For several reasons (most notably, Shamus Clancy’s erroneous Post-It note), many thought that Saturday’s win over the Minnesota Timberwolves was the tipping point. However, due to the NBA’s convoluted multi-team tiebreakers, the official invitation to the postseason would have to wait one more day.
With a record of 42-30, the Sixers’ playoff spot was essentially a fait accompli, and Indiana’s 113-107 victory over Miami Sunday means that the next 10 games (including tonight’s matchup against the Denver Nuggets) are all about positioning. Seeds 3 through 8 in the Eastern Conference are separated by a total of five games, so the next two-and-a-half weeks will determine quite a bit in terms of potential matchups and homecourt advantage.