The NBA Playoffs are, obviously, not happening in real life, but they are being simulated. A fantasy website called Strat-O-Matic has been simulating the playoffs as if they are happening in real life.
On Saturday, the 6 seed Philadelphia 76ers and the 3 seed Boston Celtics faced off in the simulation version of a Game 7 in Round 1 of the playoffs. It has been a bit of a surprising series as the Sixers, a notoriously bad road team, took both Game 1 and Game 5 on the road and they lost Game 4 and Game 6 at home, a place where they have been dominant. So, Game 7 would be a very unpredictable game for both teams.
Despite a terrific game from Tobias Harris who had 34 points to lead Philadelphia, the Sixers came up short 137-132 and were eliminated from the playoffs. Jayson Tatum led Boston with 29 points, Kemba Walker had 26, and rookie Grant Williams had a huge game with 18 points. Gordon Hayward also stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, eight rebounds, and six assists.
Along with Harris’ big game, Joel Embiid finished with 29 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists, Ben Simmons had 21 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists, and Josh Richardson added 19. Al Horford finished with six and five rebounds in 30 minutes.
According to simulation, the #Sixers were eliminated from the playoffs with a Game 7 loss to the Celtics today in Boston 137-132. Tobias Harris led Philly with 34 points, Joel Embiid had 29, 13, and 6, and Ben Simmons had 21, 8, and 9. Tough finish to the season.
— Ky Carlin (@Ky_Carlin) May 2, 2020
Obviously, it is just a simulation so this does not mean much in the grand scheme of things, but it does make you wonder how this team would do in the postseason. There are a few obvious flaws in the simulation. The Sixers are not a team that is going to put up big numbers as they did in this series and they are also a much better defensive team than what they showed in this series.
Hopefully, soon, the real Sixers will be able to get back out on the floor and resume the NBA season. [lawrence-related id=30366,30344,30360]