76ers get an unexpected lottery boost thanks to undrafted big man..
The Philadelphia 76ers had a pretty significant “accomplishment” in their most recent game. Thanks to their 23-point beatdown in the hands of the Heat, they have now been officially eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 2017, putting an official stamp on what has been the most disappointing season from the franchise in recent memory.
Yet the squad barely flinched. The 76ers have already accepted their fate the moment they stopped having the appearance of a functional basketball team in January, and at this point, the franchise is only hoping for good fortune in a rather uncharted territory for this current core — the lottery.
The 76ers are now playing for ping-pong balls, and with just eight outings remaining on their schedule as of writing, they are doubling down on their losing cause to maximize their odds of landing one of the higher picks in the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft.
The 76ers get unexpected help from undrafted big man
It is a must for the 76ers to have a top-six pick at the very least. Otherwise, they would lose their selection to the Thunder as a residual part of a salary dump trade they made nearly five years ago.
Currently, Philly has the fifth-best odds to land the first overall pick with a 10.5 percent chance, giving them a good shot at keeping their pick. However, they cannot afford to risk losing any more ground. After all, they are in a tight race with the Nets, which are only a win ahead of them in the standings.
Brooklyn, however, nearly eclipsed the 76ers in the inverse standings. Last night, they crashed Washington and escaped with a win, much to the detriment of their fans. Of course, this is a huge thing for Philly, and they have one person to thank for.
Drew Timme, an undrafted big man from the 2023 draft class, drained the game-winning shot for the Nets, effectively securing a “win” for the 76ers as well. After having been signed to a standard NBA deal just a few days ago, the Gonzaga product definitely went ahead and proved himself with a rock-solid outing.
Now, it might be peculiar to nitpick on what is seemingly a minuscule detail, but the Philadelphia 76ers will take every Nets win at this point. After all, going from fifth to sixth in the lottery standings is a huge thing because as everyone knows, unprecedented jumps from teams in the lower bracket tend to happen frequently.
Thunder Make NBA History on Saturday, and It’s a Good Omen..
The Oklahoma City Thunder made easy work of the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had another big game in this one, dropping 33 points on 10-of-23 shooting, to go along with seven rebounds, eight assists, a steal and three triples, as he led OKC to a convincing 132-111 victory against Indiana. As pointed out by the NBA, this was the Thunder’s 48th double-digit victory in 74 games played this season so far. OKC made history by becoming just the fifth team to achieve this feat, joining the likes of the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors and the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls. This feat appears to be a good omen for the Thunder, considering how the other four teams that achieved this same record went on to win a championship that same season. Whether or not OKC is able to keep this streak going is anybody’s guess at this point. What cannot be denied, however, is that they’re looking like a very formidable threat to the title this season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Imagn Imagn Saturday’s victory marked the Thunder’s ninth straight win as they improved to 62-12. They have the best record in the entire NBA, and they have already clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference heading into the playoffs.
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