Sixers enter crucial road trip with tiebreakers and playoff positioning at stake
The Sixers, Hornets, and Heat are all part of a bunched-up portion of the standings where, entering Saturday, only two-and-a-half games separated fifth place and 10th.
By late March, Trendon Watford had typically begun planning an early offseason vacation. He spent his first four seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers and Brooklyn Nets, who were already out of playoff contention at this point in the season.
This year, Watford acknowledged, “everything is different.” He and the 76ers are preparing for arguably their most consequential road trip of the season: a Saturday visit to the Charlotte Hornets, before a Monday matchup at the Miami Heat. Those two games will break the Sixers’ regular-season head-to-head tiebreakers against Charlotte and Miami, and could go a long way in determining their ultimate positioning in a crowded Eastern Conference standings with nine games remaining.
“I’m just trying to stay even-keeled,” said veteran wing Kelly Oubre Jr., who said he plans to return from an elbow sprain Saturday. “ … But as a team, we’re practicing hard. We’re having hard shootarounds. So you can kind of tell it’s getting to that playoff time and that playoff push.
“But I think we’re all locked in. I’m excited just to get back out there and bring the crazy and keep it pushing.”
» READ MORE: Tyrese Maxey listed as questionable with finger injury, signaling potential end to his three-week absence
The Sixers (40-33) could get another unexpected jolt to the trip, as All-Star point guard Tyrese Maxey (little finger sprain) was upgraded to questionable to play at Charlotte on the NBA’s injury report released Friday evening. He was initially ruled out for at least three weeks, and was expected to be reevaluated around April 1. A Maxey and/or Oubre return would join fellow starters Joel Embiid (oblique) and Paul George (suspension), who were both back from lengthy absences for the Sixers’ shellacking of the Chicago Bulls Wednesday.
Circling these games in Charlotte and Miami when the Sixers’ schedule came out in August would have been a tad preposterous, primarily because of the Hornets’ dramatic ascent from longtime bottom-dweller to leaguewide surprise. But the Sixers, Hornets, and Heat are all part of a bunched-up portion of the standings where, entering Saturday, 2½ games separated fifth place and 10th.
The Sixers sat in seventh, a half-game back of the sixth-place Atlanta Hawks (41-33) and one game ahead of the tie between the eighth-place Hornets (39-34) and ninth-place Orlando Magic (39-34). These will be the Sixers’ final regular-season matchups against Charlotte and Miami, after splitting the first two games against both opponents.
Finishing fifth or sixth is the difference between the Sixers moving directly into the playoffs or landing in the play-in tournament, where they would need to win at least one game to advance to a first-round series. Two years ago, the Sixers finished seventh and won a play-in game against the Heat, before losing to the New York Knicks in six games in the first round. Though Miami made a magical run from the play-in tournament all the way to the Finals in 2023, that path is obviously much more challenging.
“The race in general is making everything super interesting,” coach Nick Nurse said following Friday’s practice. “Every single game matters. Certainly if you weren’t checking the standings earlier, you’re checking them now and you’re watching the games every night.”
Nurse also called the Hornets “legitimately for real.” Charlotte began the season 4-14, but is 35-20 since then. Rookie of the Year contender Kon Knueppel and a revitalized LaMelo Ball fuel a young core that launches the league’s second-most three-pointers (42.8 per game entering Friday) and plays at a high pace. Charlotte blasted the Sixers, 130-93, with this style in late January.
“Everything’s happening really fast, so we better be ready,” Nurse said. “There’s just no moments to relax or ease into anything. It’s kind of on from the jump ball. I think it’s a tremendous test for us to see how we react to that.”
» READ MORE: Sixers’ Kelly Oubre Jr. says he’s playing vs. Hornets on Saturday
Which means there’s no time for Watford to plan an early offseason vacation. He and the Sixers are about to enter their most consequential road trip of the season.
“We know what’s at stake,” teammate Quentin Grimes added. “We know what’s on the line.”
Eastern Conference playoff race entering Saturday
No. 5 seed Toronto Raptors (41-32)
Tiebreaker with Sixers: Tied 2-2 (Sixers have better Atlantic Division record)
Remaining strength of schedule (per Tankathon): 21st-toughest out of 30 NBA teams (entering Friday)
Most likely to finish (per Basketball Reference): Sixth (36.7%, entering Friday)
No. 6 seed Atlanta Hawks (41-33)
Tiebreaker with Sixers: Hawks won 4-0
Remaining strength of schedule: Seventh
Most likely to finish: Fifth (34.7%)
No. 7 seed Philadelphia 76ers (40-33)
Remaining strength of schedule: 13th
Most likely to finish: Ninth (26.5%)
No. 8 seed Charlotte Hornets (39-34)
Tiebreaker with Sixers: Tied 1-1 (final matchup Saturday)
Remaining strength of schedule: Fifth
Most likely to finish: Seventh (22.8%)
No. 9 seed Orlando Magic (39-34)
Tiebreaker with Sixers: Sixers won 2-1
Remaining strength of schedule: Ninth
Most likely to finish: 10th (43%)
No. 10 Miami Heat (39-35)
Tiebreaker with Sixers: Tied 1-1 (final matchup Monday)
Remaining strength of schedule: 24th
Most likely to finish: Seventh (19.1%)