The Philadelphia 76ers opened the NBA season 8–1, extending their winning streak to five games with a 112–106 victory in Detroit. An NBA.com analysis using figures through 4 November shows how often their wins have involved close finishes.
A record built in tight games
Seven of Philadelphia’s eight wins were within five points at some point in the final five minutes. The team won those eight games by an average of 8.1 points, while its lone defeat was by 13 and did not meet that close-game definition.
The 76ers had the league’s best record at the snapshot date but ranked ninth in average point differential at plus 5.8 per game. Nine games are a limited sample, and the difference between the standings and that margin should not be treated as a prediction of the final table.
Philadelphia added Jaylen Brown and LeBron James to a core featuring Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid. NBA.com’s figures put its defence second, allowing 105.1 points per 100 possessions, while the offence ranked 20th at 110.5 per 100.
The Embiid split
Opponents scored 97.8 points per 100 possessions with Embiid on court and 112.2 with him off it, a 14.4-point difference. The analysis cautions that the split covers only 234 and 198 minutes respectively.
Maxey averaged 8.3 minutes of possession per game, ahead of Brown’s 4.8, James’s 4.4 and Embiid’s 3.5. NBA.com identified shot quality as an area for improvement as the group develops. The analysis listed a subsequent NBA Cup meeting with Cleveland; its result and the 76ers’ eventual standing remain open.