Did Sixers’ Win vs. Cavs Improve Eastern Conference Seeding?
The Philadelphia 76ers’ tough stretch of opponents continued on Wednesday night with a matchup on the road against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Entering the game, the Sixers were coming off of a dominant victory over the Washington Wizards. With that win, the Sixers snagged their 45th dub of the season, collecting their fifth in a row, which became the NBA’s longest active win streak.
Going from a weaker opponent at home to a true playoff contender on the road, Wednesday night was a real test for the 76ers. From the start, it was clear they were up for the challenge.
In the first quarter of Wednesday’s game, the Sixers possessed a ten-point lead, never allowing the Cavs to get out in front. However, the lead couldn’t be maintained.
The lead changed over seven times in the second quarter. By halftime, the Sixers trailed by five points. In the third quarter, Philadelphia outscored Cleveland 29-23. They had a one-point lead going into the fourth quarter.
Despite a controversial call late in the game, which nearly caused the Sixers to lose their big man Joel Embiid during a critical stretch, the Sixers pulled away slightly and put the Cavs away with a 118-109 win. They collected their sixth-straight win.
Any Playoff Impact?
Before Wednesday’s game, the Sixers were creeping up even closer to the Eastern Conference’s second seed, which is currently possessed by the Boston Celtics.
Coming off of an upset loss against the rebuilding Houston Rockets, the Celtics dropped to 47-22 on the year. With that Boston loss, the Sixers would trail one game behind before the battle against the Cavaliers.
Philadelphia took care of business on their end Wednesday night, but the Celtics didn’t do them any favors shortly after.
Facing the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Celtics engaged in a tight matchup. The team’s two stars Jaylen Brown and Jayston Tatum combined for 57 points as the Celtics found a slight edge over the Timberwolves.
Boston made it out of the matchup with a 104-102 win, bouncing back after losing to Houston. While the Sixers remain on the right path to potentially surpass Boston for the second seed, the Celtics’ success wouldn’t allow it to happen on Wednesday.
Sitting at 48-22, the Celtics are one game ahead of Philadelphia and have the tie-breaker if it comes down to it.
Both teams return to the floor on Friday night. The Celtics will pay a visit to the Portland Trail Blazers for a late matchup. The Sixers will go toe-to-toe with the Charlotte Hornets on the road for the start of a back-to-back.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
