On March 8, the 76ers played away against the Heat.

This game is a focus battle, and it is even thought that it may be a preview of the Eastern Conference Finals. The two sides are indeed very anxious, and the point difference is always within ten. You chase me.

It's just that the 76ers lost in the end.

In three consecutive games, the 76ers all lost. Although the opponents are not weak, the Heat are the defending champions, but it still makes people feel a little strange.

After all, the 76ers are No. 1 in the East.

It’s just that no one knows that although the 76ers have lost three games in a row, the team, both the coach and the players, are calm and calm as usual.

Because the 76ers' goal now is the playoffs, for them, the last period of the regular season is training, improving themselves, the record is not important.

Anyway, they have already locked the playoffs.

As for the playoffs?

This is not very important for the 76ers, because their goal is the Eastern Conference championship, so no matter which team they encounter, they can only move forward.

But the outside world is talking about it.

"What's the matter with the 76ers? Losing three games in a row was not common before."

"I don't know, maybe it's because the playoffs are coming. They have locked the playoffs anyway. In order to avoid injuries, or to save energy to deal with the playoffs, so don't pay much attention to these games."

"Well, it's possible. The 76ers actually have a chance to win these games, but it doesn't seem to be too hard."

"I feel that there are some problems with the 76ers' style of play during this period. In these few games, the 76ers have played very personally. They played at their own pace. The opponents they encountered were different, but they did not change."

"I also found out. For example, although the opponent is focusing on defending three-pointers, Qin still makes crazy three-pointers, throwing more than a dozen three-pointers in a game. Sometimes the chances are actually not good; for example, Butler can obviously hit the basket. He always chooses outside shots; and Leonard, who should be used as an auxiliary, is the third and even fourth point in the main lineup, but Qin always feeds him... ."

All these make fans wonder.

......

On March 10, the 76ers beat the Eagles away to end their three-game losing streak.

But just a day later, the 76ers played away against the Nets, but lost to the Nets by 5 points, which surprised the fans.

In the next few games, the 76ers have lost and won.

But in general, after entering March, the 76ers' winning percentage has dropped a lot, even less than 50%.

You have to know that before the 76ers, I had the highest winning percentage in the Eastern Conference, staying above 70%, which was a drop of more than 20%.

The decline in winning rate is accompanied by a decline in record rankings.

On March 18, after the 76ers lost at home to the Trail Blazers, the 76ers' record became 44 wins and 22 losses, falling to the top of the Eastern Conference.

The Bulls surpassed the 76ers in one fell swoop, with 45 wins and 21 losses, topping the Eastern Conference.

Ranked third is the Heat, fourth is the Knicks, fifth is the Pacers, sixth is the Eagles, seventh is the Celtics, eighth is the Nets, and the next one is followed by the Celtics. Bucks, Raptors, Pistons, Wizards, etc...

"Hey, I didn't expect that the regular season was almost at the end. It's a shame that the 76ers dropped to the top spot in the Eastern Conference."

"During this time, their record has declined severely, and it is not surprising that they were surpassed by the Bulls."

"To be honest, I feel that the 76ers have been playing very problematic during this period. It is weird. It is very different from before the All-Star Weekend. Whether it is Qin, Butler, Leonard, or the overall tactics of the team. The style of play is very different."

"Let me say that the 76ers are floating. After all, it is a group of young people. With a little performance, they swelled. When they saw that entering the playoffs was already a certainty, they began to relax and lose the spirit of fighting. I will put it today. Let me put it here, a team like this will definitely not go far in the playoffs."

Seeing the 76ers fall to the first place in the Eastern Conference, many fans felt sorry, some disappointment, and some black fans. They felt that they had found a chance again, and they started to spray, and they also called the 76ers. In this way, the playoffs will definitely pull the hips.

However, in the eyes of many nba team coaches, it is a different view.

......

Miami.

In the Heat's training arena, players are training, coach Spoelstra and two assistants are talking about the 76ers.

Assistant coach Dan Craig said: "The 76ers have been surpassed by the Bulls. If the 76ers can't break out in the last period of time, I'm afraid the Eastern Conference will be completely out of play."

"Does it matter whether it’s the number one in the East?" Another assistant, Bob McAdoo, smiled: "In the 10-11 season, the Bulls had a record of 60 wins and 22 losses, ranking first in the East, only second in the league. The Spurs of No. 1 missed one game. What a glorious one, but what happened in the end? They weren't killed by us 4:1."

"Hehe, that's true." Craig also smiled.

The reason why the nba team will pursue high regular season records is to ensure that it enters the playoffs, and the other is to enter the playoffs after the home court advantage and the advantage in the playoffs.

The two teams encountered in the playoffs. The team with the better record has home court advantage, and the team with the lower record will face the team with the lower record. In theory, the team with the lower record is weaker.

Of course, this is only theoretical.

If the regular season record can really be used to assess the strength of a team, then there is no need for the playoffs.

And, for some teams, the regular season record is not the most critical thing, such as the top four and top three teams in the East and West Division.

These teams are all capable of winning the championship, and their goals are also championships, so for them, they will always encounter strong teams anyway, and there is no need to avoid them.

In the history of the NBA, the number one in the East, the number one in the West missed the championship, and even failed to win the championship in the East and West.

Just like the Heat.

Now the Heat rank third in the Eastern Conference, but their goal is to win the championship. Whether the regular season record is third or first is not important to them. Anyway, any team in the East in the playoffs, they have the confidence to beat it.

"but......"

At this time, Coach Spoelstra said, "Although the 76ers have fallen to the top position in the East, looking at them in these games, it is obviously not that they can't keep the first place, but they are not willing. To prepare for the playoffs, we are actively preparing for the game, pursuing the improvement of the team's strength at the expense of record."

"It's not difficult to see from this point that the 76ers have great ambitions."