NBA Power Rankings: Sixers' Latest Win Streak Earns Notable Jump

The Philadelphia 76ers hit a significant rough patch in November. After getting off to a red-hot start to the year, going 8-2 in the first ten games, the Sixers

The Philadelphia 76ers hit a significant rough patch in November. After getting off to a red-hot start to the year, going 8-2 in the first ten games, the Sixers were the top team in the Eastern Conference for a hot second.

But then injuries happened -- and so did a COVID-19 outbreak. And just like that, the Sixers' hot start to the season turned ice cold. After that 8-2 start, the Sixers went 4-9, picking up their fourth win last Friday against the Atlanta Hawks.

Riding off of the momentum of that tight victory on the road, the Sixers looked to make it two in a row at the start of this week. On Monday, the Sixers faced the Charlotte Hornets in the first matchup of a two-game series on the road.

For the first time in a month, the Sixers won two-straight games as they took down the Hornets in overtime. On Wednesday night, the Sixers and the Hornets met once again for a rematch, and Joel Embiid and the 76ers put them away for a second-straight game. Just like that, the Sixers are on a three-game win streak and are beginning to earn some credibility on the power rankings once again.

Last week, CBS Sports' Colin Ward-Henninger considered the Sixers to be a top-20 team barely. While absences and a lack of chemistry due to the number of injuries the Sixers have dealt with definitely played a role in their recent struggles, there was no doubt the Sixers haven't looked good lately.

However, they recently went from barely cracking the top-20 to cracking the top-10 in Ward-Henninger's latest power rankings.

Reason for the Rank

"The 76ers picked up three wins this week, first beating the Hawks and then earning back-to-back victories over the depleted Hornets. Despite admitting that he's still nowhere close to 100 percent following a bout with COVID, Joel Embiid put up absurd averages of 34.3 points, 11.7 rebounds and five assists this week on 55 percent shooting. Tobias Harris only played in two of the games, but averaged 19.5 points and 8.5 rebounds on 4-for-10 3-point shooting."

Who's Out in Front?

The Sixers have a long way to go before they earn themselves one of the top spots again in power rankings around the net. While they place 10th overall in CBS Sports' list, they place sixth behind Eastern Conference squads.

Two spots ahead of the Sixers are the shockingly impressive Cleveland Cavaliers. Right in front of the Cavs are the Miami Heat and the defending champions, the Milwaukee Bucks. Then, ranked in the fifth and fourth spots, which is the top for the East, are the Brooklyn Nets and the Chicago Bulls.

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