Buddy Hield Speaks on 76ers' Mindset Amid Tight Playoff Race

Buddy Hield, Sixers aware of importance of remaining competitive down the stretch.

With just a handful of weeks to go in the regular season, the Philadelphia 76ers find themselves in the thick of the Eastern Conference standings. After having a commanding lead as a top-three team, multiple teams have managed to close the gap. 

Currently, the Sixers sit in sixth place with a 36-28 record. However, there are four teams within two games of them. Among those teams is the New York Knicks, who the Sixers will face for the second time this week on Tuesday night. 

When these squads faced off on Sunday, the Sixers managed to pull out a win in an extremely low-scoring affair. Now, they'll be looking to secure a second victory in hopes of climbing the standings once more. 

Leading up to this mini-series, Buddy Hield touched on the team's mindset. With so many teams neck-and-neck in the standings, they understand the importance of their upcoming games. 

“We know we’re going to The Garden, they’re going to be loud, they’re going to be ready to compete,” Hield said. “We know what’s at stake. Looking at the standings, we’re all bundled up. We get a chance to close the gap.”

Hield had a scorching-hot start to his Sixers tenure after coming over at the trade deadline. However, a recent cold spell led to Nick Nurse switching him from the starting lineup to the second unit. This move proved to pay dividends, as Hield notched 16 points and seven rebounds off the bench in Sunday's victory. 

In total, the veteran sharpshooter is averaging 14.9 PPG and 4.8 APG on 42% shooting from deep in 14 games with the Sixers.