NBA Playoffs: Could Sixers Avoid Facing Raptors in Round One?

The Philadelphia 76ers are playoff-bound once again. After picking up a dominant win against the Charlotte Hornets last Saturday, the Sixers had an opportunity

The Philadelphia 76ers are playoff-bound once again. After picking up a dominant win against the Charlotte Hornets last Saturday, the Sixers had an opportunity to clinch a playoff berth with a Cleveland Cavaliers loss to the New York Knicks.

However, Cleveland delayed the inevitable. So, last Sunday's game between the Sixers and the Cavaliers became key as Philadelphia needed one more win to make their trip to the postseason official.

With a tight win over the Cavaliers, the Sixers got what they wanted. Now that Philly is officially locked into the playoffs, they are working on finding out which seed they'll enter as. At this point, the first seed belongs to the Miami Heat, so that's out of the question.

And with the Milwaukee Bucks two and a half games ahead of the Sixers in the standings with just two games left, Philadelphia won't have an opportunity to pick up the second seed, either.

The Sixers and the Boston Celtics are the two teams locked into the playoffs without their seeding guaranteed right now. Meanwhile, the Toronto Raptors and the Chicago Bulls are locked into the fifth and sixth seeds.

If the Sixers finish in fourth place, they'll draw the Raptors in round one. If they find a way to move into the third seed over the Celtics, then a Philly versus Chicago playoff series will ensure in a couple of weeks.

Why Should the Sixers Prefer Chicago?

The Sixers faced the Bulls and the Raptors four times throughout the regular season. Considering the Sixers have defeated the Bulls every time they played them, Chicago would be the best-case scenario for the 76ers in the playoffs.

The Sixers didn't have the same success when it comes to the Raptors. Not only did Toronto defeat Philly three out of four times during the regular season, but in two of the matchups the Raptors won, they did it without their All-Star guard Fred VanVleet.

In addition to a lack of regular-season success against the Raptors, the Sixers could miss one of their starters in Matisse Thybulle for road games against the Raptors. As Thybulle was listed as ineligible to play in Thursday's game in Toronto, he could have no option but to be a part-time player in that series.

How Can Philly Avoid Toronto?

The Sixers are more likely to play the Raptors than the Bulls in round one at this point, but there is a chance they could snag the third seed this weekend.

With two games left, the Sixers would need to defeat the Indiana Pacers on Saturday and take down the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Philly would need the Memphis Grizzlies to help them out by defeating the Boston Celtics on Sunday. If Philly can win out and the Celtics lose, the Sixers would jump Boston for the third seed and lock in a series against the Bulls.

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