76ers Complete Comeback in San Antonio in 2OT Thriller
Photos by Tim Heitman/NBAE via Getty Images
The 76ers won their 5th straight game on Sunday Night, taking down the Spurs in a double-overtime thriller winning 133-126. The Sixers snagged the 7 seed in the East for the time being after Miami’s loss to Indiana earlier in the day.
Tyrese Maxey had an absolutely astounding performance, shooting 100% from the FT line to notch his 3rd 50+ point performance of the season. His 52-point game was his career-high and he was able to stay disciplined and energized despite playing an exhausting 53 minutes. Maxey was without multiple weapons, including Tobias Harris, Kyle Lowry, and Joel Embiid, and to be able to will the team to victory despite being down for most of the game to this 19-win team showed his leadership and will to win.
Nic Batum was one of the X-Factors in Sunday’s win against San Antonio. Batum drilled multiple clutch 3-pointers to keep the Sixers alive. He nailed a go-ahead 3-point jump shot with 9.1 seconds remaining in the 4th to go up 109-108. Batum also hit an electrifying corner 3 with 1:24 remaining in 2OT to put the dagger into the heart of the San Antonio faithful.
With only 3 games remaining in the season, Philadelphia still is in the Play-In Tournament but is so close to getting out of it. Philly takes on a 13-win Detroit Pistons on Tuesday, the 3-seeded Orlando Magic on Friday, and the eliminated Brooklyn Nets next Sunday. The Pacers are just 1 game ahead of the Sixers and Indiana has to take on Toronto, Cleveland, and Atlanta in their final 3 games. Toronto and Atlanta should be rather easy wins for the Pacers, but the Cavaliers could cause a serious issue for them. However, Indiana has to lose 2 of their final 3 and the Sixers have to win out in order for Philly to snag the 6 seed due to the tie-breaker being held by the Pacers.
Needless to say, the 76ers are going to need a miracle to stay out of the Play-In Tournament, so should they play Miami, they need to bring their A-game to make sure they play a cold Milwaukee, Orlando, or New York in the 1st Round of the Playoffs. If Philadelphia loses in the 1st Round of the Play-In, they would play either Chicago or Atlanta in a battle of who plays the Boston Celtics, which if we’re being realistic, is an automatic elimination.
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