The Sixers are hot! They’ve won eight straight, but only advanced one spot in the standings. With no help from the Bucks or Hawks they’re locked into the #7 seed and will host the play-in game on Wednesday against the Heat*. The #2 seed was also wide open today and it looked like no one wanted the opportunity to play the Sixers:

The Knicks locked it up after needing OT against a Bulls team playing for nothing.

I’m not going to lie. I can’t convince myself to believe in this Sixers team. I’ve seen the Joel Embiid pre-playoff injury story play out year after year. But I’d by lying if I didn’t say I kind of love how things are shaping up. The Heat don’t scare me. Play-in Jimmy isn’t Playoff Jimmy. And to get the Knicks in the first round? Give me that alllllll day. No Julius Randle. Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, and Josh Hart will be too distracted getting tickets for Jay Wright and all of his friends. Plus, the last time Thibs came into the Wells Fargo center as a higher seed we sent his ass packing early:

If you don’t think the Basketball Gods (Adam Silver and the script writers) are pushing for Sixers vs. Doc for a right to Embiid’s first Conference Finals ever you don’t know a great storyline.

They’re already sick!

*A Flyers game scheduled for Tuesday night pushes the game back a day.