Philadelphia 76ers: East NBA Playoff Results After Game 1

How did the Philadelphia 76ers and the rest of the Eastern Conference shake out in Game 1?

The Philadelphia 76ers had the honor of tipping off the 2023 NBA Playoffs. With the Brooklyn Nets in town, the Sixers went toe-to-toe with their Atlantic Division rival in a playoff series for the first time since the 2019 playoff run.

Going into the matchup, the Sixers were heavily favored over their sixth-seeded opponent. From the start until the finish, the Sixers took care of business, as the Nets never possessed a lead throughout all four quarters.

As the fourth quarter concluded, the Nets and the Sixers started trotting out their reserves as the Nets threw in the towel. In the end, the Sixers came out on top with a 121-101 lead. Joel Embiid led the way for Philly by scoring 26 points in 33 minutes. James Harden collected a double-double with 23 points and 13 assists in 36 minutes.

The Sixers now lead the Nets 1-0 going into Game 2. How did the rest of the Eastern Conference pan out through the first set of games?

Results Around the East

Boston Celtics vs. Atlanta Hawks

The second-seeded Celtics hosted the seventh-seeded Hawks, who upset the Miami Heat in the NBA Play-In Tournament. 

Atlanta was all out of upsets for the week on Saturday as they suffered a beatdown by the Celtics. A dominant 112-99 win was in store for the Celtics, who took a 1-0 lead.

New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

After coming up short in the NBA Play-In Tournament last season, the Cavaliers hoped that Donovan Mitchell’s playoff experience could help lead them to their first playoff victory in a few years. The Knicks had other plans, though. 

After a successful regular season run against the Cavaliers, the Knicks proved they might have Cleveland’s number, as they stole a game on the road with a 101-97 win.

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Miami Heat

The Knicks weren’t the only team to pull off an upset this past weekend. Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat paid a visit to the Eastern Conference’s top team, the Milwaukee Bucks, on Sunday and took care of business. 

Although the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo early on certainly gave the Heat an advantage, they found themselves in a tough spot as well since Tyler Herro went out with an injury. The Heat held onto their early lead and closed out the weekend with a 130-117 win. Miami now leads Milwaukee 1-0. 

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