Climbing back up to the top

     When the 76ers lost two games in a row, they needed to bounce back. They were demolished by the Celtics and silenced by the Knicks. They had been second in the conference, but mucky losses dropped they record, and their placement. Looking for answers, the Sixers hosted the Knicks, and they definitely bounced back. 

    Embiid crashed the boards, grabbing 11, while also producing 35 points. Harden also had a solid game with 12 assists and 20 points. Tyrese Maxey was the biggest star of the night, tallying 27 points and shooting five three pointers. He added three steals as the 76ers cruised to a 119-108 victory. 

    The next game was a nail-biter. Embiid and Harden had 37 and 29 respectively, and Embiid hauled in 13 rebounds. Tyrese Maxey did produce 12 points, but the three were the only ones who managed over 6. Then came the nail biter part of the game. It was 101-98 with only a few seconds left on the clock. Embiid and Harden had both drained a pair of clutch free throws. With less than a second left on the clock, former Maverick acquired from a trade with Kyrie Irving, Spencer Dinwiddie launched a bomb from the logo for the win, and nailed it. Doc Rivers was in unbelief. Brooklyn went wild. But the shot was negated, as the ball was technically still in Dinwiddie's fingers as the final buzzer sounded. Literally, if a millisecond was still remaining on the clock, the game would have headed to overtime. But there wasn't a millisecond left on the clock, and the 76ers took away the game. 

Ben Simmons could only watch in regret as Embiid dropped 37 points

Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated  

       Then the Rockets came to the Wells Fargo Center, and didn't prove to be much of a competition. Jalen Green is a phenomenal player, and really is the only good player on the Rockets. Joel Embiid scored 23 points, Harden scored 28, and Maxey scored 26. Maxey dropped four three point field goals and dished six assists. The 76ers easily rolled to a 123-104 victory. 

    The Sixers then hosted the Cavs. The 76ers at one point led by 28, and nailed their first six threes, while the Cleveland couldn't make their first four. The 76ers dominated behind the arc, draining 13 of their 27 attempts, while the Cavs managed 10, and missed 20. The Cavs never led in the game, although they steadily chipped away at the 76ers massive lead, and pulled within 10, and than they made it to trail only by four. But that was the closest the Cavaliers got. The Sixers made 13 free throws in a row to put the game away, 118-122. Donovan Mitchell pushed his team forward in a desperate finish, and ended the game with 33 points, five rebounds, and an equal amount of assists. All five Philly starters had 10 or more points. Joel Embiid led the way with a monster 14 rebounds and 29 points. Harden added 12 assists, and Maxey had 16 points and two three pointers from off the bench. The Sixers ended the Cavs seven game win streak with a close loss following a nervous second half.

    The Sixers are climbing back the Easter Conference ladder. They are ahead of the Cavs and the Nets, the Nets who might not actually win another game this year considering the losses of both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. And Cavs, whom the Sixers already have shown can beat. The 76ers have both the Celtics and the Bucks to take down in order to advance to first in the conference. 

The above photo was taken from a Inside the Heat (from Fan Nation) article. Photo not on page. Photographer not on page. Image taken from here. Image used for commentary.