Sixers' Embiid: 'I want home-court advantage' in playoffs
Sneaking into the NBA playoffs with a bottom-four seed just isn't good enough for Philadelphia 76ers All-Star Joel Embiid.
He has bigger goals in mind for the remainder of the 2017-18 campaign.
"I want home-court advantage," said Embiid following Philadelphia's convincing 116-105 victory over the Orlando Magic on Saturday, according to Philly Voice's Kyle Neubeck.
The Sixers currently hold the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 32-25 record, boasting four more wins than they accrued all of last year. This places them just one game behind the Washington Wizards for fourth, and 2.5 games back of the third-place Cleveland Cavaliers.
Finishing with a top-four record in the East would guarantee Philadelphia begins the opening round on its home floor. Considering the club's lack of success on the road (13-15) compared to its 19-10 record at the Wells Fargo Center, it could be the difference between an early exit or a surprising run.
Qualifying for the playoffs would be monumental for the franchise, as it's been six long years since it last participated. The 76ers won just 10 games in 2015-16, finishing with the third-lowest winning percentage (.122) in league history.
The last time Philadelphia secured home-court advantage was in 2002-03 (48-34) with Allen Iverson in tow, two years after advancing to the Finals.
Embiid notched his 30th double-double of the season against Orlando, scoring 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting while grabbing 14 rebounds in just 27 minutes.
The 76ers have strung together seven consecutive wins, and will play the second game of a back-to-back Sunday on the road against the Wizards.