Sixers’ Joel Embiid Explains Importance of Winning vs. Nets on Wednesday

The Philadelphia 76ers sat in first place within the Eastern Conference more than any other team this season. But as they controlled the number one seed over the last couple of months, the Brooklyn Nets were breathing down their necks.

As the Sixers continued to win games, so did the Nets. Eventually, when the 76ers slipped up and lost a couple, Brooklyn took advantage and got out in front as they snagged the top seed recently.

At this point, the Sixers and the Nets are tied for the top spot in the East with the same record of 37-17. On Wednesday night, the two teams will battle it out for sole possession of first place, and the winner will go up 2-1 and hold the tie-breaker.

Considering the Nets are guaranteed to be shorthanded with James Harden and Kevin Durant out, the Sixers can’t necessarily use Wednesday’s game as a barometer to see how well they match up against the consensus championship favorites within the conference.

However, Sixers star center Joel Embiid recently made it clear that shorthanded or not, winning on Wednesday night is crucial regardless. 

“I think it’s more than a rivalry game because there’s a No. 1 seed in play,” Embiid explained. “We got a tiebreaker that we need. They’ve been playing well. We’ve been playing well. We’ve been winning games. They’ve been winning games. No one seemed to want to lose any games, so you never know. We might have the same record at the end of the season, so having that tiebreaker is important for us. We want the No. 1 seed.”

Embiid and the 76ers might not get bragging rights over Brooklyn with a win on Wednesday because the Nets won’t be fully staffed with their key starters. However, bragging rights isn’t what Embiid’s searching for. 

For months, Doc Rivers, Joel Embiid, and the Sixers made it clear that they want to come out of the regular season holding the top seed for the advantages it brings in the playoffs. Snagging the tie-breaker over Brooklyn could do wonders for Philly in the long run. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_ & Instagram: @JGrassoNBA.