April 08, 2017
The Sixers didn’t play on Friday night, but there were still draft lottery implications all over the NBA. As we hit the home stretch of the season, there will be daily updates of the race to the bottom and the Sixers’ place in it. Let’s get right into it…
• Knicks lose to Grizzlies, 101-88 (bad for the Sixers, but an even worse beat for everyone who took Knicks +12.5)
• Mavericks lose to Spurs, 102-89 (bad)
• Pelicans lose to Nuggets, 122-106 (bad)
• Timberwolves lose to Jazz, 120-113 (bad)
• Suns beat Thunder, 120-99 (bad)
• Lakers beat Kings, 98-94 (FANTASTIC)
If you were going to pick one game and one game only to go the Sixers’ way, it was Lakers-Kings, aka “Hinkie Bowl.”
With Russell Westbrook laying an egg in the desert on Friday night and the Phoenix Suns breaking their long losing streak against Oklahoma City, the Los Angeles Lakers had a golden opportunity to get back in the race for the second-most ping-pong balls at the NBA lottery. In a poorly played game that was on the seesaw late, the Lakers won their third straight overall by beating the Sacramento Kings, 98-94. Magic Johnson traded for Corey Brewer at the deadline and he sure came up big!
I joked on Twitter that this is the Sixers’ biggest win of the season, but it was a two-game swing in the Tankathon race for the Process. On a night when literally nothing else went right for the Sixers, the Sacramento Pick-Swappers stayed tied for the seventh-worst record and the Lakers stayed at third.
538 projects the Suns, who finish up their schedule against fellow tankers Dallas and Sacramento, to finish one game worse than the Lakers in the standings. We will see if that happens, but Friday night was certainly a big step.
• Sixers vs. Milwaukee
• Orlando vs. Indiana
• New Orleans at Golden State
On Saturday night, the Sixers will play their second of three straight games against Central Division teams battling for the 5-8 seeds in the Eastern Conference. Orlando, the team they are tied with, are in the same exact situation. My guess is that both teams will lose, but that is why they play the games…
Yesterday, I got 4 and 6 for the Sixers. Today, it was 5 and 6. At this moment in time, would likely mean two of Malik Monk, De’Aaron Fox, Dennis Smith, Jonathan Isaac, and Frank Ntilikina for the Sixers to draft.
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
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