The Sixer Sense
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Against all odds, the 76ers are becoming the next Juggernaut

PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 24: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on during the game against the Miami Heat in Game Five of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on April 24, 2018 at Wells Fargo Center 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 24: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on during the game against the Miami Heat in Game Five of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on April 24, 2018 at Wells Fargo Center 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)

After winning 20 out of 21 games and nine straight on the road, the young, improving Philadelphia 76ers are becoming the next sports Juggernaut.

“Juggernaut”: Any large, unstoppable force, power, or popular movement which defeats or destroys any person who gets in its way or attempts to stop it; as, for years the Notre Dame football team was an unstoppable juggernaut” ~ Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary.

Many will pooh-pooh this suggestion, as the Philadelphia 76ers have only won one playoff series, but the indications are that something special is happening with this team beyond having a cast of overachieving players. It could be one of the most historic sports stories of all time.

The 76ers have dominated losing teams, especially those in the Eastern Conference (23-2), but consider some of the dominating moments against the winning teams that they have played in 2018:

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April 24: Tied at halftime at home, the 76ers outscored Miami 41-23 in the third period and into the fourth to help them win their first playoff series in six years 4-1.

April 19: Up by two after three quarters, the 76ers outscored the Heat in Miami by 18 (32-14) in the fourth.

April 14: Down by four at the half, the 76ers outscored the Miami Heat by 31 in the second half, making 64.6 percent of their threes on the game and setting a team playoff record of 18 threes.

April 11: With Milwaukee needing a win to maintain sixth-place in the East, the Sixers blew them out of the Wells Fargo center, leading the Bucks by 36 points at halftime. With the win, the Sixers secured third-place in the East.

  • April 6: With third-place on the line, the Sixers built a 30-point lead against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, then almost lost the lead, but won the game down the stretch, all without Joel Embiid.

    • March 26: Trailing Denver by eight at halftime, the Sixers outscored the Nuggets 72-45 (+27) in the second half. The Nuggets would go on to win their next six games.

    March 24: Leading Minnesota by seven at halftime, the Sixers doubled up the Timberwolves in the third quarter 39-19. The T’wolves were playing the second game of  back-to-back games and did cut the lead down to nine, late in the game.

    March 4: At Milwaukee, the Sixers blew a 20-point first-quarter lead and a 19-point third-quarter lead to lose 118-110. A season-high 26 turnovers led to the loss.

    March 1: In their third road game in five nights at Cleveland, the Sixers beat the Love-less Cavaliers 108-97 with only nine turnovers.

    February 14: Trailing by 23 at the half, the Sixers outscored Miami 65-40 in the second half to win 104-102 in Philly without Joel Embiid.

    January 26: At San Antonio, the Sixers outscored the Spurs 49-31 in the first half and held them to season lows for points in a quarter (13), half (31) and game (78).

    January 20: Outscoring Milwaukee by 32-14 in the fourth period, the Sixers manhandled the Bucks for their third-straight blowout win 116-94 in Philly.

    January 18: At Boston (first place), the Sixers led by 21 points in the fourth-quarter to beat the Celtics 89-80 despite 22 turnovers.

    January 15: At home against second-place Toronto, the Sixers led by 21 in the fourth quarter and held on to win 117-111.

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    Outlook

    Slowly but surely, the 76ers are establishing themselves as a dominant force despite their flaws. Most notably, they are young, inexperienced, and prone to turnovers. Their athletic performances sometime resemble the comedic acts of the infamous team of a century ago – the Keystone Kops (1912-1917).

    Their hair-pulling win (27 turnovers) in the fourth playoff game at Miami would make any escape artist proud. Surprisingly, coach Brett Brown still has some hair left. But like the Philadelphia Eagles this year, the Sixers find a way to win despite adversity. The dominant mentality remains when the execution goes haywire.

    They still need some work to become the Harlem Globetrotters of the NBA. But the future is pointing toward an “unstoppable force”, capable of blowing out any team on any given night on a regular basis.

    Next: 5 reasons Ben Simmons is already elite

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