Philadelphia 76ers NBA In-Season Tournament 2023 scenarios: How can Joel Embiid and Co. clinch wildcard?

Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers have been one of the more successful teams in the NBA right now but it has not translated well in the NBA In-Season Tournament. This team finds itself outside looking in the quarterfinals and they are currently third in their respective group.

Bracketed with the Indiana Pacers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks and Detroit Pistons, the Philadelphia 76ers find themselves in the middle of the pack with two wins and two losses.

The Sixers have lost to the Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers but were able to pick up wins against the Atlanta Hawks and Detroit Pistons. With no games left, all eyes are now on the group's final game between the Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers.

The best scenario right now for the Sixers is to be on the wild card and getting to that position will take a lot of maneuvering.

Here are the conditions for the Sixers to make the NBA In-Season Tournament Wild Card:

Cleveland Cavaliers lose to the Indiana Pacers
New York Knicks lose to the Charlotte Hornets
Boston Celtics lose to the Brooklyn Nets

If these three conditions happen, Joel Embiid will make an appearance in the NBA in-season tournament quarterfinals.

Joel Embiid made a fan out of Chet Holmgren

The Philadelphia 76ers visited the OKC Thunder on Saturday, November 25, at the Payom Center in Oklahoma City and both teams didn't disappoint the live crowd.

Even with the loss, the Thunder gave their best against the Sixers with the final score of 127-123.

Beyond the game, this was a measuring stick for Chet Holmgren to size up reigning league MVP Joel Embiid. The Sixers center was at his dominant best with a near-triple double performance of 35 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. He also had four blocks and made 19 of 21 free throws.

“I knew the caliber of player he is. Not only from watching film but also playing against him… Great player," said Holmgren after the game.

The Thunder's rookie center held on his own against Joel Embiid and led the team with 33 points, six rebounds, three blocks and two assists. He admits that the Cameroonian center is tough to guard and welcomes the challenge.

“I feel like we had really good moments of that, but as a team, we have to be better,” Holmgren finished. “That’s what the NBA is about — playing against really good players night in and night out and competing — I feel like we did that tonight.”

The Philadelphia 76ers improve to 11-5 after the win over the Thunder and they will get tested by the Los Angeles Lakers on November 27 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.