It was a bit of a rollercoaster on Christmas night, but the Sixers ultimately sent the Massholes home with a big lump of coal after a 118 to 114 road win against the Celtics. Tyrese Maxey had 33 points and Caleb Martin a career-high seven made three pointers. Joel Embiid survived a pregame injury in which he stepped on a security guard’s foot and the Sixers have now won eight of their last 11:

Alright, so three of those wins were against the Charlotte Hornets. The Pistons and Bulls stink. But San Antonio is a good team, Orlando is a good team, and the Celtics are the defending champs, so that was obviously the best win of the season. Embiid, Maxey, and Paul George all played for the second straight game, and you start to see what this team might look like if they can stay healthy and keep everyone on the court. If Tyrese is taking 20+ shots a game and running the offense (and playing like a superstar), then you’re not relying on Embiid to be the guy he was last year or the year before. He can settle for 15 field goal attempts, set screens, patrol the paint defensively, get to the foul line 6-8 times, and manage the knee and face and whatever other injuries are coming down the pike. If you get a big game nightly from just one of Martin, Kelly Oubre, or Guerschon Yabusele, then you’re gonna win enough games to go to the playoffs.

The Sixers are 11-17 right now and a game back from the final play-in spot. Remember, you have to be complete ass to miss the postseason in the modern NBA. If they can claw back to .500, they will get in. They finished seventh last year with a 47-35 record, but the Bulls and Hawks were well below .500 and earned play-in spots. If you look at the East this season, the Wizards, Raptors, Hornets, and Nets are going absolutely nowhere. There are only 3.5 games separating 6th and 10th, so the Sixers can turn it around pretty quickly here. If we’re being honest with ourselves, the #6 seed is entirely attainable, and would likely set up a first round matchup against the Knicks or Magic. Who says no to that? The goals are still attainable, and while we continue to keep the Sixers at arm’s length, we will remain cautiously optimistic about their prospects in the coming year.