The Sixers are very good. No one will deny that.
The Sixers have been very lucky. This is something that should also be taken into account.
Philadelphia got fat on all the cupcakes they were served at the end of their regular season schedule. They, impressively, did what a good team was supposed to do in that situation, but the low quality of their competition could not be denied.
They won as Cleveland struggled, and rose to third seed while the Cavs flailed their way down to fourth. They managed to avoid LeBron James in the playoffs and face a Miami Heat team with Hassan Whiteside playing the type of basketball that had him out of the league after two years.