Philadelphia 76ers: 5 keys for the home stretch of the regular season

The Philadelphia 76ers have won 12 straight games and counting as the regular season is coming to a close. With four games left, they enter the 2018 NBA Playoffs hot.

The Philadelphia 76ers are on a roll as the regular season comes to its conclusion on April 11. They have won 12 straight games and are currently fourth in the Eastern Conference standings. It’s their first 12-game winning streak since the 1989-90 season, back when guys like Charles Barkley and Hersey Hawkins were running things.

Now, there’s a new sheriff in town as rookie point forward Ben Simmons has emerged as the latest player with star potential and then some. Big man Joel Embiid has played well too, averaging 22.9 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.8 blocks per game this season. He was well on his way to healthy season end before suffering an orbital fracture in his face on March 28, which will sideline him for roughly 2-4 weeks.

Just when everybody was back and healthy, the Sixers’ clean bill of health was wiped away just like that. On the bright side, Markelle Fultz is back and looks to be finding his touch on the hardwood. Fultz is averaging 6.8 points, 4.3 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 16.7 minutes per game through six games. He’ll be a player to keep an eye on as an X-factor off the bench for Philadelphia in the playoffs.

The Philadelphia 76ers still have a season to finish and their biggest test, at least from a playoff standpoint, is the Cleveland Cavaliers Friday night. Here are five keys as the regular season comes to an end next week.