Philadelphia 76ers: Keeping tabs on the rest of the NBA Playoffs

As the Philadelphia 76ers make their first round push, some other interesting storylines have developed around the league.

Can the Philadelphia 76ers win the East? That, for the first time in a long time, seems like a legitimate possibility. They have a 2-1 lead over Miami heading into Game 4 this afternoon, while the rest of the Eastern Conference feels wide open.

There are plenty of talented duos in the East, but Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons are quickly emerging as one of the best. The Sixers’ shooters have been borderline unconscious as well, with J.J. Redick and Marco Belinelli (aside from Game 2) blistering defenses for the better part of the last two months.

As the Sixers continue their trek toward the second round, it’s important to keep track of where other teams around the playoff spectrum stand. There have already been plenty of interesting storylines league-wide, with several tying back to Philly in some way.

(1) Raptors vs. (8) Wizards — TOR leads 2-1

With how the Cavs currently look, there’s a very real chance that Toronto would be the Sixers’ conference finals opponent if they made it that far.

Bradley Beal powered the Wizards to a Game 3 win in D.C., but the Raptors are the better overall team without many of the distractions that seem to be holding Washington back. Don’t expect this series to go beyond six games, and the Raptors are more than capable of pulling this out in five.

(4) Cavaliers vs. (5) Pacers — IND leads 2-1

Things are getting quiiiiiiiite interesting in the midwest. The Cavs’ supporting cast has bottomed out next to LeBron James, leaving the King with very little assistance against a tough, grind-it-out Pacers team.

Victor Oladipo is an absolute stud, while Bojan Bogdanovic continues to put on a two-way show, playing excellent defense on LeBron and knocking down countless big shots in the Pacers’ Game 3 victory.

I won’t bet against LeBron yet, but the Cavs are officially flirting with first-round elimination. Also, former Sixer Thaddeus Young is having a nice series and playing some important defensive possessions on LeBron as well.

(2) Celtics vs. (7) Bucks — BOS leads 2-1

The Celtics cruised through games 1 and 2 despite the absence of Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. Their execution (and sneakily talented starting group) killed the Bucks in Boston, and despite a convincing Game 3 win, it’s tough to trust Milwaukee in this series.

If the Sixers get past Miami, they’ll face the winner of this series in round two. That probably means a road trip to Boston.

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(1) Rockets vs. (8) Timberwolves — HOU leads 2-0

The Timberwolves are an above-average eighth seed that had some misfortune with Jimmy Butler‘s midseason knee injury. Karl-Anthony Towns, however, is a defensive negative that Houston continues to attack in relentless and surgical fashion. Derrick Rose is getting too many minutes, and there doesn’t seem to be much hope for the first-time playoff team.

(4) Thunder vs. (5) Jazz — TIED 1-1

As a Sixers blog, it’s important to acknowledge the fact that Ben Simmons deserves Rookie of the Year. What that shouldn’t do, however, is take away from how special Donovan Mitchell is. The kid is an absolute killer.

The Thunder hold the clear edge in both talent and experience, but Utah is an elite defensive team with a high-end coach and an elite perimeter scorer in Mitchell. OKC has struggled to find consistency all season, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see Utah pull this out.

(3) Trail Blazers vs. (6) Pelicans — NOP leads 3-0

JRUE HOLIDAY SZN. Following up what was a difficult year personally, the former Sixers All-Star has emerged as one of the best defensive guards in the league. His length, next to Rajon Rondo and E’Twaun Moore on the perimeter, has allowed New Orleans to shut down Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum with surprising effectiveness.

Anthony Davis is also good at this basketball thing and Nikola Mirotic hasn’t missed a shot since shaving his beard. There’s a good chance that New Orleans rolls into a round two matchup with Golden State on the highest of notes.

(2) Warriors vs. (7) Spurs — GSW leads 3-0

If the Sixers pull off the improbable and make it to the Finals, Golden State is their most likely opponent. This series in particular has been relatively uneventful, with Golden State’s obvious talent advantage stomping out any sparks the Spurs’ roster can muster.

Our condolences go out to Gregg Popovich and his family. As most of you know, the Spurs’ coach lost his wife of four decades recently, so send whatever positive thoughts you can in his direction.

Next: Sixers intimidating the Heat's intimidators

The Sixers play Miami at 2:30 p.m. ET on TNT or NBC Sports Philadelphia.