the Milwaukee Bucks at 1 p.m. at the Kia Center. The Bucks (49-32) need a victory or a New York Knicks loss to get the second seed in the playoffs. So they’ll be motivated to beat Orlando for the second time in five days.
Indiana will entertain the Atlanta Hawks, who are locked into 10th place for the play-in tourney. As a result, Atlanta (36-45) could opt to rest a few key players to ensure they’ll be healthy for Wednesday’s play-in game against the ninth-place Chicago Bulls.
“I’m not [concerned about seedings],” the Sixers’ Kelly Oubre Jr. said. “But I’m just trying to go out there and perform and win every game that we play.”