Coming into Saturday’s game against the New York Knicks, the Philadelphia 76ers were looking to start a mini-win streak. It wasn’t looking so good as of publication, as the 76ers were trailing the Knicks by double digits early in the fourth quarter. But there was a source of entertainment for 76ers fans as one fan knocked down a half court shot to win a $10,000 prize.
A lot of NBA teams host half court shooting competitions during games, and this one 76ers fan was able to convert the shot on two attempts. There was a little catch to the prize money, however. The fan did not actually win $10,000, he won that amount in cryptocurrency.
The fan excitement from the made half court shot aside, the 76ers are trying to keep pace in a what’s become a tough, middle of the pack race in the Eastern Conference standings. They are currently 25-19 and in sixth place in the East, which would automatically guarantee a playoff spot.
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But they are only a single game ahead of the No. 7 Orlando Magic, and two games ahead of the No. 8 Miami Heat and slipping to a play-in spot. Last season, the 76ers missed the playoffs amid season-ending injuries to Joel Embiid and Paul George. It was the first time the team missed the postseason since 2017.
But the 76ers were rewarded with a top-four pick in the 2025 NBA Draft which they used to select VJ Edgecombe from Baylor. Edgecombe has looked like a potential franchise building block amid a strong rookie season so far.
He’s appeared in 39 games so far this season, at a little over 35 minutes per game. He’s been averaging 15.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.5 steals with splits of 42.9 percent shooting from the field, 36.8 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 76.6 percent shooting from the free-throw line.