Unlike last year, Sixers know there’s real stakes for this finale against Nets

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Unlike last year, Sixers know there’s real stakes for this finale against Nets originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The complexion of this year’s Sixers-Nets season finale is quite different than last year’s 82nd game.

Back then, Doc Rivers was the Sixers’ head coach and cracking jokes about The Masters before a game with no stakes.

On Sunday afternoon, Rivers will coach the Bucks in a game that might wind up determining whether the Sixers are part of the NBA’s play-in tournament. The Sixers beating Brooklyn and Milwaukee also handling the Magic is one of the permutations that would get the Sixers into the Eastern Conference’s top six.

The Sixers are seventh in the East through 81 games and have an identical record to the Pacers and Magic. So, if Orlando wins and Indiana handles the Hawks, an eighth consecutive Sixers victory wouldn’t be enough to avoid the play-in.

Put simply, the Sixers won’t need to search for motivation Sunday. Every player has his own approach to tracking relevant results and hypotheticals. They all know one more win could have a sizable impact.

“We don’t get to be successful unless we take care of each and every game in front of us,” Kelly Oubre Jr. said Friday night following the Sixers’ victory over the Magic. “Obviously it’s good to know that stuff, but it just kind of adds extra pressure to a stressful league. … I’m just trying to go out there and perform in every game we play.”

Whatever’s next after Sunday, Tyrese Maxey wants the Sixers to still be trending up.

“For us, we have to be stepping in the right direction come playoffs, play-in, whatever the situation is,” Maxey said. “We want to be playing our best basketball. We want to be healthy. I think everybody being healthy, everybody coming back has been great for us. … That’s my biggest thing, and it’ll play out how it plays out.”

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said Joel Embiid fully participated in the Sixers’ light practice Saturday after the star big man had a left knee injury scare the night prior.

Embiid was given his usual listing of questionable on the Sixers’ official…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/unlike-last-sixers-know-theres-231805435.html

Author : NBC Sports Philadelphia

Publish date : 2024-04-13 23:18:05

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