The Sixers have kept a chance to finish third in the Eastern Conference, in the play-offs which will begin on April 16, thanks to their victory on Saturday at the expense of the Pacers (133-120), in the wake of Joel Embiid still dominant. The Cameroonian crushed everything in his path, with 41 points in the bag, 14/17 in shots, 20 rebounds and 4 assists. James Harden supported him well (22 pts, 14 assists) by playing fair, the team having been generally very skilful (55.6%).
Behind Miami, guaranteed to finish seeded number 1 and therefore to have the advantage of the floor at least until the final, Milwaukee (2nd), Boston (3rd) and Philadelphia (4th) stand in a pocket handkerchief . They have one game each to play on Sunday to determine their final position, knowing that at this stage the Bucks have a better record (51-30) than their two rivals (50-31). Philly can at best finish 3rd. For that, he will need a victory against Detroit combined with a defeat of the Celtics in Memphis, second in the Western Conference.
Embiid almost guaranteed to finish top scorer of the season
By the way, the Cameroonian pivot, already at the top of the standings (30.4 pts average before this match) is almost certain to finish as the season’s top scorer, ahead of LeBron James (30.27) Giannis Antetokounmpo (29.9). What he hopes will be an additional argument in the race for the MVP trophy, against the “Greek Freak” and defending champion Nikola Jokic (Denver).
