How 76ers Could Clinch Playoff Spot on Sunday

The Philadelphia 76ers will get a day off on Sunday. Coming off of a perfect road trip, which featured three more wins to add to their record, the Sixers can sit back and watch one of their Eastern Conference foes play with an opportunity to potentially clinch a spot in the playoffs.

According to the NBA, if the Miami Heat lose their Sunday night matchup, the Sixers will punch their ticket to the playoffs. The Heat are set to face the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night.

At 38-34, the Heat have been disappointing coming off of a season where they clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference before making a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals.

This season, the Heat are currently placed in the seventh seed, 13 games back from the top spot. While the Sixers could clinch on Sunday with a Heat loss, Miami has a favorable opponent for the night as they will take on the Detroit Pistons.

This year, the Pistons are 16-55 in the East’s last seed. Not only did the Pistons battle with key injuries throughout the year, but they remain in a rebuilding phase. To no surprise, the Pistons are heavy underdogs on Sunday night.

Although the Pistons defeated the Heat earlier this season with an upset 116-96 win, the Heat are still favored this weekend. According to SI Sportsbook, the Heat are favored by 9.5 points.

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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