NBA Playoffs – Can the 76ers reach the Finals?

Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons

We’re already deep in the NBA playoffs, with the competition reaching the conference semifinals. And while in the Western Conference things are pretty clear with the Warriors expecting to comfortably reach the finals, on the Eastern Conference we have a really interesting twist of events, with the 76ers playing as nobody predicted. The reason? An unbelievable Joel Embiid that plays at an MVP level and is surprising everyone.

Smiles During the Game

In an interview after the Thursday game, Joel said that “I’m always told that if I don’t smile during the game, I’m either having a bad game or I’m not into it “. Well, there were plenty of smiles in Philly after the 76ers won 116 – 95 ahead of Toronto in Game 3 of the semi-finals, taking the 76ers to a 2 – 1 lead. With a form like that, we could very well expect the 76ers taking their shot at the NBA finals.

The last match was Joel’s second playoff game with 30 points scored, 10 rebounds and five blocks which makes him the second player to achieve such a rating after Kevin Durant back in 2017. For some reason, Embiid wasn’t at 100% in the first two games, making it quite easy for Toronto to neutralize him in Game 1. Then, gastroenteritis made him miss Game 2 which the 76ers were able to win eventually and he really showed his form in Game 3.

Fragile Health

For the 76ers to reach the NBA players they will need the Embiid that showed up in Game 3. He is the one giving the Sixers a solid chance to reach the finals and he is also the centrepiece of the franchise. Doing what very few players his size can – dominate inside, stepping outside, scoring 3s, rebounds, blocks shots, protects the rim and defends from the 3-point line to the rim- Embiid could really give the 76ers a fighting chance.

All these can happen only if his health can keep up with his formidable style of play. He missed one game in the Brooklyn series due to a sore knee and was again questionable for another game. However, Brown answered affirmatively when asked if a healthy Embiid is the best player on the court. Of course, the answer is biased, however, there’s so much that Philadelphia owes to this player depending on Joel’s health. Of course, this means that they need to perfectly calculate his minutes on the court and maximize his efficiency.

What’s Going on in the Other Semi-Finals?

The other semi-final in the Eastern Conference sees Milwaukee and Boston tied at 1 after both teams won their first round 4 – 0. In the Western Conference, it’s business as usual for Golden State that leads 2 -0 against Houston and the same 1 – 1 is registered between Portland and Denver. There’s little doubt that Golden State will have any issues reaching the NBA finals, however, with the incredible form showed by the 76ers, the Bucks just got serious competition.

And as entertaining as it may be for the Eastern Conference to have an unexpected finals contender, the entire situation may play out in Golden State’s advantage after all. A tougher Conference Final for the East will mean they meet a weakened opponent. But as we all know, there’s not a lot you can predict when it comes to the NBA finals.

The conference semi-finals continue tomorrow with game 3 between the Trail Blazers and the Nuggets, as well as the Celtics and the Bucks. Then, on the 5th of May, Golden State will have the chance to make it 3 – 0 against Houston and the 76ers will have the chance to show everyone they have what it takes to further increase the lead against the Toronto Raptors.

Another curious thing is that everyone expected to see certain players shining after LeBron James didn’t make it into the finals. And while everyone had their money on Giannis Antetokounmpo, DeMarcus Cousins or Chris Paul, they are still not firing on all pistons. That’s perfect timing for Joel to make everyone talk about his excellent performance and inspire some extra faith into the 76ers.

Make sure you don’t miss a game of the playoffs and even make things more interesting through sports betting at online casinos. There are plenty of excellent odds you can take advantage of!

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