Theyre back. The Sixers are in the postseason for a second consecutive year and for the fourth time in five years.
Yes, they will be the seventh or eighth seed, not the preferred fourth seed which belongs to the Boston Celtics after winning the Atlantic Division, but the Sixers are going into the playoffs playing good basketball regardless. There is no substitute for that, nor experience, which this group got last year when they faced the Miami Heat for five first round games.
It is not like this is the first time we have done this, Thaddeus Young said after a brilliant 15-point second half in the clinching win over the Nets. A lot of guys have been to the playoffs three or four times, but it was a breathtaking experience just to get this win behind us and start concentrating on the first round of the playoffs.
I think adversity always makes you stronger if you use it the right way, Doug Collins said of a difficult April that began with a four-game losing streak. "Our guys have all channeled it the right way. Adversity can send you south or it can make you forge together and be stronger. Every team goes through it but I am so proud of our guys. I really really am. They answered the bell and when I looked up there with one minute to go and knew we were going to be in the playoffs it was a very satisfying feeling.
The Sixers have won three straight games but will rest their veteran leaders, Andre Iguodala, Elton Brand, and Lou Williams in their final two regular season contests at Milwaukee and Detroit.
They will continue to monitor the very top of the standings where Chicago has a two-game lead on Miami, but if the Bulls were to lose both at Indiana and home to Cleveland while Miami were to win at Boston and at Washington, then Miami would take over the top seed and Chicago would be second.
An unlikely scenario indeed.
NBA
The Knicks are directly above the Sixers in seventh place with an identical record of 34-30, but New York owns the tiebreaker. Still if the Sixers win one more of their final two games then the Knicks do, those two teams would flip flop in the standings.
New York will host the Clippers Wednesday and play at Charlotte on Thursday. The Knicks will know tonight if they still have a chance at catching the Magic for the sixth seed, but that too is unlikely.
Tonight Orlando hosts the Bobcats, who have lost 21 consecutive games and are on pace to break the 1972-73 Sixers' NBA record for worst winning percentage in a season.
If the Magic win they lock up the sixth seed and will face the Indiana Pacers.
Monday night the Sixers controlled their own destiny, but that is not the case when it comes to their first round playoff opponent. They need to be prepared to play either of the two best teams the Eastern Conference has to offer.
You set yourself up for trouble when you try and pick a team, Andre Iguodala said. Teams can go through hot and cold spells whether we have had trouble with a team or not, if you pick somebody out they can get hot at any time. Whether we are playing Miami or Chicago they are really tough teams who defensively are going to give you fits so we have to be ready to play top notch basketball in order to sneak a win out.
Iguodala and his teammates know the Sixers regular season combined record against Miami and Chicago is 1-6, still they wont be intimidated.
When the playoffs start its a clean slate, everything is zero-zero and you are fighting to get to that next round, Young stressed. We have played well against both teams that we are going to face whether it is the Miami Heat or the Chicago Bulls. I think we will be great. I think we will be fine. We have started playing like the old Sixers we were at the beginning of the season so hopefully we can continue to impose our will.
The old Sixers jumped out to a 20-9 start. The old Sixers topped the 100-point mark nine of their first 17 games and have now done so again in four of their last five contests. But maybe the most valuable lesson to come out of their last five games is when falling behind late in a game they have proven capable of that defensive stop and better yet, capable of making a big shot.
Playing two good games against Indiana I think is going to help us too because they are playing some of the best basketball in the NBA in the second half and we split with them, plus it had kind of a playoff atmosphere which I think will help us out, Iguodala said. But Miami and Chicago have had some good games to get ready for the playoffs as well so I think there are going to be some good matchups as well.
You just have to take it game by game and you have to be able to play tough physical basketball, Evan Turner said coming off a solid 13-point performance on 6 of 8 shooting. And paying attention to detail is key.
Turner also had five defensive rebounds and four assists on Monday.
The Sixers have not advanced to the second round of the postseason since Larry Browns last season as the head coach in 2002-03. In four playoff appearances since, they have bowed out after playing one series having a combined playoff record in those four years of 5-16.
We know what it is about and I think we play well when the stakes are high, Iguodala said having been a part of those last four appearances. It kind of gives us a boost of energy, everybody seems to want to let people know what they can do and show a national television crowd what we are capable of doing but as long as we do it together well be fine.
E-mail Dei Lynam at dlynam@comcastsportsnet.com