Ticket punched | Sports Daily Newsletter

Spoiler alert: The Sixers are really good when Joel Embiid is healthy.

Perhaps it comes as no surprise, then, that they took a step toward for what they hope to be a long postseason run on Wednesday night.

Embiid finished with a double-double in the one-point victory, but Nico Batum was the hero as the Sixers rallied from a double-digit deficit to claim their seventh straight playoff berth.

Up next is a tough test against the New York Knicks, a division rival with plenty of familiar faces. But first, let’s look back on what went right against Jimmy Butler’s Miami Heat.

— Maria McIlwain, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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❓Give us your prediction. How far do you think the Sixers will go and why? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

Like the Sixers a decade ago, the Flyers are in the midst of their own process. While not a complete teardown like that of their Wells Fargo Center roommates, the Flyers are rebuilding and have been quite honest about that fact.

That last point is important to remember in the wake of the Flyers losing nine of 11 down the stretch and narrowly missing out on the postseason. While the ending hurts and was disappointing, could it be a necessary part of this young team’s growth? Jackie Spiegel on why the Flyers’ loss in the short-term might just be a win for the future.

But while the future may look bright, questions remain. Can John Tortorella and Morgan Frost coexist? What can the Flyers reasonably expect from Sean Couturier post-injury? It’s not all sunshine and roses on Broad Street …

The Phillies could have a decision to make on their starting rotation sooner than they expected. Taijuan Walker felt “really, really good” after his second rehab start on Tuesday at triple-A Lehigh Valley, even if the velocity on his sinker was down from his 2023 standards. Whenever Walker is ready to return, what will they do with Spencer Turnbull?

Despite a shaky bullpen, the Phillies held on for the sweep-clinching win over the Rockies.

Next: The Phillies’ homestand continues as the Chicago White Sox come to town on Friday. (6:40 p.m., NBCSP). Garrett Crochet (1-2, 3.57 ERA) will face a Phillies pitcher to be determined.

Join Inquirer Phillies reporter Scott Lauber for a subscriber-exclusive event featuring Phillies legend Larry Bowa at the Fitler Club on April 18 at 6 p.m. Hear Bowa share his insider stories and insights from his incredible 59-year baseball career. This is an exclusive opportunity you won’t want to miss! Register here.

ESPN reported that Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie asked a “confidant” about Bill Belichick coming off the team’s disappointing season. Nick Sirianni ultimately retained the head coaching role, but the report cast some doubt about his hot seat status. Marcus Hayes breaks it down.

Sirianni might have remained the coach, but offensive coordinator Brian Johnson was fired. Jalen Hurts spoke for the first time today since Johnson, with whom he’s had a long-standing relationship, lost his job, and the quarterback discussed what it’ll be like to go through yet another OC change.

There’s also a change at center with Jason Kelce retiring — and doing retirement things like apparently losing his Super Bowl ring in a pool of chili. Cam Jurgens is projected to take over the spot, and already perhaps symbolically moved in to Kelce’s old locker.

Next: The NFL draft begins on April 25 (8 p.m., 6abc).

It was a busy day for La Salle. The university announced that it was launching several new varsity programs and reviving another that has a strong alumni base.

Meanwhile, men’s basketball coach Fran Dunphy revealed that he was planning to come back for another season at his alma mater. It’ll be his 33rd as a Big 5 head coach.

Making history: Inside the first season of PIAA-sanctioned girls’ wrestling.

Joel’s dream: Embiid was surprised with his Team USA jersey on Wednesday.

We asked you: What is the most devastating Philly sports collapse in the past decade and why? Among your responses:

I started to write the 1964 Phillies, but then saw the past decade and immediately switched to the most painful for me, and that was last year’s Eagles. We lost Gannon and Steichen, but at first that did not seem to be a problem, but because we had failed to adequately replace them their departures came back to haunt us. All seemed well until that shocking Jets loss. The team recovered from that and went on to squeeze by Dallas, the Chiefs, and the Bills, but then the 49ers destroyed our guys and that was the beginning of the total collapse that led to that sad night in Seattle when Hurts and Brown dialed up their own play that resulted in an interception that finished off another loss. That was the end for our dream of returning to the Super Bowl as we lost to the Cardinals and Giants to end the season that we can pretty much write off as a disaster. Now we live in hope that with the new coaches and a new spirit we can once again fly as Eagles should. — Everett S.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Keith Pompey, Jackie Spiegel, Lochlahn March, Alex Coffey, EJ Smith, Gabriela Carroll, Olivia Reiner, Susan Snyder, Jeff Neiburg, Aaron Carter, and Gina Mizell.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

Thanks for reading! I’ll be back tomorrow with the week’s final Sports Daily. — Maria