Could 76ers Play Mac McClung, Jaden Springer vs. Hawks?

At this point in the regular season, the Philadelphia 76ers don’t have anything to play for. On Wednesday, a Boston Celtics victory over the Toronto Raptors solidified the Sixers as the third seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. Therefore, staying healthy is the key moving forward.

The Sixers didn’t play it overly safe on Thursday night with the Miami Heat in town. Although three players were on the injury report, only Tyrese Maxey was ruled out.

The usual starting five, along with De’Anthony Melton, got some run into the third quarter on Thursday. With the Heat up big, Doc Rivers and the Sixers didn’t see a need to keep guys rolling, which would be a considerable health gamble at this point.

By the fourth quarter, James Harden was the only starter to see minutes on Thursday. After his two-minute shift, Doc Rivers cleared the bench and allowed the reserves to get to work.

After the game, Rivers hinted that could be a trend as the season winds down.

“The G League team is up seven. That’s very important. I’ll let you figure that one out,” Rivers told reporters during his postgame press conference on Thursday night.

Rivers alluded to the fact that after Thursday’s NBA G League Finals matchup, the team’s younger prospects could potentially be available as early as Friday, depending on how the game would shake out.

A Delaware Blue Coats victory would mark the end of the season, with the Coats claiming their first title. A Rio Grande Valley Vipers win would even the series at one, putting another matchup on the schedule, which would put both teams in a do-or-die matchup for the title.

Fortunately for the Sixers, their G League squad took care of business on Thursday night. With the Finals in the rearview, prospects such as Mac McClung, Jaden Springer, and Louis King could suit up for the Sixers as early as Friday night's game against the Atlanta Hawks.

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