76ers win 14th straight, secure first 50-win season since 2001

"The Process" continues for the Philadelphia 76ers, who won their 14th straight game Sunday afternoon - a 109-97 victory over the Dallas Mavericks - and secured their first 50-win season since 2001. It's just Philadelphia's third 50-win campaign since 1986, while the team also guaranteed home-court advantage in the first round by clinching a top-four seed in the East for the first time since 2003.

Philadelphia's 14-game winning streak ties the Houston Rockets for the third-longest streak of the NBA season, behind the Rockets' 17-game streak and the Boston Celtics' 16-game streak. It also matches the second-best winning streak in franchise history; the longest came in 1966, when the 76ers won 18 in a row.

After dropping as low as 15-19 early in the season, the 76ers surged back, winning 35 of their next 46 games, giving them the second-best win total in the league since Dec. 30. And since the 14-game streak began March 15, Philadelphia has been dominant on both ends of the floor, ranking in the top four in both offense and defense.

Rookie Ben Simmons has led the way, averaging 14.7 points, 10.1 rebounds, 10.9 assists, and two steals during the streak. And the 6-foot-10 point forward has continued to produce without the services of All-Star teammate Joel Embiid over the last six games, as the center has been out with an orbital injury.

The overall improvement for the 76ers has been impressive, considering they were a a bottom-four team in each of the past four seasons. They currently have the fifth-best record in the NBA despite missing Embiid for 17 games so far.

With veteran J.J. Redick surrounded by a gigantic lineup of Simmons, Embiid, Robert Covington, and Dario Saric - all four stand at least 6-foot-9 - the Sixers have dominated the opposition with a league-leading 21.4 net rating (minimum 300 minutes played). The midseason additions of Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova have also made a significant difference, as the team has won 18 of 21 games since the latter debuted.