The Sixers must balance health and winning in final stretch of season

Today, the Sixers sit atop the Eastern Conference at 43-21, winners of four straight.

The team holds a 0.5-game lead over second-seeded Brooklyn, but Philadelphia also possesses the all-important tiebreaker. If the Sixers and Nets finish the season with identical records, Philly gets the first overall seed in the East.

Tonight is the beginning of the end, the first of the team’s final eight scheduled games in this regular season. As you can see, it is an absolute sprint to game 72:

Tonight’s second game of the road back-to-back comes amidst a five games in seven nights span that, while not saturated with the stiffest competition, could prove especially taxing for a Sixers team in a battle for seeding.