Boston Celtics Fall to Utah Jazz, 76ers Improve Seeding

A Boston Celtics loss on Saturday night helped the 76ers improve their seeding.

The Philadelphia 76ers are moving on up the Eastern Conference rankings. While there is still plenty of basketball left to be played, the Sixers will temporarily take control of the second seed.

On Saturday, the third-seeded Sixers had a matchup against the Indiana Pacers. The Celtics were set to take on the Utah Jazz. 

The Sixers took care of business and collected their 48th win of the year. With a dominant 141-121 win over the Pacers, the Sixers snagged their eighth straight as their impressive run continued.

As for the Celtics, they faced the Utah Jazz for the first time this season. While the Jazz are currently rebuilding, they’ve proven to be a tough matchup for opponents on any given night. The Celtics found that out firsthand on Saturday.

While it was a close battle, Boston came up just short against the Jazz, losing 118-117. With that loss, they take on their 23rd of the year, which drops them to the third seed. 

Boston will hold a tie-breaker over the Sixers if it reaches that point since they’ve already defeated the Sixers three times this year. But for now, the Sixers are out in front with fewer losses.

If the season were to end today, the Sixers would face a Play-In opponent. The four teams that are currently in the hunt are the Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors, and the Chicago Bulls.

Meanwhile, the Celtics would draw another first-round series with the Brooklyn Nets, the team they swept in the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs. 

The next time the Celtics take the floor will be on Tuesday when they pay a visit to the Sacramento Kings. As for the Sixers, they’ll be back in action on Monday when they host the Chicago Bulls. 

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