OAKLAND, Calif. - Unless something unexpected happens, the 76ers will finish with the NBA's worst record.
With eight games remaining, they had a loss cushion of 6 ½ games over the league's second-worst team, the Los Angeles Lakers, before the Lakers' late game Monday night at the Utah Jazz.
So the Sixers needed any combination of having three losses and/or three victories by the Lakers (15-58 as of Sunday) before Monday night's game to finish last.
That would be welcomed for the Sixers' front office that orchestrated a third straight season of sacrificing wins to secure a top lottery pick.