A lot has happened since the last time I blogged, so let’s get right into it. Although Philadelphia has only gone 2-2 in the past 4 games, the team has finally been able to move past the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference standings, moving up one spot into 5th place. This is, of course, more due to the fact that the Pacers have not won a game since January 29, dropping their last 6 consecutive games. While the Sixers need to be able to “control their own destiny” and move up in the playoff standings due to their own winning and not other teams’ losses, moving up to 5th place is certainly great for Philadelphia. Focusing back on the Sixers and their own games, how did the last 4 games go for them?

When I last wrote, the Sixers were preparing to head to South Beach to take on the the 4th place Miami Heat (who are now directly above the Sixers in the Eastern Conference standings). All season long the Heat have dominated at AmericanAirlines Arena, their home court; they have a record of 22-3 there this season. Led by superstar small forward Jimmy Butler (who spent last season in Philadelphia), the Heat were able to beat the Sixers fairly handily, pulling out a 137-106 victory. Although the game was back and forth for the first half, a season-high 38 points from Jimmy Butler combined with 24 points from point guard Goran Dragic off the bench was too much for the Sixers to handle.

Last Thursday, the Sixers traveled to Milwaukee in hopes of avenging their blowout loss in Miami. However, the Sixers were up against a similar, if not even more difficult, challenge: the Bucks boast a 24-3 record at home this season, the best in the league (the Sixers actually have the second best record at home this year). Led by reigning league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Sixers knew that they had their work cut out for them. Joel Embiid was given the task of defending, or at least trying to contain, Antetokounmpo. However, the latter seemed to win the night, as Antetokounmpo had 36 points and 20 rebounds en route to a 112-101 Milwaukee victory. After being on the road for four games, the Sixers were able to return home and hopefully get back on the winning side.

After a testing road trip, the Sixers opened up the first of 4 home games against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies sit at 8th in the Western Conference, on the fringe of making the playoffs; needless to say, the team has nothing to lose and will try to fight for every win. In typical Sixers fashion, the team was able to pull out a victory on their home court, limiting Ja Morant to 15 points and snapping their 4-game losing streak. Furkan Korkmaz had a career-high 34 points, while Ben Simmons recorded 22 points and 10 rebounds. This was a good bounce-back victory for the Sixers, restoring the confidence in a team that just could not seem to get it going in the prior games.

Finally, the Sixers squared off against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday, who currently are sitting in 10th place in the East. Although they are not one of the best teams the Sixers play, this game could have been seen as more of a “trap” game, one in which the Sixers underestimate Chicago and let a must-win slip away. However, the Sixers were able to take care of business, pulling away with a 118-111 victory and improving their record at the Wells Fargo Center to 24-2. Furkan Korkmaz led the charge with 31 points, while Joel Embiid finished with 28 points and 12 rebounds. This win helped the Sixers solidify their 5th place position in the East, and put them back on a 2-game win streak.

However, as I mentioned before, the Sixers went 2-2 in their past 4 games. Both games they won were at home, while the 2 games they lost were, as I mentioned, on the road. Through their last 9 games, Philadelphia has won every game at home and lost every game away. As I mentioned before, this is a big problem for the team, and it is becoming more and more pressing as the season starts to wind down and we turn our calendars from January to February and, before you know it, to March. The Sixers have 2 more games at home, tonight against the the Clippers and Thursday against the Nets, before heading back to Milwaukee for a rematch with the Bucks. Hopefully Philadelphia can continue their winning ways at home, as well as get their act together when the play on the road; we will have to wait and see!