The Philadelphia 76ers have had a fantastic 2022, carrying a 16-7 record and forcing their way up the Eastern Conference Rankings. Joel Embiid has single-handedly taken the 76ers all the way to the 3rd seed. Thanks to a recent trade of disgruntled point guard Ben Simmons for awe-inspiring guard James Harden, the 76ers will only continue to move up the standings.
As we approach push towards the playoffs, it’s time to look at the top 5 remaining games for the rest of the Philadelphia 76ers’ season.
5. March 29th – Bucks @ Sixers
The Milwaukee Bucks will attempt to march into Philadelphia and secure a win against a 76ers team late in the season. Their motivations will either be for seeding reasons or for personal pride. The two teams matched up recently, culminating in a nail-biting 123 – 120 win for the 76ers. MVP favorite Joel Embiid led the Sixers in points (42), rebounds (14), and assists (5), while Giannis Antetokounmpo dropped 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists for a near triple-double in the loss.
The Milwaukee Bucks visit the Philadelphia 76ers on March 29th at 7:00 PM ET.
4. March 7th – Sixers @ Bulls
The 76ers travel to Chicago to take on dark horse MVP candidate DeMar DeRozan in what is sure to be a battle. The Sixers’ won their last game against the Bulls by a score of 119 – 108. Joel Embiid put forth a 40 point 10 rebound game, while DeMar DeRozan dropped 45 points in response. The battle between these two is always something to behold and to add on top of that, there is a battle between the guards with James Harden and Zach LaVine matching up to fill out this star-studded All-Star battle.
The Philadelphia 76ers visit the Chicago Bulls on March 7th, 2022, at 7:00 PM ET.
3. March 5th – Sixers @ Heat
Ex-Sixer Jimmy Butler and his first seeded Miami Heat will attempt to defend his home court against Joel Embiid and master class scorer James Harden. This game will be extremely important for the 76ers for multiple reasons.
First, the 76ers will be testing out their new addition and his fit on the team against the top team in the East, going up against a fantastically coached team under Head Coach Erik Spoelstra. The Miami Heat also have Philadelphia native Kyle Lowry on their team. A player whom many fans and media personnel wanted Daryl Morey to trade Ben Simmons for.
Secondly, this game could end up very important for seeding as the Sixers look to dethrone teams above them in an attempt to move up. Currently sitting at third in the East, the Sixers may look to secure homecourt throughout the playoffs.
The Philadelphia 76ers visit the Miami Heat on March 5th, 2022, at 8:00 PM ET.
2. March 14th – Nuggets @ Sixers
The Denver Nuggets, and the reigning MVP in Nikola Jokic, will come into Philadelphia and face a 76ers team led by Joel Embiid and James Harden. The talk of the game will be the faceoff between the two centers and last year’s top two vote-getters for League MVP. Joel Embiid, who probably would have won if not for an injury, will certainly play with a chip on his shoulder as Jokic is the only real contender for MVP at this time, opposite of Embiid.
With the two bigs going head to head, the media and fans alike will point to this game as a major deciding factor in this year’s MVP race as both Embiid and Jokic are the front runners for the award once again this year. The match between these two alone will make this game must-see Sixers basketball.
The Denver Nuggets visit the Philadelphia 76ers on March 14th, 2022, at 7:30 PM ET.
1. March 10th – Nets @ Sixers
The most exciting regular-season game coming up is undoubtedly the (potential) return of Ben Simmons to Wells Fargo Stadium when the 76ers take on the visiting Nets. Ben Simmons, who notoriously sat out the entire season in an attempt to force the 76ers to trade him, would have to face the 76ers fans he was notoriously sick of playing in front of. The multiple-time All-Star guard would be facing down his former teammates and the fans he turned his back on, and this would singlehandedly propel this game to be one of the most heated games of the entire season.
Beyond just Simmons’ return, Joel Embiid would be former rival turned teammate turned rival once again, Andre Drummond. He would also face former Philly sharpshooter Seth Curry. Curry was having one of the best seasons of his career with the 76ers, while Drummond was having a fantastic year as a backup big to Embiid.
The Brooklyn Nets visit the Philadelphia 76ers on March 10th, 2022, at 7:30 PM ET.
