Does anyone want to see the 76ers in the playoffs?
Philadelphia enters the final week of the regular season on a five-game win streak and recently welcomed reigning MVP Joel Embiid back to the lineup. After missing two months due to a meniscus injury, Embiid looks to be rounding into postseason form as the season closes.
In addition to a healthy Embiid, the Sixers are led by a championship coach in Nick Nurse and continue to enjoy the breakout season of All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey, who has now turned in three 50-point games this season.
Just last season, an Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament team made a historic push to the NBA Finals. Philadelphia does have a shot at jumping into the East’s top six but the Play-In Tournament is the team’s most likely scenario. The 76ers appear to have what it takes to go on a similar run.
Here’s a complete look at seeding possibilities, potential postseason opponents and the standings as the Sixers’ season winds down.
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76ers playoff scenarios 2024
The Sixers have three games remaining on their regular season schedule. They can finish no lower than eighth in the Eastern Conference standings.
Philadelphia has a 1.9 percent chance of finishing fourth or fifth in the East, per Basketball-Reference’s Playoff Probabilities Report. While that outcome is unlikely, Philadelphia does have a 14.1 percent chance to move into the sixth seed and out of the Play-In Tournament.
The Sixers currently have a 42.6 percent chance of finishing seventh and a 41.4 percent chance of finishing eighth, giving them an 84.0 percent chance of participating in the Play-In Tournament.
MORE: Where 76ers rank among teams facing most pressure to make playoffs
How 76ers can clinch the No. 6 seed in the East
The Sixers are one of four teams (Knicks, Cavaliers, Pacers) in contention for the sixth seed. Philadelphia lost its regular-season series with New York and Indiana while splitting the season series with Cleveland.
In the event of a tie in the standings, the Knicks and Pacers own the tiebreaker over the 76ers. A tie between Cleveland and Philadelphia would be broken by win percentage against Eastern Conference teams.
Simply put, the 76ers need to finish one full game ahead of the Pacers to jump them in the standings.
Here are the scenarios through the lens of Philadelphia and Indiana only:
- If the 76ers go 3-0, the Pacers must go 1-2 or worse
- If the 76ers go 2-1, the Pacers must go 0-3
How 76ers can clinch the No. 7 seed in the Play-In Tournament
Philadelphia can finish no lower than eighth so if it stays in the Play-In Tournament, it will only need to win one game to advance to the NBA Playoffs.
If the 76ers finish in seventh, they will not have to travel during the Play-In Tournament — the No. 7 seed hosts the No. 8 seed to open the tournament. If the No. 7 seed loses, it hosts the winner from the game played between the Nos. 9 and 10 seeds.
The Sixers and Heat split their head-to-head season series and if they finish with the same regular-season record, the next tiebreaker would be record vs. East opponents.
If Miami and Philadelphia win out to create a two-way tiebreaker, Miami would finish with a better record vs. the East and jump into seventh.
76ers potential postseason opponents
Play-In Tournament
If the season ended today, the 7-seed 76ers would host the 8-seed Heat in the Play-In Tournament. The most likely outcomes involve a 76ers-Heat meeting in either Philadelphia or Miami.
NBA Playoffs
Outside of the 1-seed Celtics, nothing is set in the Eastern Conference standings.
If Philadelphia stays in the Play-In Tournament, it would first play for an opportunity to face the East’s No. 2 seed. The Bucks, Cavaliers, Magic and Knicks each have a realistic shot to finish second.
If the Sixers lose their first Play-In Tournament game, they would have one last opportunity to play for the eighth seed and a first-round meeting with the Celtics.
MORE: Updated NBA Playoffs bracket and today’s clinching scenarios
76ers standings 2024
| Seed | Team | Record | Win pct. | GB |
| 4 | Knicks | 46-32 | .590 | 16 |
| 5 | Cavaliers | 46-33 | .582 | 16.5 |
| 6 | Pacers | 45-34 | .570 | 17.5 |
| 7 | 76ers | 44-35 | .557 | 18.5 |
| 8 | Heat | 43-35 | .551 | 19 |
76ers remaining schedule
Philadelphia closes the season with a three-game homestand. The three-game stretch is bookended by two teams that have been eliminated from playoff contention — an important meeting with the Magic stands in the middle.
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) | National TV |
| April 9 | vs. Pistons | 7 p.m. | — |
| April 12 | vs. Magic | 7 p.m. | — |
| April 14 | vs. Nets | 1 p.m. | TBD |
How does the NBA Play-In Tournament work?
The NBA Play-In Tournament will be held after the conclusion of the 2023-24 regular season and before the start of the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs. The teams that finish Nos. 1-6 in the standings of each conference will be guaranteed playoff spots. Teams Nos. 7-10 will enter the Play-In Tournament.
Each conference’s Nos. 7 and 8 teams will face off, with the winner earning the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. The loser will still have one more opportunity to reach the playoffs.
Each conference’s Nos. 9 and 10 teams will face off, with the winner advancing to play the loser of the No. 7-vs.-No. 8 game. The loser of the No. 9-vs.-No. 10 game will be eliminated from playoff contention.
The loser of the No. 7-vs.-No. 8 game and the winner of the No. 9-vs.-No. 10 game will then play against each other. The winner of that game will be the No. 8 seed in the playoffs. The loser will be eliminated from playoff contention.
Beyond the Play-In Tournament, the 2024 NBA Playoffs will follow the typical format, with full best-of-seven series through the NBA Finals.
