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Cleveland Cavaliers: Lessons from another discouraging loss in Philly

By Jackson Flickinger

PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 6: Ben Simmons
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 6: Ben Simmons /
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CLEVELAND, OH – APRIL 3: LeBron James #23 and Rodney Hood #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers look on during the game against the Toronto Raptors on April 3, 2018 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH – APRIL 3: LeBron James #23 and Rodney Hood #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers look on during the game against the Toronto Raptors on April 3, 2018 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Lesson No. 4: The Cavs will most likely be the fourth seed.

The Sixers all but clinched the third seed in the East with the win. They now have a half-game lead on the Cavs for the third seed and control their own destiny.

Cleveland still has a chance for the third spot in the East. They just need to win their final two games against the Knicks and they need the Sixers to lose one of their three remaining games. Philadelphia’s final three games against the Mavericks, Hawks, and Bucks.

With two of those teams tanking, there’s a good chance that Philadelphia can win out the rest of the way.

If the season ended today the Cavs would face the Pacers in the first round and would most likely face the Raptors in the second round if both teams advance.

Cleveland would like to avoid playing Toronto until the Eastern Conference Finals, but it’s hard to picture a scenario where the Cavs make it out of the East without facing Toronto at some point. Facing them a round earlier probably won’t change the result of a series anyways.

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The Cavs will spend the weekend in New York before facing the Knicks on Monday night.