76ers Move Five Spots in NBA Power Rankings After Sweeping Trip

CBS Sports gave the 76ers a notable boost in their power rankings this week.

The Philadelphia 76ers are hitting their stride at this point in the season. With the team rather healthy after a slow start to the year, the Sixers are finding their identity, which is coming with success. As a result, the Sixers are getting respect in national power rankings.

CBS Sports recently released their latest NBA Power Rankings. Previously, the Sixers found themselves closer to the outside of the top ten, but a recent win streak sent them soaring into the top three.

On Monday, CBS Sports’ Colin Ward-Henninger placed the Sixers in the third spot on this week’s power rankings. With that, the 76ers moved up five spots from their last ranking.

Here’s what CBS Sports had to say about the Sixers’ recent week. 

“An insertion of De'Anthony Melton into the starting lineup has coincided with a five-game winning streak for the 76ers, who have won 10 of their last 12 overall. They even dethroned the red-hot Kings on Saturday without the presence of Joel Embiid and James Harden, and pulled out back-to-back one-point wins over the Jazz and Lakers last weekend.”

At full strength, the Sixers are one of the most talented teams in the league, but even while shorthanded, they’ve proven many times that they cannot be doubted. 

Before concluding their West Coast road trip, the Sixers had a final stop to face the Sacramento Kings. At the time, Sacramento had won six straight. While the Sixers were on a winning streak of their own, they missed Joel Embiid and James Harden in the matchup. Yet, it didn’t matter.

Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris, and the rest of the Sixers fell into a 21-point hole against Sacramento in the first half of Saturday’s game. However, a comeback was in store. By the end of the night, a shorthanded Sixers team snagged themselves a 129-127 victory. They surpassed the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference, grabbing the second seed.

They also now sit third on the CBS Sports power rankings, right in front of their last opponent, the Kings. The only two teams in front of the Sixers for the week are the Denver Nuggets and the Boston Celtics, who remain the top team in the Eastern Conference with a 35-12 record.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.