Sixers Sent Back to Play-In Territory After Loss vs. Suns

The Phoenix Suns knocked the Philadelphia 76ers down a couple of spots on Wednesday.

Overcoming the absence of Joel Embiid has been a tall task for the Philadelphia 76ers this season. While the team has dealt with numerous critical injuries throughout the year, their early record in Embiid-less games was certainly no fluke.

On Wednesday night, the Sixers paid a visit to the Phoenix Suns. The matchup was the first of four on the road out West. Taking on a tough stretch while fighting for a guaranteed playoff spot in a tight Eastern Conference race, the Sixers need every win they can get.

Unfortunately, Wednesday night’s matchup didn’t go their way. 

Despite being on the right end of a lopsided turnover battle, the Sixers couldn’t overcome an efficient shooting night from Phoenix. Knocking down 50 percent of their 90 shots from the field, and drilling nearly half of their 39 three-pointers, the Suns weren't fazed by Philly’s defense.

In addition, the Sixers struggled in the rebounding department as well, getting out-rebounded by 15. With an abysmal offensive showing from everybody not named Kelly Oubre out of the starting five, the Sixers finished the game with just 102 points. The Suns put them away comfortably in the end, winning by 13.

With that loss, the Sixers move to 38-31 on the season. Heading into the game, they were sixth in the Eastern Conference. Leaving Phoenix, they find themselves knocked down two spots and entering Play-In territory once again.

Although the seventh-seeded Miami Heat hold the same record as the Sixers on Thursday, Miami has the tie-breaker at 2-1. The Indiana Pacers have a half-a-game advantage over both teams, which puts them in sixth behind the Orlando Magic.

If the 2023-2024 season ended today, the Sixers would begin the Play-In with a do-or-die matchup against the Chicago Bulls. With the Play-In still being a fairly new feature in the NBA, the Sixers have yet to make an appearance. With 13 games left to go, Philly is struggling to avoid the area beyond the seeds with a guaranteed ticket to the postseason. 

They’ll continue their road trip on Friday against the Los Angeles Lakers.