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NBA Playoffs: Sixers Open Round 1 on Sunday

The Sixers open up the first round of the NBA Playoffs on Sunday, according to the NBA.

Justin Grasso

NBA Playoffs: Sixers Open Round 1 on Sunday
NBA Playoffs: Sixers Open Round 1 on Sunday /

The 2020-2021 NBA regular season is officially in the books. On Sunday, the Philadelphia 76ers wrapped up the season with a victory over the Orlando Magic. Now, a week from their last matchup, the Sixers will begin the NBA Playoffs.

Who will the Sixers play in round one? Well, that's a question that nobody has the answer to just yet. As the NBA implemented the Play-In tournament for the second season in a row, four Eastern Conference teams and four Western Conference teams seeded from seven to ten will battle it out this week for the final two seeds.

The Indiana Pacers, Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets, and the Washington Wizards are among those in the East who are on the brink of making or missing the playoffs. Whichever team survives past Thursday's slate to lock in the eighth seed will be the Sixers' first-round playoff opponent.

Although it's unclear who the Sixers will play, the NBA announced on Tuesday afternoon that Philly would tip off Game 1 on Sunday. In addition to the opponent being unknown, the time for Sunday's game is also to be determined right now.

The NBA Playoffs as a whole begins on Saturday afternoon. For the first slate of games, the NBA will have the Miami Heat versus the Milwaukee Bucks, the Brooklyn Nets against the seventh seed, the Portland Trail Blazers against the Denver Nuggets, and the Los Angeles Clippers against the Dallas Mavericks.

On Sunday, the Atlanta Hawks will take on the New York Knicks while the Sixers, Utah Jazz, and the Phoenix Suns will face their opponents, which will be revealed following this week's Play-In tournament.

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

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA

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