CHARLOTTE — The 76ers arrived in the Queen City in the wee hours Thursday morning as the hottest team in the NBA.
Winners of six straight and 34 of their last 44 games dating back to Dec. 9, life is good for the Sixers (46-22). The team that resided most of the season in the shadows of Eastern Conference elites Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics is suddenly receiving its flowers. And with just case.
The Sixers’ trip here begins a brief break from an intense stretch of resume-building victories against some of the NBA’s best teams.
That said, the Sixers would be remiss if they relaxed against subpar competition as they have in seasons past.