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Philadelphia and Brooklyn were deadlocked for the 11th seed in the Eastern Conference on Saturday night, trailing Chicago by just 1.5 games for the last play-in spot in the East. The outcome of this game was crucial for both teams as they fought to keep their postseason hopes alive.

NBA: Brooklyn Nets at Philadelphia 76ers

With Joel Embiid watching from the bench, Brooklyn's center Nic Claxton put back a Cameron Johnson miss as time expired to give the Nets a 105-103 win on the road.

NIC CLAXTON FLIES IN FOR THE WIN

What a follow-up to WIN IT for Brooklyn!#TissotBuzzerBeater #YourTimeDefinesYourGreatness pic.twitter.com/7SBmHZYxRL

— NBA (@NBA) February 23, 2025

Johnson led Brooklyn with 23 points.

This game was the latest sign it is

time for the Sixers to shut it down for the season

and focus on keeping their top-six protected first-round pick (if the selection is seventh or higher, it goes to Oklahoma City; Philly currently has the sixth worst record in the league). Philadelphia had its superstar trio to start Saturday's game — Embiid, Paul George, Tyrese Maxey — but couldn't beat a team that has been selling off most of its best players this season as they target the lottery.

Philly is now 12th in the East and needs to leapfrog two teams just to make the back end of the play-in.

Embiid, who has admitted he is playing through knee pain and

may need another surgery to clean it up

, was benched in the fourth quarter in favor of Guerschon Yabusele — and it was the right move by 76ers coach Nick Nurse. Yabusele had connected better with the other starters than Embiid.

Why are the Sixers asking Embiid and Paul George — who also has admitted playing through pain — to risk more severe injury? To earn the No. 10 seed in the play-in? While this season may have started with the highest of expectations in Philadelphia, it has gone completely off the rails. It is time to shut Embiid and George down, let them get healthy and focus on next season, and see if they can hold on to that top-six draft pick.