The Sixer Sense
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The Philadelphia 76ers have arrived, folks

By Christopher Kline

PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 6: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers controls the ball against LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first quarter at the Wells Fargo Center on April 6, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 6: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers controls the ball against LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first quarter at the Wells Fargo Center on April 6, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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The Philadelphia 76ers are in sole possession of the third seed and control their own destiny down the stretch.

WHAT. A. WIN. The Philadelphia 76ers, excatly two years removed from the resignation of Sam Hinkie, moved into the third seed with a thrilling 132-130 win over LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night. With three games left, they officially control their own destiny.

There are a lot of things to digest here, but it’s nice to sit back and appreciate how far this Sixers team has come.

A few months ago, they looked utterly lost whenever Joel Embiid was off the floor. Now they’re in the midst of a 13-game win streak, winning five straight in his absence. They just beat the Cavs in a game with significant playoff implications as their best player — an arguable top 10 MVP candidate — sat on the bench with a swollen eye.

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Are the Sixers favorites in the Eastern Conference? No. Can they beat the Cavs in a seven-game series? I wouldn’t bet my house on it.

But none of that matters, because the Sixers are legit. They’re talented enough to make serious noise in the playoffs, and this is just the beginning of what should be years of success. Markelle Fultz is barely scratching the surface of what he’s capable of. Ben Simmons still has areas he can improve as well.

The Sixers’ two best players are 24 and 21, yet here they are with a legitimate path to the Conference Finals. Getting there is far from a guarantee, but they’re more than capable of winning a couple of series and meeting the Cavs (or Toronto, but probably the Cavs) in the third round.

Given where this team stood last season, the mere possibility of that happening is a huge step in the right direction.

It is, of course, worth noting that the Sixers aren’t flawless. Even with Embiid on the floor, their bench can run hot and cold sometimes. Marco Belinelli kept the Sixers’ in front with his third-quarter shooting last night, but he also gave up buckets galore on the other end.

There’s always a level of uncertainty with a core as young as Philly’s, and their collapse against Cleveland was a good example of that. They were up 30 at one point in the FIRST HALF. As we all know, they won by two.

With all of this in mind, though, the Sixers’ arrival on basketball’s biggest stage is still the prevailing theme. They may or may not win a series or two in the playoffs, but that isn’t the point. The Sixers — who many projected as a sub-.500 team entering the season — is establishing itself among the conference’s best.

Next: Sixers have 3 All-Defense worthy players

The next 5-10 years could be one heck of a ride.