Joel Embiid's Dominance vs. Cavaliers Helps Sixers Clinch Playoff Berth

The Philadelphia 76ers are playoff-bound for the fifth-straight season.

Going into this weekend's slate of games, the fourth-seeded Sixers had an opportunity to clinch their spot in the NBA Playoffs for the first time on Saturday afternoon.

With the Charlotte Hornets in town for their fourth and final matchup against the Sixers on the season, Philadelphia had an opportunity to punch their ticket to the postseason with a victory over the Hornets and a Cleveland Cavaliers loss to the New York Knicks.

The Sixers took care of business on their home court as they dominated the Hornets and picked up a win. However, the Cavaliers delayed their trip to the playoffs as Cleveland took down the Knicks with ease.

With the Cavaliers winning on Saturday, Sunday's game between the Sixers and the Cavaliers became a lot more interesting as a Philly win on the road would lead to the Sixers making their trip to the playoffs official.

At first, the Sixers didn't look like they had it on Sunday. Through the first half of action, the Sixers shot 30-percent from the field and just 27-percent from deep. After the first two quarters, they trailed 55-49.

Coming out of the half, the Sixers bounced back. Thanks to an impressive 14-point showing by Joel Embiid in the third quarter, the Sixers managed to outscore the Cavaliers 32-25, so they could take a one-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Once again, the battle remained tight throughout the rest of the game. As Embiid continued to put the Sixers on his back as he scored 13 of the team's 31 fourth-quarter points, the Sixers' star center seemed willing to do whatever it takes to secure the Sixers a win so they could clinch a playoff berth.

It wasn't easy, but the 76ers got the job done. With a 112-108 victory, the Sixers defeated the Cavaliers for the fourth time this season. With that victory, the Sixers solidify their spot in the 2022 NBA Playoffs before approaching the regular season's final week.

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