On Wednesday, the Philadelphia 76ers will host the Miami Heat at the Wells Fargo Center for the first game of the Eastern Conference’s play-in tournament. The winner will book their berth as the seventh seed in the playoffs, while the loser will have another chance to qualify as the eighth seed in the East. While there are some doubts about the 76ers’ big man’s availability in the game, Charles Barkley seems to have full faith in Joel Embiid and Co.’s future in the playoffs.
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While this game may only be for the seventh seed, Chuck believes a win for the 76ers would be as good as booking their Eastern Conference Finals berth. During the TNT post-game show on Tuesday, he explained,
“If I am Joel Embiid, I’m having a team meeting [and saying], ‘Guys, we gotta win one game at home, everything’s working out perfectly when you look at the bracket. The Knicks losing [Julius] Randle. We are gonna the Knicks. All we gotta do is win this one game.”
Charles Barkley: “To me, if the Sixers win this game tomorrow, and they are going to win this game tomorrow, I’m thinking conference finals. I truly am.” pic.twitter.com/LrP0TvyQ9W
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) April 17, 2024
Barkley claimed that the 76ers are the second-best team in the East behind the Boston Celtics and a win over the Heat is all they need to be one of the two teams competing for the Conference title. The numbers back Barkley’s bold claim. The 76ers have an incredible record when Embiid is healthy. They have won 31 of the 39 games that the reigning MVP has featured in, and have a higher winning percentage than the Celtics’ regular season win rate.
Boston is still the favorite to win the East, but Philadelphia could have the means to cause an upset, despite finishing only seventh in the Eastern Conference standings.
The 76ers’ path in the playoffs
If the Sixers stave off the Miami Heat on Wednesday, they’ll face off against the New York Knicks in the First Round of the Playoffs, who’ll likely be without their star forward Julius Randle due to a dislocated shoulder. He’s not expected to play again this season.
A series win over the Knicks will set up a second-round clash against the Milwaukee Bucks or the Indiana Pacers. The Bucks could be without Giannis Antetokounmpo in a potential series against Philadelphia after the former two-time MVP suffered an Achilles tendon injury. Indiana also has a 1-4 record against Milwaukee this season, giving them the edge in their first-round series.
Suppose the 76ers take care of business in the second round. In that case, they’ll be up against one of the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic, Chicago Bulls, or Atlanta Hawks, in the Eastern Conference Finals. It’ll likely be the Celtics, but Playoff Jimmy and the Heat can never be counted out in the post-season. The 76ers have waited 23 years for an NBA finals appearance. Joel Embiid and Co. have their work cut out if they want to end Philadelphia’s drought.
