Game 72: Monday, March. 24th, 2025
Philadelphia 76ers at New Orleans Pelicans
Final Score: NO 112 – PHI 99
This nightmare season is almost over, and to their credit, the Sixers are doing exactly what they need to do for the remainder of the season. They are even getting blown out by teams below them in the standings. That is some truly excellent tanking. With this loss, the Pelicans actually have an outside chance of catching the Sixers, and the Sixers went all out in their tanking efforts.
Grimes didn’t even play in this one, leaving Guerschon Yabusele the only member on the team who should be seeing NBA minutes. Unfortunately, this loss didn’t come with too many bonuses. Justin Edwards shot 6/18, although the 5/9 from deep is nice. That’ll be his job on this team, and he’s shooting pretty well so far. No one else performed notably.
Steven Lew/Imagn Images
Game 73: Wednesday, March. 26th, 2025
Washington Wizards at Philadelphia 76ers
Final Score: WAS 119 – PHI 112
Taking two losses in a row to two of the worst teams in the league is good for tanking, but it is pretty soul-crushing. We are now beginning to lose to some truly awful teams. It’s almost disappointing not to beat teams of this caliber. Almost.
Grimes had a rare off-game, but in terms of tanking, it was great. Edwards had a nice bounce-back, scoring 19 on 7/15 shooting. His mid–range game has been fantastic, shooting over 50% from 10 feet to the three-point line. It’s a real weapon that should hopefully earn him time on the bench next year, and the bench scoring seems like it should be a real strength for the Sixers. If they retain Grimes, between him, Jared McCain, and Edwards, that’s a bunch of good scorers in one group.
Bill Streicher/Imagn Images
Game 74: Saturday, March. 29th, 2025
Miami Heat at Philadelphia 76ers
Final Score: MIA 118 – PHI 95
The Sixers caught the Miami Heat on a hot streak, which is perfect for their purposes. It was another game that really wasn’t close at any point, but featured some solid performances from important guys. Edwards went 6/10 from the field and 4/6 from three. Grimes was alright. Jared Butler has been getting some run recently and has been playing well. I’m not sure what future he’s got, but hopefully, he’s earning some time somewhere.
Adem Bona was another second-round draft pick who’s been getting a chance. He had the best game of his young career, going 8/9 for 16 points and ten boards. A few people have high hopes for Bona, and if he can become something, this might go down as one of the best draft classes of all time.
This game officially ended the Sixers’ playoff “hopes”. It was a sobering reminder of what this season was supposed to be. While we’ve been cheering every loss in March, it was easy to forget the Sixers were supposed to be a real threat, a Big Three that could take down the Boston Celtics. Now we’re almost at the end, praying for ping-pong balls.
Yong Kim/Philadelphia Inquirer
Game 75: Sunday, March. 30th, 2025
Toronto Raptors at Philadelphia 76ers
Final Score: TOR 127 – PHI 109
Another crucial loss in the race to the bottom. The Raptors were one of two teams the Sixers needed to fall behind to have a good chance to keep their pick, and they did an admirable job of losing to them all four times this season. The Raptors now sit four games clear of the Sixers, and with just seven games to go, it’s unlikely the Sixers will pass them. That means at least a 46% chance to keep their pick, which is not bad for a floor.
Grimes sat, so Justin Edwards was allowed to run wild. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the best of showings, scoring just 12 points on 17 shots. That’s fine, though. They have nothing to lose anyway, so why not let the promising kid run the show and get some experience?
The one worry I have with the McCain, Edwards, and Grimes bench unit is defensively. If they can round that out properly, it has potential, but the Sixers have been really struggling on defense since the tanking began in earnest. It’s something to watch for next year.
Yong Kim/Philadelphia Inquirer
Standings Report
The Sixers are now four games behind the Raptors. Barring a win streak and a Raptors collapse, they should be guaranteed at least the sixth-worst record. While the Sixers have managed to go two weeks winless and have an eight-game loss streak, the Nets managed to win one. Meaning the Sixers have sole possession of the fifth-worst record. It’s still close, but sole possession is nice.
With just how bad the Sixers have been, they’ve actually managed to become a player for the fourth-worst spot. The Pelicans are just two games behind the Sixers now, and are 4-6 in their last ten, including the win against the Sixers at the beginning of the week. That could prove crucial. With the four worst odds, the Sixers suddenly have an 81% chance to keep their pick. New Orleans does, unfortunately, have a pretty rough schedule to finish things off, but the Milwaukee Bucks won’t have Damian Lillard, and the Oklahoma City Thunder might bench literally everyone in game 82 if it doesn’t matter. Fingers crossed.
Patrick Yen is a contributor on Back Sports Page. He has written for NBC, SB Nation, and a few other websites during his journalism career. He has been the Back Sports Page beat writer for the Philadelphia 76ers and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Patrick, a graduate of Ohio State University, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but moved to Columbus, Ohio, early in his life and has lived there ever since. You can find more of Patrick on Twitter @pyen117.
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