76ers Playoff Outlook Following win vs. Miami Heat

Where the Philadelphia 76ers stand after a victory over the Miami Heat?

Apr 4, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) goes up for a shot as / Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

As the regular season comes to a close, the Philadelphia 76ers still find themselves with a chance to change their playoff fate. They had a prime opportunity to gain some ground in the standings Thursday, and they made the most of it.

Right now, the Sixers sit in eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings. The Miami Heat are one spot ahead of them in seventh place, followed by the Indiana Pacers in sixth. Due to these teams being so close record-wise, they can swap spots in these final games.

On Thursday night, the Sixers traveled to Miami to take on the Heat. They’d end up having both their stars in action after Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey were game-time decisions. Both stars put together strong outings as Philly was able to escape with a 109-105 win.

With this win, the Sixers move into striking distance of climbing the standings. They only trail Miami by half a game and Indiana by one game. The Pacers’ gap continues to dwindle after they dropped a matchup to the Brooklyn Nets earlier this week.

Embiid got off to a hot start against the Heat and never looked back. In his second game since returning from injury, the reigning MVP finished with 29 points, four rebounds, and three assists.

Maxey ended up being the biggest story in this game, finishing just shy of a triple-double. The All-Star guard notched a team-high 37 points to go along with nine rebounds and 11 assists.

Coming off their second straight win, the Sixers will continue their road trip this weekend. They’ll be back in action on Saturday to take on a depleted Memphis Grizzlies team.