Previewing the 76ers Abbreviated Regular Season Schedule

The NBA is back! Well, almost. Last week the league announced the schedule for the remaining regular-season games. Check out the schedule here to see who your favorite team will play when the season resumes.

COVID-19 stopped league play indefinitely on March 12.  Now they have decided to resume games in a “bubble” in Florida starting July 30.

Eight teams will miss out on the resumed season leaving 22 to duke it out. Teams will play eight regular-season games to determine who makes the playoffs.

Season Recap So Far

For the Philadelphia 76ers, this season has been a disappointment. After losing in seven games in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals last year, fans expected a run at the title. Some games they look like one of the best teams, others, not so much. Their inconsistent play led to a 39-26 record before the lockdown, earning them what would be the six seed in the East.

With eight games to determine seeding and get teams ready for the playoffs, the 76ers need to rattle off some wins and gain playoff momentum.

Remaining Games

Below shows the eight opponents the 76ers will play for these seeding games, their opponents’ records, and how the 76ers have done against them so far.

Pacers

The first game against the Indiana Pacers is bigger than it seems. The 76ers and Pacers have the same record, but the Pacers are the fifth seed in the East based on a higher conference winning percentage.

Both teams are two games behind the Miami Heat, who are in the fourth seed. This game could help determine if the 76ers or Pacers will be the five seed and likely play the Heat in the first round.

There is also the possibility this turns into a first-round matchup if the Heat lose a few games and the 76ers and Pacers end up as the four and five seeds. The 76ers can’t afford to lose this game.

Spurs

Their next game is against the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs are one of five Western Conference teams not currently in the playoffs but looking to have a good stretch in the resumed season. On paper, the 76ers should win against a non-playoff team. But this year’s team has proved “on paper” doesn’t mean anything.

Wizards

The 76ers then play the Washington Wizards. The Wizards are the one team in the East outside the playoffs and looking to get in. Again, another “should win”, but nothing can be taken for granted.

Magic

At first glance, there isn’t too much significance in the 76ers game against the Magic. Upon further inspection, it is against a likely playoff team and they’ll want to do well against a quality opponent.

Two side notes worth mentioning: The 76ers have not won against the Magic this year. And Markelle Fultz, who was the 76ers first overall draft pick in 2017, is having a turn-around season with the Magic. He’s averaging 12 points per game and started most of the Magic’s game this season after not living up to expectations in Philadelphia.

Trail Blazers & Suns

The 76ers’ next two games are against the Portland Trail Blazers and the Phoenix Suns, two more Western Conference teams not currently in the playoffs. By this point, both these teams will be out of playoff contention and the 76ers can get two easy wins.

Raptors

The 76ers second to last seeding game is a big one, versus the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors infamously beat the 76ers on a game seven buzzer-beater last season in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. Even after losing Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors are a title contender. This game will be important as it’s near the start of the playoffs and both teams will want to see how they compare. Both are expected to contend against the Milwaukee Bucks for the Eastern Conference Title.

Rockets

The last regular season game for the 76ers will be against the Houston Rockets. This is another game against a quality playoff opponent. It may have big implications in seeding, depending on how the other games go.

There are two side notes about this matchup: The first being the Rocket’s use of a small-ball lineup, while the 76ers having one of the tallest starting lineups in the league, as well as one of the league’s best centers in Joel Embiid. The other note is Embiid and Rockets star, Russell Westbrook, are two of the more entertaining players in the league and have gotten into it in the past.

Can They Do It?

Will the 76ers go undefeated in the seeding games and stroll into the playoffs ready to kick ass? Probably not. But they do need to win a majority of these games to gain momentum and get their swagger back. The East is going to be tough this year and if the 76ers are to have any chance of winning it, it starts with the tipoff versus the Pacers August 1.