Philadelphia 76ers: The Sixers have reached a huge breakthrough

On Thursday, January 18th, the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Boston Celtics 89-80, part of a major break-through for Philly.

Captained by Joel Embiid’s 26 points, 16 rebounds, and 6 assists, the Philadelphia 76ers were able to knock off their historic rival, the Boston Celtics Thursday night by a score of 89-80.

A win on any night leaves a satisfying taste in a team’s mouth. However, the Sixers might as well be guests at a savory dinner from all the satisfying flavors of success to reach their metaphorical palate lately.

This reached a peak on Thursday evening. Here is why the Philadelphia 76ers have just reached a huge breakthrough.

(Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) /

Avenging Demons

The Sixers finished near the cellar of the NBA for the entirety of the Brett Brown era, and by extension, have struggled against most teams. However, because of division familiarity, struggles against the Toronto Raptors and the Boston Celtics seemed ultra-salient for the Sixers.

Over the past four seasons, the Sixers are a combined 4-28 against the Raptors and Celtics (they are an identical 2-14 against both squads). However, two of those four wins came in a recent four-day stretch, as the Sixers have beaten both the Raptors and Celtics this week.

Yes, the Sixers have as many wins this week against the Raptors and Celtics as they have had the four seasons prior. This could be a huge step in a fortune reversal for these two rivalries.

Wins over Toronto and Boston are even more paramount this season specifically, as the two teams populate the top two seeds in the Eastern Conference. If the playoffs started today, the Sixers would square off against the Celtics in the first round. Getting a confidence-boosting win in the season-series finale, especially on the road, should do wonders for the Sixers’ confidence in a hypothetical first-round matchup.

It’s important to note that before these two wins, the Sixers had lost to both the Raptors and Celtics fairly recently. On January 11th, the Sixers coughed up a 22-point lead in London only to fall to Boston, 114-103. Shortly before Christmas, the Sixers were swept in a home-and-home with Toronto, with one of the losses featuring another Sixers big lead blown.

Philly showed short-term memory by picking up these two wins. This is a crucial lesson learned for any young NBA team.

Quite the breakthrough.

(Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images) /

Joel Embiid’s status on (and off) the court

Joel Embiid’s status on and off the court is as great as ever.

On the court, Embiid has earned the ultimate respect. Thursday night, Embiid was named an Eastern Conference starter. The Sixers haven’t had an all-star starter since Allen Iverson in 2006.

Because of the nature of NBA All-Star voting, Embiid’s campaign to play in the showcase this season has been highly publicized. Fan voting has deepened the connection between Embiid and his voters.

Therefore, when Embiid was denied his first all-star trip last season, it was taken personally. The vigorous campaign to get Philly’s star into the All-Star game finally pulled through Thursday evening.

One of the reasons Embiid wasn’t voted into the All-Star game last season was because of health. Hopefully, those critics who hang their hat on Embiid’s health concerns will start to quiet down as this season passes.

Thursday night seemed to be a significant step in that direction, as it marked Embiid’s 32nd game of the season. While this may seem insignificant, it’s one more game than Embiid appeared in over the entire 2016-2017 NBA season, and there are still 41 games to go in 2018.

A vault into the All-Star starting lineup and an incremental victory over the health narratives.

Quite the breakthrough.

(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

Rising in the standings

After a solid start to the season, the Sixers began to cool off and fall below the playoff line.

The Sixers win on Thursday night slid them back into the East playoff picture with a record of 21-20. The win also put the finishing touch on the first half of the regular season.

As the regular season now inches toward its twilight, it’s crucial for teams to float above the playoff line. No team wants to fall victim to a “too-little-too-late” scenario. The Sixers look primed to stay above the playoff line, as they have already faced their brutal part of the schedule and still are in the playoff mix.

In addition, the Sixers rose above the .500 mark Thursday for the first time since December 12th: a 118-112 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Before the calendar turned to 2018, the Sixers dropped to as many as four games below.500.

Just as winning can be contagious, losing can be as well. The Sixers were able to vaccinate themselves against the losing virus and nurse themselves back to plus .500 health, even without their best outside shooter, J.J. Redick who missed the game due to a leg injury suffered in the game prior.

Back over .500 and back in the playoff picture.

Quite the breakthrough.

So, Thursday was more than just an average mid-January win for the Sixers. When looking at the big picture, the Sixers most recent win was huge. Next up, the team will open their second half of the season Saturday night at home against the Milwaukee Bucks.

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Let the playoff chase begin.