The 76ers have tightened their playing time, averaging only 34.7 minutes per game. There were even two back-to-back games, and Zhang Zifeng did not play in the second game.

Zhang Zifeng's playing time was limited, Embiid was injured, and the 76ers' record was affected.

When the 76ers' record declined, the Boston Celtics made a move, and Thomas Jr. began to explode to be precise.

After the All-Star break, he played more consistently and well.

Under Thomas's leadership, the Celtics played an eight-game winning streak, 51-29, surpassing the 76ers in one fell swoop and rising to the top of the East.

Thomas's steady performance of 28.9 points and 5.9 assists per game has won the recognition of many fans and experts.

The entire Boston media has begun to build momentum for Thomas Jr.

Thomas Jr. also became the sixth player to win the regular season MVP award after Zhang Zifeng, Westbrook, James, Durant, and Harden.

With the final three games of the regular season remaining, the Celtics are 51-28 in first place, and the 76ers are 49-29 and slipped to second place in the East. One win ahead of the Cavaliers, who are third and fourth in the East, and the Raptors.

The Cavaliers and Raptors are also 48 wins, but with this advantage of crossover records, the Cavaliers are in third place ahead of the Raptors, and the Raptors are in fourth place.

Although the Golden State Warriors' record this season is not as good as last season, they still have a 65-14 record, 5 wins ahead of the Spurs, who are second in the West, and 13 wins ahead of the Celtics in the East.

In the last three rounds, the Celtics' opponents are not strong except for the Cavaliers, and the other two opponents, the Nets and the Hornets.

The Nets are first in the East, the last.

Although the Hornets are a little better, they are only 11th with a record of 32 wins, eight wins away from the Pacers, who are eighth in the East, with 40 wins, and also lost the qualification to qualify for the playoffs.

Basically, the Celtics should be able to secure the first place in the East.

Now it's the 76ers, Cavaliers and Raptors, and who is second in the East will depend on the final three games to determine.

Even the Wizards, who are fifth in the East, still have hope, and if the 76ers, Cavaliers and Raptors lose all three games, and the Wizards win all three games, it cannot be ruled out that the Wizards will finally reverse and win the second place in the East.

The Cavaliers' final three games were the Celtics in No. 1 and the Hawks in No. 6.

The Raptors' final three opponents were the Pistons at No. 11, the Heat at No. 10, and the Knicks at No. 12.

The 76ers' final three opponents are the Bulls at No. 9, the Bucks at No. 7, and the Pacers at No. 8.

All three opponents are at the bottom of the rankings, and a team that could drop out of the playoffs if they are not careful, will inevitably fight hard and pursue victory in order to qualify for the playoffs.

That's not good news for the 76ers. Even if one is not good, the 76ers may capsize in the gutter and lose all three games.

However, the good news for the 76ers is that the 76ers have more away from home in the early stage. In the last three games, the 76ers played at home.

On April 6, 2017, the Cavaliers started the game with a 114-91 win over their strongest opponents, the Celtics.

On April 7, the 76ers challenged the Bulls, who ranked 9th in the East, and after a two-hour battle, the 76ers defeated the Bulls 102-90 at home.

The Raptors in the East also beat the Pistons 104-98.

The race for second place in the East continues.

On April 8, the Cavaliers lost 125-126 on the road to the Hawks.

On April 9, the 76ers defeated the Bucks.

Although the Cavaliers lost, as long as the Cavaliers won the last game, the 76ers lost, and with the advantage of the crossover record, the Cavaliers were still able to surpass the 76ers and rise to No. 2.

What's more, today's No. 4 Raptors 96-94 also defeated the Heat.

On April 10, the Bulls lost, so the Pacers secured a playoff spot. But as long as the Pacers win the last game, the Bucks lose. The Pacers could move up to 7th place in the East.

On April 11, the 76ers faced the No. 8 Pacers. The Pacers are also making a last-ditch effort to get higher in the rankings.

"Paul, do you have any confidence in beating the 76ers today?" USA Today reporter interviewed Paul before the game. George.

"I know the 76ers are strong this season, but we have to win to make sure we move up to No. 7 in the East, so we're going to give it our all, and I'm sure we'll do it." Paul. George replied.

Then the reporter also asked Zhang Zifeng, "Zhang, may I ask if you have the confidence to beat your opponent in today's game and ensure the second place in the east?" ”

Zhang Zifeng replied affirmatively, "Of course, this is our home stadium, and with the support of the fans, we are absolutely confident that we can defeat any opponent!" ”

The interview ended, and the player ran out of the tunnel.

When Zhang Zifeng was the last to run out, the 76ers live DJ shouted with all his strength, "Let's greet our superstar with the warmest cheers...... Sheet! ”

Probably because this game was the last game of the regular season, the cheers of the fans were exceptionally loud.

Amid the sound of live DJs, the cheers at Wells Fargo Center reached high decibels.

The rise of the 76ers this season has allowed 76ers fans who have been waiting for many years to finally be able to cheer for the team and not have to go home again and again with disappointment.

And the one who brought all these changes was Zhang Zifeng, a Chinese who ran out of the passage in front of him.

The 76ers fans applauded and shouted for Zhang Zifeng from the bottom of their hearts.

Zhang Zifeng trotted out of the players' tunnel and high-fived the spectators on both sides. Finally, he high-fived his teammates and stood at the edge of the line.

Brett. Brown gave pre-game encouragement and shouted, "We have to win today to make sure we're going to be second in the East, not third or fourth." It's going to put us at a disadvantage in the playoffs. Listen to the cheers of the fans at the scene. Do you want to play at home or away? ”

"Home!" The 76ers players shouted in unison.

Brett. Brown stretched out his hand and shouted, "Then win this game and win the home advantage!" One, two, three, victory! ”

The players put their hands on it in unison and shouted, "One, two, three, victory!" ”

Pacers starting lineup: Teague, Ellis, George, Young, Turner.

76ers starting lineup: Rondo, Zhang Zifeng, Grant, Ibaka, Knol.

With a whistle, the referee throws the ball into the air. Noll jumped to his feet and flicked the ball to Rondo.

When Zhang Zifeng saw it, he immediately ran outside the three-point line and immediately raised his right hand to signal Rondo to pass.

Ellis, who was waiting for Zhang Zifeng outside the three-point line, saw that Zhang Zifeng was still half a meter away from the three-point line, and when he was thinking about whether to stick to the defense, Rondo had already passed the ball to Zhang Zifeng.

As soon as Zhang Zifeng received the ball, he didn't continue to move forward at all, but jumped directly to shoot.

In order to increase his strength, Zhang Zifeng also began to learn from Curry and expand his shooting distance.

When Ellis reacted, Zhang Zifeng had already made a shot, and the basketball flew over his head and fell cleanly into the basket.

Zhang Zifeng opened the scoring for the 76ers, and the 76ers fans in the Wells Fargo Arena immediately cheered for Zhang Zifeng.

Teague dribbled steadily through the half court under the interference of Rondo. Then pass the ball to Paul. George

The current Pacers are different from the Cavaliers that have been able to compete with James for several seasons. George is still holding on, and Hibbert, Stevenson, and the others are gone.

Paul. George is now the Pacers' biggest name and biggest reliance.

George took advantage of Turner's cover and suddenly accelerated to the inside and made a pull-up jump shot when Ibaka made up for it.

Switching between offense and defense, Zhang Zifeng's desire to attack was very strong tonight, and he took the initiative to ask Rondo for the ball.

This time, Ellis didn't dare to give Zhang Zifeng any more space, so he hurriedly posted it.

After receiving the ball, facing Ellis, Zhang Zifeng held the ball and posed in a three-threat posture, stepped forward with his left foot, and shook his body to the left, but accelerated to break through to the right.

As soon as he entered the inside line, Zhang Zifeng took a European step, shook Turner, and made a layup.

"Zhang shook off Ellis with a feint, my Pacers' head coach needs to make a substitution, Ellis can't play any role in restricting Zhang Zifeng at all!" Barkley said with a smile.

In the opening game, two consecutive attacks were successful, and Zhang Zifeng completely entered the state of scoring machine.

In the first quarter, Zhang Zifeng made 13 shots, hit 9 balls, and scored 24 points in a single quarter, completely blowing up Ellis.

But even if the head coach of the Pacers is replaced by Lance Stephenson and C.J. Myers, it still can't limit Zhang Zifeng, who has entered a berserk state.

The 76ers also benefited from Zhang Zifeng's outstanding performance in the first quarter, leading the Pacers by 12 points.

In the second quarter, the Pacers resolutely implemented a trap on Zhang Zifeng, and Zhang Zifeng used his threat more to involve the opponent's defense, create space for teammates, or assist the opponent.

On the outside, Saric and Grant hit back-to-back three-pointers to extinguish George's Pacers counterattack.

Paul. George changed his direction and suddenly accelerated to shake off Grant and go straight inside.

If it weren't for a severe fracture in the right calf, it would have resulted in reimbursement for the 2014-15 season. Paul. George will definitely be stronger.

You know, when Paul. George can fight against James, leading the Pacers to fight the Cavaliers to a life-and-death tiebreaker.

Seeing George shake off Grant, Ibaka joined forces to trap the other party.

George Paul hit the penalty area, and a fake action of a sharp stop provoked Ibaka to get up.

George sank, continued to accelerate, hit the inside, and jumped up for a dunk.

Just when George thought the ball was there.

Syllable!

Zhang Zifeng's hand slapped the basketball fiercely, and the ball flew out of bounds.

"Zhang blocked George, he was like an all-round warrior who made a huge contribution on both offensive and defensive ends!" Barkley exclaimed.

Turner stepped up to the sideline and the Pacers had only 10 seconds left to attack.

Jeff Teague ran out to catch the ball, but with the 76ers defending, the Pacers nearly missed a 24-second violation.

At the last moment, Paul's hasty action unsurprisingly struck the iron.

There was still 4 minutes left in the second quarter, and Zhang Zifeng was off.

By the time Zhang Zifeng went off the court, the 76ers had a 19-point lead.

Although Zhang Zifeng is out of the game, Rondo and the 76ers are still very tenacious to fight the Pacers.

At the end of the first half, 49-64, the 76ers at home led the Pacers by a huge 15 points.

'We're 15 points ahead but it's only the first half, there's half time and anything can happen. We have to forget about our advantage in the first half and play the second half with all our might. We can only relax when the whistle blows at the end of the game. Got it? "Brett. Brown shouted.

"Yes, Coach!"

"Okay, guys, let's get on the field and win!"

In the second half, the game kicked off with the huge cheers of the fans at the scene.

Rondo pushed beyond the three-point line to watch the situation.

Jeff Teague is physically strong and defensively good. Rondo had to be careful to guard the ball.

Zhang Zifeng suddenly started.

Lance Stephenson, who was switching to keep an eye on Zhang Zifeng with all his might, hurriedly followed.

Zhang Zifeng ran out to receive the ball, and after receiving the ball, Zhang Zifeng stuck to the other party.

The body shook, and then carried the opponent directly to turn around, and the body floated backwards to shoot.

Lance-Stephenson was leaned on by Zhang Zifeng, and his body couldn't help but take half a step back, adjust it, and when he put it on, it was already slow.

I could only watch the ball fly backwards in front of my eyes.

The ball passed through the nets, making waves, telling everyone that the ball was in!

The referee's two-point gesture fell, causing 76ers fans to cheer

With Zhang Zifeng's strong opening, the morale of the 76ers' players has also soared, with tough offense and active defense.

In the second half, the Pacers, who wanted to set off a counterattack, were suddenly beaten with a dull stick.

The morale of the 76ers is getting higher and higher, and the 76ers are getting more and more excited and shooting in the joyful cheers of nearly 20,000 fans at the Wells Fargo Center Arena.

With only five minutes left in the third quarter, and seeing that the margin was almost 20 points, coach Nate McMillan quickly called a timeout.

"Paul, you have to fight a little harder. You've got to step up and help the team! OK？ ”

Paul. George nodded and said, "Okay, I understand! ”

After the pause, George really hit the ground more decisively and toughly.

Receiving the ball in the front court, one was carrying Grant with his back, George hit the inside hard, and after hitting his back twice, George suddenly turned around and threw the ball in.

Back on the defensive end, Rondo used cover to break through to the interior and was solidly covered by the hot pot sent by George.

George grabbed the rebound and was just about to break through with the ball.

Grant took the first step to get to his feet, and George bumped into the entanglement.

The two fell to the ground together. George squirted at Grant as he got up.

Grant pushed George away and tried to walk back into the half.

George shook off Grant's hand fiercely, and Durant was enraged and turned to find George to theorize.

Players from both sides immediately rushed over to separate the two, and the referee also came, and the conflict did not escalate.

After watching the video replay, the referee finally gave both sides a technical foul.

Seeing that the referee actually gave him a technical foul, George suddenly felt unfair.

He immediately blasted the referee like a cannon: "You all know what Grant did, but you let this damn thing happen all the time." That bastard Grant was stabbing and punching me in the stomach all night, and you didn't stop it. I fell and didn't do anything before I got a technical foul. I can't respect such referees, your blowing is terrible. ”

Hearing George complain that his blowing penalty was not good, the referee immediately became angry and immediately gave George another T.

Paul. George saw the referee's T gesture, his eyes glared angrily, and he just wanted to continue scolding.

His teammates hurriedly pulled George away, and the Pacers staff came over to persuade George to walk back to the locker room.

With 4:07 left in the third quarter, George was ejected with two technical fouls.

At the end of the third quarter, the 76ers had a 22-point lead, the Pacers trailed by 22 points, and the team leader was ejected from the game.

Seeing that the team's morale is low, there are so many behind, and the core of the team is no longer there.

In the fourth quarter, Pacers head coach Nate McMillan directly chose to give up. Rest the main players of the team. Save your stamina to play against the Celtics in the playoffs.

Nate McMillan said that the main force was replaced all.

76ers coach Brett. Brown looked at it and also replaced the main force. It's not about sending a second team, but about taking a few substitutes who haven't played much in a season!

When Zhang Zifeng left the court, the 76ers fans all stood up and stood up to applaud him.

Thank you to him for leading the 76ers back to life, and thank you for all the hard work this season.

When the whistle blew, the 76ers beat the Pacers 120-111 at home, giving the 76ers four wins in a row.

George had 24 points and five assists, and he was ejected in the fourth quarter. Young had 20 points and eight rebounds, Turner had 18 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks, Seraphim had 17 points and six rebounds, Teague had 15 points and six assists and Myers had nine points.

For the 76ers, Zhang Zifeng had 41 points and seven assists and six rebounds, Serge Ibaka had 17 points and six rebounds, Grant had 15 points, Sharic had 15 points and two assists, Rondo had 12 points, eight assists and five rebounds, and Noll had 12 points and six rebounds.

With a 52-30 record, the 76ers finished in the 2016-2017 season and ranked second in the East.

The Indiana Pacers went 41-40 and ultimately retained a playoff spot.