A breakdown of the wild East standings, starting with the Sixers’ crucial game at Miami Heat

Kelly Oubre Jr. said about two weeks ago that keeping track of the NBA standings makes him “nauseous.” But following Tuesday’s 76ers win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, the veteran wing recognize their next opponent, the Miami Heat, would “be a tough one.”

It was a subtle way for Oubre to acknowledge the stakes. The Heat are one team the Sixers are chasing in the still-shifting Eastern Conference standings, with about 10 days to go in the regular season. Thursday’s showdown is an opportunity for the Sixers to deliver a direct hit, to trim the gap between them and Miami to a half-game, and to finish the regular-season series tied, 2-2.

Evidence of how much things can change in a matter of hours? Wednesday afternoon, this matchup looked like it would be between the eighth-place Sixers and seventh-place Heat. But after the Indiana Pacers lost to the Brooklyn Nets, Miami jumped into sixth while the Pacers dropped to seventh.

The difference between seventh and eighth is hosting the play-in game between those teams, whose winner clinches a first-round matchup against the second seed (most likely the Milwaukee Bucks). Lose that, and the Sixers would host the winner of the 9-10 game for the right to face the top-seeded Boston Celtics, who boast the NBA’s best record and are the overwhelming favorite to represent the East in the Finals.

» READ MORE: Joel Embiid is back. The Sixers now must rush to reintegrate him with playoffs looming.

If that is already confusing, consider this: Every team sitting first through 10th remains a possible Sixers opponent in one of the play-in games, or a first-round series. The Sixers still have a shot to move up to sixth, which would guarantee a spot in the first round. Four teams — the Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic, or New York Knicks — could legitimately finish in third. The Magic and Knicks are also two games out of seventh.

And now the Sixers have added a massive variable to their postseason charge, with Joel Embiid returning from knee surgery in Tuesday’s win against the Thunder. The NBA’s reigning Most Valuable Player, and the Sixers, will use the remaining games to get him reconditioned and reacclimated to a roster that underwent significant changes while he was out. But Embiid also “[wants] us to go on a run to finish the season.”

“Every one of these [games] matters,” Embiid said following Tuesday’s win. “We’ve got to take them and keep competing. … Anything’s possible.”

So, buckle up for the stretch run. Here is a breakdown of those standings entering Thursday’s games.

Projected to finish: Seventh (37.7%)

Lead eighth-place Sixers by: 1 ½ games

Tied with seventh-place Pacers

Head-to-head tiebreakers: Lead 2-1 against Sixers (final matchup Thursday), tied 1-1 against Pacers (final matchup Sunday, Heat have better conference winning percentage)

Strength of schedule (per Tankathon): 21st

Remaining schedule: Thursday vs. Sixers, Friday at Houston Rockets, Sunday at Indiana, Tuesday at Atlanta Hawks, April 10 vs. Dallas Mavericks, April 12 vs. Toronto Raptors, and April 14 vs. Toronto.

Thursday is part of a tricky stretch for the Heat, including a final game against the Pacers that also has notable stakes along with matchups against the recently streaking Rockets and Mavericks. But then they get a break, with two consecutive home contests against the reeling and shorthanded Raptors to close the season.

Worth noting: The next tiebreaker between the Heat and Sixers (who are not division foes) following head-to-head record is conference record. The Heat entered Wednesday with two more victories than the Sixers in that category, but tied with the Pacers (29-18).

Projected to finish: Sixth (36.1%, per Basketball Reference playoff probabilities)

Lead eighth-place Sixers by: 1 1/2 games

Tied with sixth-place Heat

Head-to-head tiebreakers: Won 2-1 against Sixers, tied 1-1 against Heat (final matchup Sunday, Heat have better conference winning percentage)

Strength of schedule: 11th

Remaining schedule: Friday vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, Sunday vs. Miami, Tuesday at Toronto, April 12 at Cleveland Cavaliers, and April 14 vs. Atlanta Hawks.

It will be fascinating to track how the upstart Pacers respond under some late regular-season pressure. They have the toughest remaining schedule — by far — of the teams vying for that sixth spot, peppered with opponents who are also fighting for playoff positioning. And losing to the Nets? Not a great sign.

Projected to finish: Eighth (69.2%)

Trail seventh-place Pacers and sixth-place Heat by: 1 ½ games

Head-to-head tiebreakers: Trail 2-1 against Heat (final matchup Thursday), lost 2-1 against Pacers

Strength of schedule: 30th

Remaining schedule: Thursday at Miami, Saturday at Memphis Grizzlies, Sunday at San Antonio Spurs, Tuesday vs. Detroit Pistons, April 12 vs. Orlando Magic, and April 14 vs. Brooklyn Nets.

Did we mention Thursday is important for the Sixers? Yet other than Embiid’s return, their biggest advantage down the stretch is they have the NBA’s easiest remaining strength of schedule. The Magic are the only opponent in their final five games that is not a bottom-dweller.

Remaining schedule: Friday vs. Sacramento Kings, Sunday vs. Portland Trail Blazers, Tuesday at Milwaukee, April 11 vs. New York, April 12 vs. Charlotte, April 14 vs. Washington

This would be the Sixers’ first-round opponent if they finish seventh or eighth, then lose the first play-in matchup, but win the second play-in game. And it would set up an immediate rematch against the team that knocked the Sixers out of last year’s playoffs, when they surrendered a 3-2 second-round series lead by blowing the end of Game 6 before face-planting in Game 7.

This iteration of the Celtics is still searching for its first championship, but has undoubtedly been the NBA’s best regular-season team. Though they are still anchored by MVP contender Jayson Tatum and All-Star Jaylen Brown (along with the vastly underrated Derrick White), rugged point guard Jrue Holiday and stretch big man Kristaps Porzingis have been terrific additions.

Projected to finish: Second (66%)

Lead third-place Cleveland Cavaliers by: 1 ½ games

Head-to-head tiebreaker: Tied 2-2 with Cavaliers (holds second tiebreaker because leads division)

Strength of schedule: Fourth

Remaining schedule: Friday vs. Toronto, Sunday vs. New York, Tuesday at Boston, April 10 vs. Orlando, April 12 at Oklahoma City, and April 14 at Orlando.

This would be the Sixers’ most likely opponent if they finished seventh or eighth, then won the first play-in game. It would create a spicy matchup because of coach Doc Rivers, who was fired by the Sixers last spring and then hired mid-season by the Bucks to replace Adrian Griffin. But despite the Bucks’ strong record, something has felt off throughout the season, due to that abrupt coaching change, a less-than-seamless pairing between superstars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, and Khris Middleton’s health. Recent evidence: Consecutive losses to the lowly Washington Wizards and Memphis Grizzlies.

Projected to finish: Third (38.2%)

Trail second-place Bucks by: 1 ½ games

Lead fourth-place Orlando Magic by: Half-game

Lead fifth-place New York Knicks by: 1 1/2 games

Head-to-head tiebreakers: Tied 2-2 against Bucks (lose second tiebreaker because not division leader), lost 1-2 against Knicks, tied 2-2 against Magic (same number conference wins)

Strength of schedule: 22nd

Remaining schedule: Saturday at Los Angeles Lakers, Sunday at Los Angeles Clippers, April 10 vs. Memphis, April 14 vs. Indiana, and April 16 vs. Charlotte.

This would be a potential first-round opponent if the Sixers moved up to sixth (or, less likely, in the 2-7 matchup). And there should be no surprise if it turned into a thrilling series, as all four regular-season matchups went down to the wire (with each team winning twice). The Cavaliers have sputtered since the All-Star break, including a notable segment played without All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell. They are also a team still aiming to prove it is playoff-ready, after getting physically demolished by the Knicks in last year’s first round.

Probability to finish fourth: 29.5%

Probability to finish fifth: 28.3%

Trail third-place Cavaliers by: 1 ½ games

Lead fifth-place Knicks by: Half-game

Head-to-head tiebreakers: Won 3-1 against Knicks, tied 2-2 against Cavaliers (same number conference wins)

Strength of schedule: 16th

Remaining schedule: Friday at Charlotte, Sunday vs. Chicago, Tuesday at Houston, April 10 at Milwaukee, April 12 at Sixers, and April 14 vs. Milwaukee.

Another potential opponent if the Sixers move up to sixth. Like the Pacers, the Magic have been one of the league’s feel-good stories that will be intriguing to follow down the stretch and into the postseason. Orlando boasts the NBA’s second-most-efficient defense (110.4 points allowed per 100 possessions), and a bevy of young stars headlined by Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs. The Sixers are 2-0 against the Magic this season, though both matchups occurred before Embiid’s injury.

Probability to finish fourth: 30.2%

Probability to finish fifth: 29.1%

Trail fourth-place Magic by: Half-game

Lead sixth-place Heat by: Two games

Head-to-head tiebreakers: Lost 3-1 to Magic, won 2-1 against Cavaliers

Strength of schedule: Eighth

Remaining schedule: Thursday vs. Sacramento, Friday at Chicago, Sunday at Milwaukee, Tuesday at Chicago, April 11 at Boston, April 12 vs. Brooklyn, and April 14 vs. Chicago.

Another potential opponent if the Sixers move up to sixth. New York has lost three games in a row to slip from third to fifth, and still has a four-game road trip remaining (and, somehow, three games against the Bulls). Though former Villanova star Jalen Brunson is an All-NBA and MVP contender, questions linger about the health of Julius Randle and OG Anunoby. The Sixers are 1-2 against the Knicks this season, including two low-scoring slogs last month.