3 reasons the Cavaliers can still catch the 76ers for third

Reason No. 2: The Cavaliers have been the better team

The Philadelphia 76ers have banked one more win and five fewer losses than the Cleveland Cavaliers this season, but not all wins and losses are created equal. The Sixers have an average point differential in their games of +3.8, which is a solid number, a hair ahead of Milwaukee for the third-best mark in the East.

The Cavs, however, check in at +5.1, the second-best differential in the East and in the entire NBA. They have the league’s best defense and a solid offense, and despite their own collection of injuries have played consistently well all season long.

Point differential has proven to be a more accurate reflection of a team’s quality than their record. That suggests that the Cavaliers will not only perform better moving forward because of a softer schedule, they will perform better because they are the better team.

That doesn’t mean things can’t change; what has happened is not a guarantee for what will happen. Still, there is little to point to for why Philly will get substantially better or Cleveland will get substantially worse over the rest of the season, and if that is the case the Cavs have the advantage and the superior metrics.