Mar 8, 2024 - Sports

Without their stars, Sixers keep sliding

Isaac Avilucea

Sixers Tyrese Maxey, left, and center Joel Embiid. — Been awhile since we've seen these two on the court together. Photo: Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

The Sixers are fading faster than Travis Kelce's haircut.

State of play: The team has dropped from fifth to seventh place in the Eastern Conference since losing reigning MVP Joel Embiid to a meniscus injury and star guard Tyrese Maxey to a concussion.

With about a quarter of the regular season remaining, there's still no definitive timeline for Embiid's return, though there's talk of him coming back at the end of the month.

Reality check: If the postseason started today, the Sixers would have to make it through the NBA's play-in tournament for a playoff spot.

That's a huge drop for a team that was a win away from making the Eastern Conference finals last season for the first time since 2001.

What they're saying: The Sixers "look like a lost team" after dropping games to the lowly Nets and Grizzlies, writes Inquirer beat reporter Keith Pompey.

Pompey fears there aren't many more winnable games left on the schedule, including Friday's against the Pelicans.

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Without their stars, Sixers keep sliding

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