Standings Update: Sixers are right where they need to be with 8 games left in the regular season

The Sixers came back from 15 down in the third quarter Saturday night in Charlotte and gutted out a 118-114 win over a Hornets team that had won 23 of its last 29 games.

Embiid posted 29 points and six rebounds. George had 26 points, a season-high 13 rebounds, and four steals. Maxey returned from his finger injury and dropped 26 points and eight assists.

Oubre was back too. All five key pieces on the floor together for the first time in a long time and they went into a hostile building, down big, against a hot team pushing for the playoffs and won without flinching.

The cavalry has fully arrived. We’re back

Me to Sixers fans who are afraid go all the back to believing that they are the best team in the East and that the Spurs/OKC can't stop a healthy Embiid. pic.twitter.com/q6CDl8MJ2D

— Drew Smith (@drewmsmith) March 29, 2026

Sixers gut out a massive 118-114 comeback win in Charlotte, pull within a half game of the 5th seed >>

Sixers Updated Standings:

Seed	Team	W-L	L10
5	Raptors	41-32	5-5
6	Hawks	42-33	8-2
7	76ers ← HELLO	41-33	7-3
8	Magic	39-34	4-6
9	Heat	39-35	4-6
10	Hornets	39-35	7-3

The Sixers are now half a game behind both the Hawks in sixth and the Raptors in fifth. Half a game. A week ago this looked like it might widen. Now they are on a two-game win streak, the teams above them are not pulling away, and jumping to the fifth or sixth seed is a genuine possibility.

The bottom of the picture has also cleared. The Magic and Heat are each going 4-6 in their last ten. The Sixers have two games of breathing room below them. That part of the race is over.

Sixers Remaining Schedule:

Date	Opponent	Location	Opp. Record	Difficulty
Mar 30	at Heat	Away	39-35	🟡 Competitive
Apr 1	vs Wizards	Home	~16-56	🟢 Gimme
Apr 3	vs Timberwolves	Home	44-28	🟡 Winnable
Apr 4	at Pistons	Away	54-20	🔴 Tough
Apr 6	at Spurs	Away	53-18	🔴 Tough
Apr 9	at Rockets	Away	43-27	🟡 Competitive
Apr 10	at Pacers	Away	~15-57	🟢 Winnable
Apr 12	vs Bucks	Home	29-41	🟢 Winnable

Five of these eight games are winnable on paper. Wizards, Pacers, and Bucks are essentially free. The Heat on Monday is competitive but Miami is 4-6 in their last ten and fading. The Timberwolves at home is a real test but winnable with Embiid in the paint.

The brutal stretch is Detroit on the road, San Antonio on Monday, and Houston on Thursday. Three games against playoff-caliber Western Conference teams in six days.

The Pistons at 54-20 are the best team in basketball. The Spurs are not far behind. But the Rockets on April 9 with a healthy Embiid and a full roster? That is a game the Sixers can steal.

Projection is 6-2. Losses at Detroit and San Antonio. Win everything else and the Sixers finish 47-35, a top-five seed and a direct playoff spot with no play-in required.

The Playoff Picture

A 4-4 finish at 45-37 likely means the play-in against the Magic or Heat and then the Celtics if you survive. That is the floor.

A 6-2 finish at 47-35 locks up the fifth or sixth seed, avoids the play-in entirely, and sets up a first-round matchup with the Hawks or Raptors. That is the realistic target. A 7-1 finish at 48-34 puts a top-four seed in play. Unlikely but not impossible.

Nobody in the Eastern Conference wants to draw the Sixers right now. The Pistons, Celtics, Knicks, and Cavaliers have spent this entire season playing against a diminished shorthanded version of this team.

Much like the rest of us, Embiid, George, and Maxey on the floor together at full strength is a rare sight to be seen. Eight games left to build chemistry before it matters for real.

Good luck to whoever is waiting.

Join The Chase