To Game 4 and beyond, the 76ers are coming for the Eastern Conference: 3 takeaways

The Philadelphia 76ers look as good as any team in the Eastern Conference. After winning a tough Game 4 over the Miami Heat, what’s the ceiling for this team?

The 76ers won their last 16 games of the regular season. After a crucial Game 4 win over the Miami Heat, they’re now 3-1 in the playoffs as well. They have Joel Embiid back in the lineup and the sky appears to be the limit for the 76ers right now.

The 76ers have a pair of 20+ point wins over the Heat and know they’ve ground out a close win as well. Miami led by as much as 12 points in Game 4 but the 76ers kept working, held the Heat to just 19 points in the fourth quarter and pulled out the win. One of the few chinks in Philadelphia’s armor would appear to be their youth and inexperience but it was the Heat who turned the ball over 19 times and missed 12 free throws in the four-point game.

Philadelphia has firm control of the series and appears to be headed to the second round of the playoffs, and, maybe, beyond?

Takeaways

Joel Embiid is special. Embiid shot terribly from the field and missed all four of his 3-point attempts. He had eight turnovers and generally struggled on offense, looking out of sorts and arrhythmic. He also had five blocks, including this one…

… and a block on a Wade layup with 17.6 second left that was called for a questionable foul. He is still just baby steps into his career and has already reached the stage where he can have an enormous impact even when his offensive game is off. That’s the stuff of superstardom.

The little things doomed Miami. It’s hard to win turning the ball over 19 times and missing 12 free throws but the mistakes appeared to crescendo in the biggest moments. Miami turned the ball over five times in the fourth quarter and shot just 34.8 percent from the field in the period. Dwyane Wade took 10 shots in the fourth and made some big buckets but was not quite up to the challenge of winning the game on his own.

Next: Time's up for Damian Lillard

What’s next for Philly? One doesn’t want to get ahead of themselves but the 76ers now have a 98 percent chance of advancing, according to 538. What’s more, 538 gives them 36 percent chance of reaching the Finals and a 13 percent chance of winning it all, behind the Rockets and just a shade behind the Raptors. We’re long past the point where this playoff trip is just about accumulating experience for the future. Their window is opening right now.