Coming off of Saturday’s road rout of the Washington Wizards in Game Three of their Eastern Conference first round playoff series, the outlook couldn’t have been brighter for the Philadelphia 76ers. Then came Monday.
Facing the prospect of finishing off a four-game sweep and earning a week of rest and preparation for their next opponent, the Sixers didn’t just lose the game, but they suffered an all too familiar scare when superstar MVP finalist Joel Embiid went down with another knee injury. While the team is still firmly in control against the Wizards up 3-1 in the series, it’s clear that they will badly need their best player down the road against superior opponents.
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Remarkably, the 122-114 loss and the Embiid injury were just the first couple of black marks on what was a very rough Monday night and Tuesday morning for the Sixers.
Sixers’ Plane Breaks Down, Team Took Bus to Philly and Arrived at 6 a.m.
GettyThe Philadelphia 76ers on the court before Game One of their Eastern Conference first round playoff series against the Washington Wizards.
According to John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia, the 76ers plane broke down Monday night, which led to quite a journey that lasted all night and into Tuesday morning.
Tough night in many ways for the Sixers in Washington
On top of everything, a source tells me the Sixers plane broke down last night and the team had to bus back to Philly and did not get back till 6am this morning
The Twitter account @SportsAviation had some details on the situation, but didn’t mention any reason as to why the flight was cancelled. @SportsAviation keeps “tabs on your favorite team(s) as they fly” and works in conjunction with @JetTipNet, according to the Twitter page.
The Wizards flew from Washington D.C. out to Philadelphia on Tuesday afternoon and apparently had no issues. The two airports are approximately 150 miles apart.
Game 5 Wednesday Night in Philly Will Allow 100% Fan Capacity
GettyMembers of the Philadelphia 76ers and Washington Wizards fight for a rebound during Game Four of their Eastern Conference first round playoff series.
If there is any silver lining to the Sixers’ loss on Monday, it’s that they now have the opportunity to close out a playoff series victory on their home court. The last time that Philly won a series-clinching game on their home floor was over two years ago, when the group defeated the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the 2019 playoffs on April 23, 2019.
Not only will the Sixers have homecourt advantage, but with the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions being eased up dramatically across the country recently, the Wells Fargo Center will allow 100% percent fan capacity on Wednesday. It will be the first time that the Sixers are allowed to play in front of a full house since March 11, 2020.
Wells Fargo Center statement on returning to full capacity effective June 2.
Let’s just hope that all of the fans in attendance for Game Five hold on to their snacks and remain in their seats.
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