The recently released schedule for the 2026-27 regular season is exactly what the doctor ordered for the Philadelphia 76ers. Unlike in years past, the team will enjoy a more favorable start to their campaign. One indicator is the fact that they will not be facing an opponent from the Western Conference until their 18th game. However, that "advantage" actually only delays the inevitable and pushes a tougher slate for the team as the season winds down.
Portland will be the first team out West that Philly will face in the upcoming season, and it will come at home. At that juncture, the 76ers will have already concluded Game 17 on their schedule. However, the 76ers have a pretty difficult schedule to end their campaign, as their outings from the middle of March until April will come against Western Conference teams likely to still be jockeying for playoff positioning at that point.
The 76ers will have a tougher end to their regular season schedule
During that period, Philly will face both San Antonio and Golden State twice, and Portland, Minnesota and Denver on the road. The Spurs were the runners-up last season, while the Trail Blazers, Timberwolves, and Nuggets were all playoff teams in 2025-26. The Warriors did not make it to the postseason, but they are surely going to remain competitive with their old but battle-tested core.
Last season, the 76ers actually turned in a respectable record against West opponents, finishing with 18 wins against 12 losses. Be that as it may, their counterparts from the other conference have gotten better this summer, and the particular timing in which they are to face those teams makes their schedule more difficult.
Given how jam-packed the West is, those teams in the running for the playoffs will not be spending a lot of time resting their players. For example, the Spurs are widely projected to duke it out with the Thunder for the top seed. The Nuggets and Timberwolves will want to have home-court advantage to start the postseason. Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers and Warriors could very well be fighting until the last day for a play-in tournament or an outright playoff berth.
The 76ers do have a more generous schedule handed to them this time around, but this late-season challenge against the West is one caveat they will have to deal with. Fortunately, Philly is pretty well-equipped to take on that hurdle. After all, there is a reason why they are penciled in as a strong championship contender in the upcoming campaign.
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