76ers Playoff Watch: Nets Win vs. Heat Impacts Playoff Scenarios

With the night off on Saturday, the Cleveland Cavaliers had an opportunity to punch their tickets to the playoffs, depending on the results of the matchup between the Brooklyn Nets and the Miami Heat.

With a Nets loss, the Cavaliers would’ve been the fourth team in the Eastern Conference to officially clinch a spot in the playoffs, following the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, and the Philadelphia 76ers.

While the Heat were the higher seed over the Nets on Saturday night, holding a 40-34 record, Brooklyn took care of business.

Overall, the Nets knocked down nearly 50 percent of their shots from the field and knocked down 18 of their 40 three-point attempts. With the entire starting five notching double-digits and an impressive scoring outing from Mikal Bridges, the Nets put Miami away with a dominant 129-100 win.

While the Cavaliers are expected to clinch a playoff spot sooner than later, Brooklyn’s success over Miami prevented Cleveland from booking their ticket to the postseason on Saturday.

Impact on the 76ers

As Brooklyn took down the Heat, the two teams swapped seeds once again. As the Nets move back into the sixth seed, they are facing a possible first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Meanwhile, the Heat are in the Play-In picture once again, joining the Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors, and the Chicago Bulls.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.

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