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76ers vs. Heat Could Decide Philly’s First-Round Opponent

The results of the 76ers vs. Heat matchup on Thursday could decide the Sixers' first-round opponent.
Justin Grasso|
76ers vs. Heat Could Decide Philly’s First-Round Opponent
76ers vs. Heat Could Decide Philly’s First-Round Opponent

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Philadelphia 76ersMiami Heat

The Philadelphia 76ers found out on Wednesday night that they will enter the 2023 NBA Playoffs as the Eastern Conference’s third seed.

While the Sixers were likely to garner the third seed for the last couple of weeks, the second seed was still a possibility going into Wednesday night.

However, a Boston Celtics victory over the Toronto Raptors allowed the Celtics to win the Atlantic Division and lock up the second seed. 

At this point, the top five seeds in the East are established. The sixth seed is now a battle between the Brooklyn Nets and the Miami Heat. And the Sixers’ Thursday night matchup in South Philly could have an impact on the scenario.

If the Sixers defeat the Miami Heat on Thursday, it would do the Nets a favor and allow them to clinch the sixth seed in the East. If the Heat win, they avoid the Play-In Tournament for another day while keeping their sixth-seed hopes alive.

The Sixers and the Heat are set to tip off at 7:30 PM ET. 

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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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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