At this stage of the season, the Philadelphia 76ers have no choice but to pay attention to teams across the league.
Stuck in a tight race for a playoff bid, the Sixers have a handful of teams they are watching. The Orlando Magic’s matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves holds a lot of weight for Philly. Unfortunately, a stacked Minnesota injury report, including the star guard Anthony Edwards, doesn’t bode well for the resting Sixers.
via Timberwolves PR: Minnesota Timberwolves Status Report in advance of tonight’s game at Orlando Magic:
QUESTIONABLE
Gobert- Rest
McDaniels- Left Knee Patella Tendinopathy
OUT
Conley- Rest
Dosunmu- Right Calf Injury Maintenance
Edwards- Right Knee Injury Maintenance
Randle- Right Hand Soreness
The Timberwolves are going to miss some very key names on Wednesday night. The Magic are going to enter the game as heavy favorites.
Where The Magic And The Sixers Stand
The Magic are the Eastern Conference’s eighth seed heading into the Wednesday night game. They hold the same 43-36 record as the 76ers. Philadelphia holds the tie-breaker currently.
A win for the Magic on Wednesday will allow them to jump the Sixers, who don’t play again until Thursday night in Houston, Texas.
via Adam Aaronson, Philly Voice: Orlando winning out and finishing at 46 wins feels more and more likely by the day. If Magic indeed win vs. shorthanded MIN, @ CHI + @ BOS (Celtics seed will likely be locked in), Sixers would have to also win out + have Toronto lose at least once to avoid the Play-In Tournament.
The Toronto Raptors recently jumped the Sixers in the standings after Philadelphia lost its matchup against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday. With a two-game losing streak, the Sixers are now 1.0 games behind the Raptors.
Final Stretch For Philadelphia
The Sixers haven’t had it easy lately. Over the weekend, they took on the top-seeded Detroit Pistons. Despite being shorthanded, the Pistons laid a beatdown.
Although the Sixers gained a massive advantage in San Antonio, Texas, as Victor Wembanyama’s night ended after 16 minutes, the Sixers fumbled the situation. They suffered a double-digit loss, which now puts them in a do-or-die scenario the rest of the way.
After Thursday’s action against the Rockets, the Sixers will pay a visit to the Indiana Pacers on Friday, April 10. Following that game, the Sixers will have their season finale on Sunday, April 12, against the Milwaukee Bucks.
If the Sixers can’t snag a playoff spot, they’ll enter the NBA Play-In Tournament for the second time in three years.