April 7 East playoff picture update after Sixers fell to Heat, face Hawks
The Philadelphia 76ers have two games on the docket as they get set to prepare for the playoffs. They are sitting at 52-28 following a loss to the Miami Heat at home on Thursday and they will now take on the Atlanta Hawks on Friday for the second night of a back-to-back.
The Sixers have nothing to play for, but the playoff picture is not set just yet.
Until the conclusion of the regular season on April 9, we are going to update the Eastern Conference standings and where the Sixers are at on a daily basis while taking a look at who they could face in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Thursday's most prominent games (April 6)
The only game that mattered to the Sixers was their own matchup with the Heat. If they would have won that game, it would have locked the Brooklyn Nets into the No. 6 seed and locked the Heat into the play-in tournament. That would have officially made it Sixers vs. Nets in Round 1 of the playoffs.
Due to the loss to Miami, that means the Heat are still a possible playoff opponent in Round 1.
Friday's most prominent games (April 7)
There are two games that matter to the Sixers. The Nets play host to the Orlando Magic while the Heat are in the nation’s capital to take on the Washington Wizards. Brooklyn and Miami are the only two possible playoff opponents for the Sixers in Round 1.
If the Nets beat the Magic or if the Heat fall to the Wizards, then Brooklyn will officially be locked into No. 6 and they will be Philadelphia’s playoff opponent when the postseason begins on April 15.
Important matchups
Nets vs. Magic (7:30 p.m. EDT)
Heat at Wizards (7 p.m. EDT)
Nets have the inside track
It does appear that the Heat are going to concede the No. 6 seed to the Nets. Miami will hold out Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Kyle Lowry for the contest with the Wizards while Tyler Herro, Kevin Love, and Max Strus are all listed as questionable.
As the Magic get set to take on the Nets, they are listing Wendell Carter Jr. and Moe Wagner as out while Rookie of the Year favorite Paolo Banchero, Markelle Fultz, Gary Harris, and Franz Wagner are all listed as questionable.
April 7 East playoff picture
X-Milwaukee Bucks 58-22 -GB
X-Boston Celtics 55-25 3 GB
X-Philadelphia 76ers 52-28 6 GB
X-Cleveland Cavaliers 51-30 7.5 GB
X-New York Knicks 47-33 11 GB
Brooklyn Nets 44-36 14 GB
Miami Heat 43-37 15 GB
pi-Atlanta Hawks 41-39 17 GB
pi-Toronto Raptors 40-40 18 GB
pi-Chicago Bulls 38-42 20 GB
X- denotes clinched playoff berth
pi-denotes clinched play-in tournament berth
