On March 17th, the Sixers clinched a playoff berth after beating the Milwaukee Bucks 130-125. With 8 games left in their regular season, the Sixers look to claim a good playoff seed.

Despite this security, the team still hopes to face easy opponents in the playoffs. One formidable foe the team would likely not want to meet is the Boston Celtics. In recent years, the Celtics have largely gotten the best of the Sixers, even knocking the Sixers out of last season’s playoffs. Yet, the tide seemed to turn last week when the Sixers beat the Celtics in a nail-biter.

Currently, the Sixers occupy the 3rd seed in the Eastern conference. Should the regular season end today, the Sixers would face the rebuilt Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the playoffs. Supposing they would win that series, they would likely face the Toronto Raptors in the second round. If, before the season ends, the Sixers fall to the 4th seed, they would likely play the Celtics in the first round, and if the Sixers rise to claim the 2nd seed, it is probable that they would play the Detroit Pistons in the first round. The latter situation sounds preferable, though the team’s recent success against the Celtics may show that they are capable of winning a playoff series against them.

As a team, the Sixers are in an odd spot. Since returning from injury, center Joel Embiid has helped the team tremendously. Though, due to poor coaching, slow third-quarters, and shooting inability, the Sixers have begun to landslide, dropping both of their last 2 games. Each game was against an unassuming opponent, and both should have been easy wins. In this final stretch, the Sixers need to overcome their slump and ready themselves for the playoffs. They will want to avoid a repeat of last season’s embarrassing series loss, and Brett Brown will likely be coaching for his job over the next few months.