The Philadelphia 76ers have a hugely important matchup with the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday as they continue their race to climb into the top 6 in the Eastern Conference standings. The Sixers are in a great position to make a run as they enter these final nine games relatively healthy with Joel Embiid and Paul George returning to the floor.
Tyrese Maxey has been upgraded to questionable for this matchup–which is a bit surprising. His original 3-week re-evaluation period is set for the end of March so if he can return, it would be a big lift for Philadelphia against this red-hot Hornets team. The winner of this contest will decide the tiebreaker with Philadelphia only a game ahead of the Hornets in the standings.
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Here is a look at the Eastern Conference standings as the Sixers prepare for a showdown in Charlotte:
March 28 East standings
X – Detroit Pistons 53-20 –GB
Boston Celtics 49-24 4 GB
New York Knicks 48-26 5.5 GB
Cleveland Cavaliers 46-28 7.5 GB
Toronto Raptors 41-32 12 GB
Atlanta Hawks 41-33 12.5 GB
Philadelphia 76ers 40-33 13 GB (play-in tournament)
Charlotte Hornets 39-34 14 GB (play-in tournament)
Orlando Magic 39-34 14 GB (play-in tournament)
Miami Heat 39-35 14.5 GB (play-in tournament)
Milwaukee Bucks 29-43 23.5 GB
Seeds 12 through 15 are eliminated from any postseason contention.
Next 5 games for Sixers
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Updated East standings for Sixers ahead of important Hornets matchup